Lawrence (Larry) Gene Keller, age 75, of Lyndon Station, passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 13, 2025, at the Sauk County Health Care Center, with his devoted and caring wife by his side.
Larry was born on April 30, 1949, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Marvin and Norma J. (Blaker) Keller. In 1954, the family moved to Cazenovia, Wisconsin. He attended St. Anthony’s Grade School and graduated from Weston High School with the Class of 1967. Larry studied welding at MATC in Madison and proudly served his country in the United States Army from 1969 to 1971.
On August 26, 1972, Larry married his loving wife, Elaine (Fanta), at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Germantown. They were blessed with one son, Jason. After spending 30 years in Madison, Wisconsin, they moved to a log cabin near Lyndon Station in 2002.
Larry had many talents and applied them in a variety of roles. He worked as a welder for Badger Army Ammunition Plant and Dairy Equipment Co. in Madison. Later, he became a professional semi-truck driver for Badger Medical Company, Tax Air Freight, and served as a relay driver for Fil-Mor out of Cannon Falls, Minnesota.
Larry and Elaine cherished their travels to NASCAR races, including the Daytona 500 and Phoenix, and especially enjoyed 22 fun-filled annual trips to Las Vegas. Caribbean vacations also held a special place in Larry’s heart. He was the beloved “Grand Poohbah” of the family hunting camps and deeply enjoyed the outdoors—hunting, fishing, and gardening. He was a regular at local casinos, a loyal Packers and Brewers fan, an enthusiastic Euchre player, and even joined in for a few rounds of golf with family.
A dedicated volunteer, Larry supported his community through various efforts. He was involved with the Dane County Conservation League and was a proud member of the Cazenovia Turkey Busters. Larry was a fixture at the Cazenovia Celebration for over 50 years—after the parade, you’d find him flipping hamburgers at the famous hamburger stand, chatting with friends and neighbors.
Larry is survived by his loving wife and son; his brothers, James (Cathy) Keller of Cazenovia, Chuck (Lisa) Keller of Cazenovia, and Michael (Jennifer) Keller of Mazomanie; and his sisters-in-law, Donna (John) Novacheck of Hillsboro and Linda (Joe) Fuller of Cazenovia. He will be lovingly remembered by many aunts, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his in-laws, Rudolph and Lucille Fanta.
Larry’s family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to the staff at St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo, the Emergency Room team at Reedsburg Medical Center, Reedsburg EMS, and the staff at Sauk County Health Care Center in Reedsburg for their compassionate care of Larry.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated for Larry Monday, April 21, 2025, at 11:00 am at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Germantown. Reverend Nathan Thainase, Pastor, will be the Celebrant. Visitation will also be on Monday, at the church, from 9:30 am until 10:45 am. Burial with military rites will follow services at St. Anthony’s Cemetery. It was Larry’s wish to have a “Flannel Funeral” he requested everyone to dig out their favorite flannel shirt and wear it to the service.
In lieu of flowers, the family would suggest making a memorial to your favorite charity.
