John M. Keehn

John M. Keehn, 85 of Kearney passed away Sunday, January 8, 2023 at St. John’s Good Samaritan Home in Kearney. Funeral services will be 11:00 am Friday, January 13, 2023 at O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home in Kearney. Interment will be held at Highland Park Cemetery in Ravenna. Visitation will be held 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to Aseracare Hospice or to St. John’s Good Samaritan Home. Condolences may be shared online at www.osrfh.com. Services are entrusted to O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral and Cremation Services. John was born in Paxton, NE on March 3, 1937, to Rudolph and Gladys (Hurst) Keehn. John was raised in Litchfield, NE and graduated from Litchfield High School in 1954. John entered the U.S. Army after graduating High School and served until 1957 including a stint as an airplane mechanic in South Korea. He returned to Nebraska and was united in marriage to Loraine Huryta on April 19, 1959 in Ravenna, Nebraska. They moved to Kearney after their marriage and lived there for the past 63 years. He started working at Brodine Tractor Company and then continued his working career at Lewis Feedlot, Ostermeyer Equipment, Sperry Rand/New Holland and Kearney Equipment. His work career included being a salesman, mechanic, farmer or basically doing what had to be done. John was an individual who could build, create and fix about anything you could imagine, but his true passion was what he created in his own yard along with his wife. John enjoyed his garden, where he would give cucumbers and tomatoes to friends and neighbors. The yard was immaculate with flowers placed all around the deck and yard while receiving the Sertoma Yard of the Month for his efforts. Both John and Loraine enjoyed traveling, attending athletic events, especially watching their sons and grandchildren compete. They were also avid University of Nebraska-Kearney, and American Legion Baseball fans. John is survived by his sons, Rocky (Vaiva) of Gretna, Nebraska and Mike (Lisa) of Florence, Alabama; grandchildren, Jessica (Corey) Meisel, Daina Keehn, Erica (Rob) Rikard, Ryder Keehn, Austin Keehn, Audra Keehn; great-grandchildren, Houston Meisel, Noah and Addison Rikard; sisters, Irene (Clinton) Smith of Kearney, Nebraska and Marian Schroeder of Ravenna, Nebraska. He was preceded in death by his parents; three sisters, Marjorie Lammers, Nola Brown and Doris Ebert-Simpson; and one brother, Delmar Keehn.

John M. Keehn

March 3, 1937 - January 8, 2023