Nada J. Keeling

PORTLAND – Nada J. Keeling, 101, of Farmington, passed away on Aug. 3, 2020, in Portland.

Nada was born in Glendale, California, on Dec. 31, 1918 to Thomas Leroy “Roy” Wiggins and Lavina May (Banker) Wiggins and lived in Tehachapi. As a child, due to work opportunities for her parents, Nada moved to different towns throughout Arizona. She graduated from high school in Peoria, Ariz. in 1936 and soon went with her parents to Eloy, Ariz.

It was in Eloy that she met Paul J. Keeling, the co-owner of the Keeling Brother’s Grocery Store on Frontier Street. They married in 1937 and eventually Paul began farming cotton, barley and alfalfa while Nada was a homemaker. She worked for the Santa Cruz Valley Union High School from 1958 to 1977. In retirement Paul and Nada enjoyed their time together traveling in their RV and fishing in Idaho.

After Paul’s death Nada continued to enjoy traveling, spending time visiting, then living with her daughters and sharing time with her grandkids and friends. She was skilled at sewing, knitting, crocheting and needlepoint, and enjoyed reading, learning about history, and doing crosswords.

Nada was a member of the Dolan Springs Baptist Churd her husband Robert Vallette, of Farmington; grandsons, Mark Lovitt and Michael Lovitt of Dolan Springs, Ariz., Matthew Lovitt of Henderson, Nev., Paul Vallette of Joshua Tree, Calif., and Nathan Vallette of Farmington; numerous great- and great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her husband, Paul J. Keeling; her daughter, Lavina Lovitt; her sisters, Lola Huber and Dorothy Burg, her brother, Arthur Wiggins; and her special friend, Robert A. Barnes.

A celebration of life will be held at some time in the future in Casa Grande, Ariz., at the gravesite of her late husband and daughter. Cremation cared for by Wiles Remembrance Center: Adams-McFarlane Chapel 137 Farmington Falls Rd. Farmington, Maine.

A kind word may be left in her book of memories at http://www.wilesrc.com.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the

Santa Cruz Valley Historic Museum

P.O. Box 3723

Arizona City, AZ 85123

Nada J. Keeling