Ronald L Keppy, 83, of Mission, Texas, formerly of rural Eldridge, passed away peacefully Saturday, March 29, 2025, at Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House, after a very brief illness.
Funeral services to celebrate his life will be held at 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, at The Runge Mortuary & Crematory, Davenport. Burial will follow at Davenport Memorial Park. The family will greet friends 10 a.m. until service time at the mortuary on Saturday. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House and UsToo (local support for the fight against prostate cancer). Please share condolences with the family at www.rungemortuary.com.
Ron was born on Oct. 2, 1941, in Davenport to Arnold and Alice May (Rohwer) Keppy. He graduated in the first graduating class of North Scott High School in 1959. Ron served in the Army Reserves for three years after graduation. Ron was a proud father of four wonderful children from his first marriage to Vicki Lahl. He found happiness again with his best friend and love of his life, Sharalan Hudgens. Ron and Sharalan were married on May 18, 2002, in Gatlinburg, Tenn. This was the beginning of many years filled with love, joy, laughter and unwavering support for one another.
Ron’s love and passion was farming. He farmed in Scott County all of his working life. One of the family farms was named a Century Farm for being owned by the Keppy Family for 100 years. Ron worked with hogs, cattle, sheep, soybeans, corn, oats and hay on the farm. Ron loved his land and his family and took loving care of both all of his life. Ron devoted many years to the Scott County Pork Producer Association, was a Farm Bureau Member and a volunteer blood donor and driver. While raising a family and running the farms, Ron found time to enjoy playing fast pitch softball. He was the premier fast pitch softball pitcher in the area. He played for multiple teams such as Roto Rooter, Probstei Inn, Rudy’s Tacos and of course, the Old Timers League in Donahue. He was a force to be reckoned with! In addition to softball, he enjoyed bowling with multiple leagues and absolutely loved putting tons of miles on his bicycle daily.
When Ron married Sharalan, they never sat around very long. They would travel to Polka Dancing events and loved to see the country in their fifth wheel camper. They wintered in Mission for 15 years, where they loved biking, playing games and cards and spending time with friends.
Those left to honor his memory include his wife, Sharalan; children, Teresa (Mike) Fink of Eldridge, Sheila (Jay) Volrath of DeWitt, Jennifer (Mat) Collins of Shawnee, Kan., Mark (Marcelo) Keppy of Chicago, Ill. Stepchildren; Brenda (Dr Robert) Page of Woodstock, Conn., Frank (Suzanne) Welte of New Berlin, Wis., Caleb Welte of Davenport, and Amanda Welte of Davenport. His grandchildren and step-grandchildren, Megan Firrell, Rachel Houseal, Madelyn Elliott, Drew Volrath, Karlee Riedesel, Brooke Collins,Travis Collins, Hayden Page, Myra Page, Liam Welte and Eva Welte; 11 great-grandchildren, with two on the way; his brothers, Robert (Maureen) Keppy of Weslaco, Texas; Steven (Sharon) Keppy of Jefferson, Wis.; sister-in-law Lois Keppy of Davenport; step-sister Pat Reese of Eldridge; step-brother Gary (Connie) Rohwer of Ft Myers, Fla.
Ron was preceded in death by his parents, Arnold and Alice May Keppy; brother, Kenneth Keppy; stepmother Jeanette Keppy.
Custom obituary