Frances May Petr Keller, 85, passed away peacefully surrounded by her children on September 14, 2016, at Big Sandy Medical Center. The sixth of eight children, she was born at Hopp, Montana, southeast of Big Sandy, on November 9, 1930, to Frank Jouseph and Anna Helen Koutensky Petr. Frank emigrated from Yugoslavia and served in World War I, while Anna emigrated from Czechoslovakia to New York City in 1910. They homestead southeast of Big Sandy. Frances attended Iliad School during her elementary grades except for the second and third grades when she attended Big Sandy Elementary School when her family moved to town for the winter. After graduating from Big Sandy High School, she loved working as a secretary for Chouteau County Superintendent of Schools Margaretha Klinesmith Thomas for a year and a half in Fort Benton. Margaretha and Frances "made many miles" traveling around Chouteau county visiting the small country schools. After which Frances moved to Great Falls and worked as a secretary at the United Services Organization and Montana Oliver Distributing Company. Frances had fallen in love with a Bear Paw rancher by the name of Harvey Harrison Keller during high school. They were Prom 1948 King and Queen. Frances' will in the Class of 1948 Memories Book said, "I will keep Harvey." After working for John Sheehy during the summer of 1948, Harvey moved to Great Falls in September and worked for Bison Ford Motor Company and the Anaconda Smelter. Frances did keep Harvey and married him on April 23, 1950, and they resided in Great Falls until October of 1951 when they moved to the Bob Peel Ranch in the Bear Paw Mountains where they worked for Chester and Margaret Loomis. In June of 1952, Harvey and Frances moved to Big Sandy where he worked for Henry Bitz, Sr. until October of 1952 when they moved to the John O'Neil and Sons Ranch in the Bear Paw Mountains next to the John F. Keller Ranch where Harvey grew up. Harvey was the foreman of the ranch, and Frances was the cook. Harvey and Frances purchased a small farm west of Box Elder in April of 1957. They farmed and sold cream, butter, and eggs locally, and Harvey worked for the Great Northern Railroad in Havre. They joined the Methodist Church, leading the local MYF youth group while in Box Elder. After selling their farm, Harvey and Frances moved to Harvey's home ranch in January of 1963 in the Bear Paw Mountains where Frances lived until November 2011. They celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in 1975 with a party and dance at Hopp School. They celebrated their beautiful, new home and 30th wedding anniversary with a party in 1980. They developed their campground and hosted Walter and Ida Genereux's 50th wedding anniversary party. After that they hosted family birthday parties, reunions, and Fourth of July camping parties for many years until Harvey passed in 1995. The family celebrated a Petr Family Reunion there in 2000. Harvey and Frances thoroughly enjoyed cooking for friends and family-especially pancakes, bacon, eggs, and all the breakfast trimmings and steaks or Frances' famous fried chicken cooked over the grill.
Harvey and Frances had three children. Their daughter Gaye Lynn was born in February of 1952 and ranches with her husband, Roger Genereux, in the Bear Paw Mountains at the base of Flying A on Godfrey Creek. Their son, Harvey Lee, was born in June of 1956, and he and his wife Demrece ranch on the home place on Big Sandy Creek. Their daughter Colleen Sue, born in August of 1968, lives in Tucson, Arizona, where her husband Bill Forbes works for Wells Fargo Bank. Frances was a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother. She enjoyed baking cookies with the grandkids and playing Chinese checkers and Rummy with them. Frances has eight grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandson.
Frances was very generous, giving to numerous organizations over the years. Frances had many care-givers from 2011 until the present. After falling in November of 2011 and recovering at Big Sandy Medical Center until January of 2012, she lived with Roger and Gaye until May of 2013. Then she lived at Big Sandy Medical Center until September 2013 when she moved to Cambridge Court in Great Falls. She moved to BeeHive Homes in Great Falls in September 2015 and then to Big Sandy Medical Center in April of 2016. All her care-givers remarked about her good attitude, sweet disposition, whole-hearted appreciation for their assisting her, and her beautiful smile.
Frances was preceded in death by her husband, Harvey H. Keller, in 1995; her parents, Frank and Anna Petr; her sister Ann Jones; her brother Frank Petr; her sister Evelyn Bitz; and her sister Mary Nance. Her surviving sisters are Helen Moes and Lillian Blazek of Washington and Elizabeth Timmerman of Naples, Florida, and brother-in-law Leo Bitz of Big Sandy. Those left behind are daughter Gaye Lynn Genereux (Roger) of Big Sandy and their daughter Leah Quintana (Feliberto) of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and great-grandsons Kelby Hoge of Bozeman, Kalin Hoge (Jessica) and great-great-grandson KoBurn of Lewistown, and Avaristo Quintana of Hawaii; and great-granddaughters Alicia Trembley (Tim) of Albuquerque and Angelica Rose of Las Cruces, New Mexico; Roger and Gaye's sons Roger Austin (Raelynn) and great-grandsons Riley and Bayley Genereux, and Rustin (Stephanie) Genereux all of Big Sandy; Frances' son Harvey Lee Keller (Demrece) of Big Sandy and their daughters Laci (fiancée Jason Christenson) of Havre and Tenley of Billings; and Frances' daughter Colleen Sue Forbes (William) of Tucson, Arizona, and their children Mollie, Max, and Morgan; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be made to Big Sandy Medical Center, to the Big Sandy New Library Fund, or to another of your choice. A memorial service will be held at the Big Sandy United Methodist Church at a later date. Notices of the service will be sent to The Mountaineer and the Havre radio stations.
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