Claudia Anne Keeler

Claudia Anne (Swanson) Keeler, 76, passed away in her home on Thursday, April 15, with her husband, Calvin Keeler, by her side. Calvin and Claudia shared their lives together for over half a century—June 30 would be their 60th wedding anniversary.

Claudia is preceded in death by her father (Fred), her mother (Ilene), her daughter (Wendy), and two grandchildren (Calvin and Jonathan). She leaves behind a host of family members who will miss her greatly, including her husband (Calvin), siblings (Fred, Beth, Caroline, Mary, Kristine, Lori, Jan, & John), her children (Tim, Tom, & Ken), her grandchildren (Hope, April, Shawna, Lexi, & Cole), and her great-grandchildren (Dylan, Kelsie, Kourtney, Chayton, Emilia, & Alice).

Claudia was born on November 7, 1944 in Superior, WI. Her family’s homestead was in Poplar, WI, less than a mile from where Calvin and Claudia would also build their home. Apple trees now stand where she and her cousin Dick tossed cores in the grass as they ran and played through the fields on summer afternoons. Claudia found peace in looking out the kitchen window at the gatherings of deer that graze near the pond in her and Calvin’s backyard.

Claudia’s life was marked by her adventuresome spirit and hard work. As a teen, she would pick crates of strawberries for spending money. Later, she and Calvin ran two successful family businesses: Keeler Logging and Keeler Trucking. One of her proudest moments was being selected to cut down the Wisconsin state Christmas tree in 1991. Later, Calvin and Claudia would purchase their first Mack truck to begin Keeler Trucking. They traveled across the country together for decades. Claudia often reminisced about catching the first fish of the new millennium off the Cocoa Beach Fishing Pier on January 1, 2000.

Claudia loved gardening, old Western films, and coconut cream pie. She was a skilled hunter and loved her red convertibles. Her last one was a 1988 Corvette. She doted on her grandchildren and great grandchildren, and was selfless with sharing her deepest love and gratitude for her family.

Funeral services will be held at Lenroot-Maetzold Funeral Home (1209 E. 5th St. Superior, Wisconsin) on Wednesday, April 28. There will be a viewing at 4:00 p.m. for family, 5:00 p.m. for friends, and a memorial service at 6:00 p.m. in her honor. Rather than saying goodbye, Claudia would often prefer to say “bye for now” to her loved ones. Her family takes comfort in knowing that this would be her message to all of us during this difficult time.

To leave a condolence or sign the guestbook, please visit our website at www.lenroot-maetzold.com.