Carmen Wade Keeler

Carmen Wade Keeler aged 67 years of Keeler, SK, passed away suddenly on Thursday, August 1st, 2024.  Wade was born October 22nd, 1956, in Moose Jaw, SK to Allister and Patricia Keeler.  He was the youngest of three children.  The first ten years of his life were spent on the Keeler farm.  He took the first 5 grades of his education in Keeler, belonged to the cub scouts, and played with the hockey team.  He liked to do all the things busy, curious, young boys do. 

Wade remembered catching gophers and selling the tails to his father for .05 cents a tail.  When his father wasn’t looking, he would retrieve those tails and resell them to him.  His father seemed to think he was catching a lot of gophers, so he started to pay closer attention and made sure he destroyed the tails as he paid for them.  We can’t fool our parents for to long.

At the age of 11 Wade moved to Moose Jaw with his parents and attended city schools until the end of grade 10.  He spent his summer holidays working for Air-Waves Radio and TV shop for three years, delivered pizza with the Benson boys, and helped Murray Stuart deliver groceries after school and weekends.

His father, Allister, passed away when he was thirteen years old, so as soon as he could get his drivers license, Wade quit school to move back to the family farm.  With a dog for company and his sisters’ horse, he settled in.  He never really liked the city, so he was happy to be back ‘home’. 

In 1979, Wade bought three Hereford cows and started to build the herd like his father used to have.  About the same time, he went to work for the Trans-Canada Pipelines and was there for four years.  A few years later, he started his refrigeration business while still tending the cattle and farm. 

Wade had also desired to build an “underground” house, so in 1980 he started to put plans together and, in the spring of 1981, construction got underway.  Between building a family, the farm and cattle, life got busy for Wade and the interior wasn’t completed.

Wade loved to tinker and brainstorm ways to make things more efficient from heating, cooling and power.  You could always find him in the driveway working on some kind of project.  He enjoyed visiting with his customers and repairing their items. 

He was predeceased by his parents, Allister and Patrica Keeler; sisters, Sharon Gray and Lana Beck; and brother-in-law, John Gray.  Wade is survived by his 4 children: Carmen Keeler, Joe Keeler, Adam Keeler, and Lyndon Keeler, and his honorary daughter Teanna Keeler; grandchildren: Ryan Skinner/Keeler, Zuri Keeler, and Harmony Keeler; as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A Celebration of Wade’s Life will be held on Saturday, August 10th, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. at the Moose Jaw Eagles Club, in the hall, located at 561 Home Street in Moose Jaw.  Arrangements are entrusted to Moose Jaw Funeral Home, 268 Mulberry Lane.  Andrew Pratt, Funeral Director 306-693-4550