Joe Keeling,

Joe E. Keeling Sr., age 82, passed away peacefully on June 20, 2011 in his North Little Rock home surrounded by the ones he loved. Joe was born at home in St. Joe, AR, March 25, 1929 to Jennie Stephenson Keeling and Leonard Jackson Keeling Sr. Joe was truly one of a kind. He was the cutest, blonde-haired troublemaker around, and he has always kept that fun loving prankster spirit. He once was acting as referee for his sisters who were arguing over a candy bar that he split in half for them. They wanted to be sure that their halves were even, so he took bites out of each portion till they were miniscule, but equal. They were happy as clams and he got most of the candy bar. He worked on the family farm and attended a one-room schoolhouse in St. Joe until he left for the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville when he was 16 years old. After two years, he left school when his older bother Jack helped him get a job teaching veterans in Augusta, AR. After one year of teaching, he returned to the University and graduated after only one additional year of school with a degree in agriculture. When he met Helen Grayson Keeling, his wife of 63 years, he knew that she was the one for him, and he was going to convince her of the same! He told her to break up with her boyfriend because he was picking her up at 7 on Friday night. And she did. They started their life together at the age of 19, and filled it with three children, Joe E. Keeling, Jr., Melissa Keeling Lorge, and James Grayson Keeling. Joe grew up on a small family farm with no electricity or running water. After his first job hauling logs, and later working as a traveling salesman for Lewis Diesel Engine Company, Joe decided that it was time to take his future into his own hands. So in 1965, Joe and Helen started Keeling Company on their dining room table with only a security safe and a two-ton truck. He was a natural leader. Under Joe’s direction, the Company grew to be one of the South’s largest distributors of irrigation equipment for commercial, residential and agricultural markets. Joe never retired from the Company. Today, Keeling Company has 28 locations throughout 5 states. Joe is preceded in death by his parents, Leonard Jackson Keeling, Sr., and Jennie Stephenson Keeling, and his brother Leonard Jackson (“Jack”) Keeling, Jr. Joe is survived by his wife of 63 years, Helen Grayson Keeling, three sisters Amberline Keeling LeCompte of Springfield, MO, Lucile Keeling Horton of Marshall, AR, and Carol Keeling Thomas (Ronald) of St. Joe, AR; two sons, Joe E. Keeling, Jr. (Vicky) and James Grayson Keeling (Pam) and daughter, Melissa Keeling Lorge (Frank); eleven grandchildren, Jeff Keeling (Delana), Chris Keeling (Jennifer), Alison Keeling Jones (Chris), Mark Lorge (Jill), Cody Lorge, Katherine Lorge, Stephen Lorge, Laura Keeling, Rebecca Keeling, Blake Keeling, Luke Keeling; Four great grandchildren, Hunter Keeling, Brianna Keeling, Joshua Keeling, and Christian Jones – all of North Little Rock. Visitation will be from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm, Thursday, June 23 at North Little Rock Funeral Home, 1921 Main St., 501-758-1170. Graveside ceremony will be at 11am, Saturday, June 25 at the Stone Cemetery in St. Joe, AR. Online obituary and guest registry at www.nlrfh.com. Directions to Stone Cemetery Hwy 65 to St. Joe, Arkansas A. Go east 1/2 mile on HWY 374. At wye go East or straight on CR 29=Osborne Road for 4 1/2 miles. B. At end of pavement go left on CR 32=Tomahawk Road for 2 1/4 miles. C. Turn left on Stone Road=CR420, Stone Cemetery Road at end of road.

Joe Keeling,

March 25, 1929 - June 20, 2011