Obituary of Rita Elizabeth Keller

Rita Elizabeth Keller (nee Gilmer) was born on June 13, 1952, in Provost Alberta. Rita was the 2nd daughter of Harold and Viola Gilmer and was raised on the Gilmer family farm with her sisters Joyce and Rhonda and brother Richard. The farm and the Provost community were home. Her life was filled with family and the dear friendships she made here. Honesty was a core value to Rita and those close to her knew how much she cared for them and what she was thinking even if a particular message might be difficult to hear. Rita married Ron Keller on March 7, 1970, and they spent the best 51 years of their lives together. The first few years of marriage in Edmonton “without 2 nickels to rub together” and newborn Derek to keep out of trouble was always talked about fondly and they never stopped leaning on each other to build their life and their home. When Kari-Lynn was born in ’76 the happy couple jumped at the opportunity to move back home and settle on the Gilmer homestead. Rita was an active partner in the farm and absolutely loved her bountiful garden. She also trained to become a Homecare Aide and providing support in the community was very fulfilling. She valued hard work and understood how important it was to reward that hard work and enjoy the blessings life has to offer. The family cabin at Dillberry Lake, several fantastic trips and countless family events were part of a rich life. Rita embraced the transition from Mom to Granny and she loved being with her 8 grandchildren. The cabin at Dillberry provided no end of fun as she was able to spend time each summer with all 8 grandchildren doing the things she did as a girl. She spent countless hours watching her Grandkids in various arenas and ball fields and couldn’t have been more proud of them. Rita passed away on January 26, 2022, at the Provost Health Centre at the age of 69 years after a hard-fought battle with Cancer. She is loved and will be missed dearly by her husband Ron; children Derek (Nicole) & their children Joceline, Ryan, Adam, and Jeremy; Kari-Lynn (Colin) & their daughters Danae, Shaelyn, Victoria and Erica; Sisters Joyce Gilmer and Rhonda (Barry) Gordon; Brother Richard (Karen) Gilmer; numerous in-laws, nieces, and nephews; Other relatives and friends. A funeral service for Rita will be held on Wednesday, February 9, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. at the Provost Recreation & Cultural Centre with Pastor Paul McCormick officiating. A live stream of Rita's funeral will be available on the Gregory's Funeral Home Inc. website for anyone that is not able to attend. For those attending, we will be following the expectations of the Restrictions Exemption Program. Proof of vaccinations (two weeks post second shot) or a negative test is required. Indoor masking is also required.