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Coralen (Wulf) Keeler died on her father’s birthday, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, at her home surrounded by the love of her family. In her final days she was blessed with many stories and many visitors, each sharing precious memories of how Coralen enriched their lives and left her mark.

Coralen was a lifelong resident of Arlington. She was a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She is preceded in death by her husband Glen Keeler, daughter Cheryl (Keeler) Kroenke, infant daughter Coral Keeler and brother Daryl Wulf as well as her parents Leonard Wulf and Muriel (Plugge) Wulf.

She is survived by her sons Mark Keeler and Mike Keeler, daughter-in-law Cheryl (Redler) Keeler, son-in-law Ed Kroenke, siblings Wayne (Desiree Williams) Wulf - CA; Mary (Rich) Burgess - Neligh; sister-in-law Leatha (Keeler) Mumm as well as 10 grandchildren, Kelly (Aaron Monier) Keeler - Fort Collins CO, Karen (Jake Sundell) Keeler - Elkhorn, Kylie (Jared) Sweeter - Newman Grove, Tyler (Ainslee) Kroenke - Fremont, Jacob Kroenke - Denver, CO; Katie (Kylie) Washburn - Ashland; Jennifer (John) McGaha - Archdale, North Carolina; Michael Jr. (Becky) Keeler - Limerick, Maine; Matthew Keeler - Fremont; Ciara Howie - Maine, and 18 great-grandchildren.

Coralen offered to those who loved her a stable and reassuring presence. She normalized a life filled with art and beauty and illustrated the importance of having a discerning eye for decorating. She elevated crafting to a fine art, and her family and friends have been blessed with more blankets, sweaters, shawls, hats, scarves, Christmas stockings and knit ornaments than they can shake a stick at. Any grandchild or great-grandchild with artistic proclivities is said to take after their grandma Coralen.

In 1968 she began creating ceramics with her mother in her mother’s basement. Ceramics turned into a career and all grandchildren could look forward to painting ceramics at grandma’s kitchen counter. She completed multiple painting seminars, including a training course on tole and decorative painting by Priscilla Houser. She then proceeded to paint on any and all surfaces she could find, to the bewilderment and consternation of her husband. Old tin can? She could paint it. Can you make a bed pan beautiful? If you are Coralen Keeler, the answer is yes.

Her house was full of wonders. Wonders and elephants. She had a story for every item, and if you’ve been in her home, you know that’s many, MANY stories. She spent long hours and weekends perusing craft fairs and antique stores with her daughter-in-law, and found creative arrangements for items most others would discard.

She married Glen Keeler in 1953. When she was once asked by a granddaughter, “Why did you pick grandpa?” she said, “Well, he was just about the wildest thing I could find at the time.”

She was quick-witted, strong-willed and occasionally a troublemaker. She loved mushroom hunting, made the best cookies and squeezed way too many people into too small of a house for far too long for Christmas’ past. Above all, Coralen didn’t know how to be anyone but herself. She serves as an example to all who knew her of how to live authentically where you are and how to love others as they are.

Funeral will be 11:00 A.M., Tuesday, December 23, 2025, at the Arlington Community Church. Visitation will be on Monday from 5-7 P.M., at Reckmeyer-Moser Funeral Home in Arlington.

Burial will be at the Arlington Cemetery, Arlington, NE Memorials are suggested to Arlington Community Church.

Reckmeyer-Moser Funeral Home 232 W. Eagle St. Arlington, NE 68002 402-478-4151.

~~~obituary courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Public Library, Blair, Nebraska~~~

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