Dewey Martin Keller, 94, of Gordonville died Monday, Aug. 15, 2011.

He was born Jan. 19, 1917, at home on the Oakwood Stock Farm by Dr. W.W. Ford, son of Fred A. and Rosa Grossheider Keller. He and Virginia Whitler were married Oct. 5, 1940. He lived the rest of his life at their home on Highway 25 near Gordonville.

He was a graduate and valedictorian of College High School and Southeast Missouri State University. Dewey was multiskilled -- a math teacher, coach of College High School basketball team, a math teacher and coach at Troy, Mo., taught radio at Scott Air Force Base during World War II, worked at KFVS radio station, was an avid ham radio operator, electrician and television repairman.

He was a sportsman -- fishing for bass, crappie and trout; hunter of quail and pheasant, always with his well-trained dogs; golfer and president of Kimbeland Country Club; hole-in-one hero with four to his credit, one his younger brother, Art, even witnessed.

But his life's work was helping people, especially with their finances. He started in 1948 at the Bank of Gordonville where robbers locked him and others in the bank vault. As president, the bank was moved in 1961 to Cape Girardeau becoming Cape State Bank. He then went to Northwestern University in order to obtain trust powers after which the name was changed to Cape State Bank and Trust Co.

Later it merged with Mercantile in 1973, the bank from which he retired in 1981. Subsequently the bank became First Star Bank and then US Bank (USBancorp).

Dewey was a lifelong member of Zion Lutheran Church at Gordonville.

Survivors include two daughters, Janet Keller Werner (husband Ronald) and Nancy Keller Donovan (husband R.D. "Jack"); two granddaughters, Deborah Werner Bessette (husband Robert), Kimberly Werner Brown (husband Doug); two great-grandchildren, Aric Tyler Holzbauer and Morgan Arica Berner; two brothers, Roy F. Keller (wife Eldora), Art H. Keller (wife Patricia); a sister-in-law, Jo Ann Keller (wife of brother Quinton); many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Virginia, in 2009; a daughter, Patricia, at childbirth; four brothers and a sister, Irvin, Dorothy, Howard, Quinton and Layton; two sisters-in-law, Mercedes Keller and Vera Keller.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Chapel in Cape Girardeau.

The funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Zion Lutheran Church in Gordonville, with the Rev. Wayne Schwiesow officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Memorial donations would be appreciated to Zion Lutheran Church Building Fund, 176 County Road 226, Gordonville, MO 63701.