Margaret Keily

On November 7, 2018, Margaret Keily, 90, daughter of Dan and Mary (Noonan) Keily, died while a resident at Missouri Slope Nursing Home in Bismarck. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, November 12, at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Tappen, with Rev. Jerome Hunkler officiating. Visitation will be held from 1:30 pm -3 p.m. Sunday, at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Tappen, with a Vigil Prayer Service beginning at 3:00 pm. Burial will take place immediately following the service at Fischer Cemetery in Tappen.   Margaret Pearl was born in Tappen, ND, on April 14, 1928, in her parents’ home. It was here she was raised by her loving Irish family in the Roman Catholic tradition, which was the center of her life. Her daily devotion to the Lord and her love of all people led her to a life of service. She was raised with simple means by farmers but understood the importance of education. She graduated from Tappen High School in 1946 as one of three graduates. These formative years led her to a desire to continue her education. After this, she attended an eight-week course at Ellendale Normal School. She taught in many rural, one room schools that included all eight grades. She then went on to Valley City Teachers College, completing her Two-Year Teacher Training Curriculum in 1950. After this, she “could teach in town school.” Later, she got a call from the Benedictine sisters who asked her to teach third grade at St. Joseph’s in Dickinson. She later joined the convent in 1953. In 1967, she wrote an essay on what she thought teaching social studies should contain. She won a $5000 scholarship to Eastern Michigan University where she studied for the next twelve months, earning her MA. She then went on to Mary College in Bismarck and taught courses in education. In 1972, she took courses at the University of Oregon in the field of Early Childhood Education. She applied and was accepted into the program, graduating with her PhD all while continuing to teach at Mary College. She later taught at Carroll College in Helena and a parochial school in St. Paul, Minnesota before returning to Mary College. She started the Early Childhood Education program at Mary College and was once the head of the Education Department at the college. She later moved to Yakima, Washington, and was a principal at St. Paul’s School for two years. It was then that she decided to leave her Benedictine community and serve people as a lay person. She retired at age 66, leaving behind a legacy of educating young people who were forever important to her. Margaret loved Yakima, often remarking that “the desert shall bloom” as from Isaiah 35: 1-2 “The wilderness and the parched land will exult; the Arabah will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus it shall bloom abundantly, and rejoice with joyful song”.   Margaret loved children and preached the importance of reading at a young age, knowing that the early years developed language in youth. She often used her nieces and nephews as subjects in her studies and practiced early standardized testing on them, using this data in her dissertation. Margaret also cherished pictures of her nieces and nephews and their children and children’s children, hanging these photos all throughout her house. She loved to have family visit her, back pack in the mountains of Washington, cross country ski through the terrain of Washington and North Dakota, swim laps at pools or lakes, and drive like the dickens. You knew to hang on when Margaret was behind the wheel! Margaret was survived by her sisters, Ione Baker, Seattle, Washington; Rosemarie Birrenkott, Mandan, North Dakota; and brother Dan Keily, Jr., Tappen, North Dakota. She is also survived by her many nieces and nephews:   Viola Curie’s children: Darlene Logan, Juanita (Rogie) Luoma, and Daniel (Danny) Curie; Ione Baker’s children: Pearl Cliney, Mary Beth Kemp, and Carol Busey; Nora (Eileen) Anderson’s children: Tag Anderson, Eric Anderson, Meghan Fallgatter, Leif Anderson, and Kathy Gorski ; Rosemarie Birrenkott’s children: Joe Birrenkott, Tim Birrenkott, John Birrenkott, Paul Birrenkott, Mary Pat Dewald, Bill Birrenkott, and Kathleen Moch; Dan Keily’s children: Lavonne (Nonnie) Charbonneau, Mary Sprague, Bridget Welch, Corrine (Corky) Goldade, Karen Kleppe, Mike Keily, and Patricia (Trish) Borzon and many great and great-great nieces and nephews. Margaret was loved by all. She was preceded in death by her parents, Dan and Mary Keily; her sister and brother-in-law, Viola and Scott Currie; her sisters Danile Keily-Zent, Nora Anderson, Gladys Keily, Catherine Keily, and baby Mae Keily; her brother who died in infancy; her brothers-in-law, Edward Zent, Blaine Baker and Joe Birrenkott; sister-in-law, Lois Keily; nephews Terry Currie, Dale Currie, Jim Birrenkott, Daniel Keily, Neal Keily, and Danny Keily; and niece Bonnie Baker.