Fourth Generation

14. Gilma Marian SUTHERLAND was born on 22 June 1904 in Leon Township, Monroe County, WI.^7,26 She appeared in the census in 1910 in Grant Township, Monroe County, WI.⁸ She appeared in the census in 1920 in Grant Township, Monroe County, WI.² She was living with her parents. Gilma graduated in 1924 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.²⁷ from Tomah High School. She appeared in the census in 1930 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.¹⁰ She died on 6 August 1995 at the age of 91 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁷

Obituary Notes: "Gilma M. Keene, 91, of Tomah, died Sunday, Aug. 6, 1995, at the Tomah Care Center. She was born June 22, 1904, to Eli and Ethel (Hovland) Sutherland at Leon, Wis. She was united in marriage to Richard Keene on Nov. 13, 1926, at Winona, Minn. She was a graduate of Tomah High School. She also attended teacher training. Then she went on to teach at the Sunnydale School. She was a charter member of the Tomah Hospital Board. During WWII, she served in the USO. She also served on the Rent Control Board. She was member of the Methodist Church for over 60 years and served there as Sunday School superintendent.

In January 1933, she and her husband Richard traded in the family car to buy a truck and start Dick Keene Transfer. She and Dick worked side by side building up and adding on to their family business. In the 1960's, they changed the name to Keene's Transfer, Inc. In 1983, they celebrated 50 years of business.

She is survived by three sons, Thomas (Leola), Jerry (Margaret) and Robert (Joanne) Keene, all of Tomah; nine grandchildren, Kerry (Karon), Ron (Debbie) and Jeffrey, all of Tomah; Mrs. Vicki (Robert) Nemitz of Warrens; Richard (Lynn) of St. Louis, Mo.; Mrs. Renee (Kary) Goetzka of Bartlett, Tenn., Barbara of San Jose, Calif., Mrs. Kirstie (Al) Urbanek of Onalaska and Terri of Camp Douglas; 14 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren; one sister, Mildred Jensen of Warrens; nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.

In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by one sister and three brothers.

Funeral services were held today (Thursday) at 11 A.M. at the First United Methodist Church, Rev. Elden W. Stigen officiated. Burial was in Oak Grove Memorial Gardens." Gilma was buried on 10 August 1995 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^7,28 in the Oak Grove Cemetery.

Gilma Marian SUTHERLAND and Richard Gustav "Dick" KEENE were married on 13 November 1926 in Winona, Winona County, MN.⁷ Richard Gustav "Dick" KEENE, son of Gustave August KEENE and Wilhelmine Auguste Helena BUCHHOLZ, was born on 26 May 1904 in Warrens, Lincoln Township, Monroe County, WI.^7,26 He appeared in the census in 1910 in Grant Township, Monroe County, WI.²⁹ He appeared in the census in 1920 in Grant Township, Monroe County, WI.² Dick graduated in 1923 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.³⁰ from Tomah High School. He appeared in the census in 1930 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.¹⁰ His occupation was listed as "retail merchant, auto parts." After 1933 he was an owner of Keene's Transfer, Inc. in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.³¹

From a January 11, 2007 reprint of an article written by Dick in the Tomah Journal, in January, 1983: "Fifty years ago, January 1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt took office as President of the United States. The Depression was at its lowest ebb as people over 60 can well remember.

I had worked for Emil Janke for six years as general all-around man. On the election of Roosevelt for President, Mr. Janke closed his garage and laid off all his help. This left me with my wife, Gilma, and two small sons, Thomas and Jerry, without any income and no money.

A friend of mine, Virgil Gustin, said he could put a truck on an WPA job to haul workers to Mather Country to cut fire lanes, brush, etc., if I could get a truck. I consulted with Gilma and we decided to trade in the family car and get a truck, which I did. I bought the truck in La Crosse. Frank Drew of the Bank of Tomah loaned me the money needed, which I paid back by the month. My father, Gus Keene, built a body for the truck.

This was the beginning of a new deal for us and the start of a trucking company called Dick Keene Transfer. Gustin drove the truck and I bought some wood, which started us in the wood business. I also sold cars for Wallace Snowberry and we were able to make a living.

I bought out Wilma Goff and got some city drayage rights and a dump truck so we could haul black dirt and sand, which we loaded with a sand shovel by hand. I bought furniture rights from Ed Olsen of Camp Douglas and added furniture hauling to our services.

Gilma became bookkeeper, for which she got two dollars per week (at least she hoped she did). As the years went by, I added more trucks and equipment to our company, secured an old house which we fixed up, some land to operate from, and built a couple of wood garages.

We incorporated in the 1960's under our present name, Keene Transfer, Inc. Tom Keene was elected president in the early-1970's and his sons, Kerry and Ron, are vice-president and secretary-treasurer.

Gilma and I act as vice-presidents and help when we can in the business. Jerry and Bob Keene went into the laundry and dry cleaning business, owning the Band Box of Tomah and Sparta Laundry and Dry Cleaning of Sparta.

We wish to now thank all our friends, customers and people we have known and done business with over the years -- thank them sincerely -- and in the Spring we hope to have a party, probably in the form of a dance, at the fairgrounds. Thank you all again."

. Dick died on 19 February 1986 at the age of 81 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁷

Obituary Notes: "A retired Tomah businessman, Richard G. (Dick) Keene, 1020 East Ave., passed away Wednesday at Lutheran Hospital, La Crosse, after a short illness. Keene, 81, founded Keene's Transfer in 1933, and owned and operated the business until his retirement in 1971.

Keene was born May 26, 1904 in Warrens to Gustave A. and Minnie Bucholz Keene. He married the former Gilma Sutherland on Nov. 13, 1926, and they lived all their married life in Tomah.

He was Past President of the Tomah Lions Club, a Director on the Tomah Memorial Hospital Board, Past President of the Tomah Zor Shrine club, a past alderman of the 4th ward, Board member on the Oak Grove Cemetery since 1973, and Director on the Morrow Home board in Sparta. He was also a 32nd degree member of the Tomah F.&.A.M. Lodge 132.

He is survived by his wife Gilma of Tomah; three sons, Thomas, Jerry and Robert, all of Tomah; one brother, Gharl Keene of Tomah; two sisters, Eva Howard and Myrtle Plunkett, both of Kenosha; nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren." He was buried in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.²⁸ in the Oak Grove Cemetery.

Gilma Marian SUTHERLAND and Richard Gustav "Dick" KEENE had the following children: