Obituary of Mary Evelyn Keiffer

Mary Evelyn Keiffer went to be with Jesus on September 17, 2023 in Harrah, Oklahoma at the age of 85. Mary was born in Boswell, Oklahoma On July 26, 1938 to Clarence and Mattie Lankford. She married Everett Keiffer on June 19, 1959 after they met in Nashville, Tennessee at the Free Will Baptist Bible College, and they were married for 64 years. Everett and Mary devoted their lives to ministering to others through Everett’s pastorates and their own ministries spending much of their lives together in Kellyville, Oklahoma where Mary worked for Kellyville schools for over 30 years taking care of teachers, administrators, staff, and students.

 Mary became a Christian at the age of 12, and she and God were close. She enjoyed helping others, and Everett said of Mary that her compassion for others was a gift from God. She would always say Christians are given an ambassadorship in serving God and others and not a judgeship. One year, the librarian at her school put the Bible in the fiction section of the library, so what did Mary do? She checked the Bible out every two weeks and put it on her desk in her office where it stayed the whole school year. Her love and loyalty for God would not allow her to let the Bible be labeled as fiction. Every evening at home, Mary and Everett could be heard praying over their six children and their families, and then together they would sing an old hymn praising God for His goodness.

She greatly enjoyed gardening and art as well as music, but what she enjoyed most was spending time with her family. She would cook big meals at Thanksgiving and Christmas when as many of her family as could would gather together to eat and catch up with each other. She also was overjoyed whenever a new grandchild or great grandchild was born into the family.

Mary is survived by her husband Everett Keiffer, children Mark and Tammy Keiffer, Tim and Sandy Keiffer, David and Sarah Keiffer, Mike and Mindy Keiffer, Stephen and Shanna Keiffer, and Becky and Guy Worth as well as 25 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren.

Mary’s favorite verse was Joshua 1:9 – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord Your God will be with you wherever you go.” This is how she lived her life, and this is how her family and friends will remember her. 

Arrangements are in the cre of Green Hill Funeral Home.