Keith D. Orr

Keith Orr, long time resident of Kewanee, passed away peacefully on August 31, 2024 at the age of 85 at the OSF Richard L. Owens Hospice Home surrounded by his family.   

Keith was born in Kewanee, IL, the son of William and Evelyn (Swearingen) Orr. He married his wife, Louise (VanWassenhove), on April 13,1957 who preceded him in death on May 15, 2008 after 51 years of marriage. Together they raised four children in the Kewanee area. Keith started out at a young age working in Atkinson, IL at a Feed Mill and worked 38 years at International Harvester/Case IH in Moline, IL until his retirement. Once retired, he pursued house remodeling and rental and painted all walls shell white, as his children liked to tease.   

Keith enjoyed spending time with his family, being outside in nature, and surprising his sister and brother-in-law in the Southern US with four kids in tow. Great memories were made throughout the years as he and the family traveled to the mountains of Colorado and the Western states for camping, New Orleans for Mardi Gras, and later the beaches of the southern coast. He enjoyed the mountains of Arkansas canoeing the Buffalo River and a good campfire with his family, friends, brothers and sisters-in-law, and nieces and nephews. He didn’t shy away from climbing large boulders in Colorado to peer over the edge, loved feeding chipmunks and seagulls, enjoyed eating red snapper and coastal seafood, and listening to the waves with his family. He was an avid fan of old Westerns and loved to laugh and tease, always ready with a wink and a smile.   

In his later years, he loved to mow and could often be found mowing the neighbor’s yard as well as his own. He loved his morning coffee at McDonalds with his ‘coffee clutch’ and lit up at the mention of cookies and blueberry pancakes.   

Keith was preceded in death by his wife and his parents, sisters Patricia (Basil) Aumiller of Leslie, Arkansas; Joyce (John) Nosal of Kewanee; Janet Orr, Cheryl Orr both of Kewanee. He is survived by one brother, William (Linda) Orr of Strasburg, IL; children, LuAnn (Jim) VanDierendonck of Moline, IL; Dianna Orr, Lorie (Kirk) Manthe and Don Orr of Kewanee; four grandchildren, Michael VanDierendonck of Moline, Corey (Lauren) Orr of Hermann, MO; Ian Manthe of Waco, TX and Jessica Manthe of Des Moines, IA. Along with brothers and sisters-in-law and many nieces and nephews.

For those who prefer to forgo flowers, donations can be made to the OSF Richard L. Owens Hospice House in Peoria, IL or St. Jude’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN in his memory.

Cremation will be accorded and services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 10 at Rux Funeral Home in Kewanee with Pastor Justin Rumley officiating. Interment will follow at Pleasant View Cemetery in Kewanee as his final resting place with his wife, Louise.  

The family would like to thank his doctors and nurses who made it possible for him to spend time with his family doing what he loved through his later years and to friends and family who helped us through the last years of his life. While his health didn’t allow him to reach his goal of living to 100, he will live on in our hearts and be remembered for his laughter and his smile.

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