Gwen Keefauver
Gwen Keefauver of Palmdale, California, was born Feb. 10, 1932, near Paoli. She died and went home to be with the Lord on Jan. 26, 2022.
Dr. H.C. Hill and Aunt Nora Fisbeck attended her birth. Her parents, Bill and Bess (Schropfer) Fisbeck, named their middle daughter Gwendolyn Ilene.
Gwen grew up on a farm and regularly milked the cows and helped her dad. She learned to drive a John Deere tractor and was her dad’s tractor ‘man’ during harvest. Their house on that farm had no indoor plumbing, so her other chores included carrying buckets of water from the well to the house for cooking and bathing.
She cherished her paintings of the farm where she grew up and often shared fond memories of the farm. Windmills always held a special place in Gwen’s heart. Later in life, she recycled barnwood from that farm into frames for her paintings and other memorabilia.
She attended Pleasant View Country School, District 15, where her teachers included Geraldine Morgan, Gladys Barker and Alice Blakesley. Following her graduation from Phillips County High School in 1949, she entered Beth El School of Nursing at age 18. She earned an associate degree in nursing at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs. She completed her nursing training in Greeley and her surgical training at Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Denver.
Gwen loved the outdoors and was an avid skier while she lived near the mountains. She was a member of the Timberline Club, whose members were over 6 feet tall. It was there that she met her future husband, Robert William Keefauver.
Gwen and Bob were married on April 5, 1958, and moved to California. She quickly started her career as a nurse at Pacoima Lutheran Hospital in Sylmar, California. After a time, her career took her to Saint Joseph’s Medical Center in Burbank, California. During her employment at Saint Joseph’s Medical Center, she completed her bachelor’s degree in nursing.
She specialized as an entero-stoma therapist through University of Southern California. During her employment at Saint Joseph’s Medical Center, she additionally served on the surgical, general neurology and lithotripsy teams.
She was an active member of Peace Lutheran Church in Lake View Terrace, California, and was the organist for 40-plus years. After moving to Palmdale, Gwen continued to drive over 50 miles one way every Sunday to play the organ. She served her sisters and brothers in Christ under the leadership of Pastor Jon Imme.
Gwen had a great sense of humor and typically responded to a joke with “That was a knee-slapper!” Gwen often spoke of looking forward to playing a lot of golf in retirement. She was instrumental in organizing women’s golf tournaments at El Cariso Country Club in Sylmar. At the time of her death, she owned the ground where the driving range for the Holyoke Golf Course is located.
She was loved by many and had a long and fulfilling life serving the Lord and her family and friends. She also loved her many dogs over the years: Trixie, Pooch, Cindy-Sue, and Sami-Sue 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0.
Gwen was predeceased by her parents; her older sister, Delores Austin Zinsli; and her younger sister, Betty Willey.
Gwen is survived by her husband, Robert “Bob”; son, Doug and wife Cindie; grandson, Kyle and wife Kim; granddaughter, Kellie; and several cousins, nieces and nephews.
Services for Gwen were scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 16, at 10:30 a.m. at Baucke Funeral Chapel in Holyoke, with Pastor Gary Rahe officiating. Interment will be at Holyoke Cemetery.
Baucke Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.