Lucille Keane

Lucille (Lucy) Keane passed away early Friday morning, August 1, 2025, at Blossom Valley Assisted Living, just five days before her 98th birthday. Lucy was born August 6, 1927, in Wenatchee, Washington to Sargie and Mae Shiflett. She grew up on her parents' Wenatchee Heights ranch, where she fell in love with raising and caring for all farm animals, but especially horses and cattle. She excelled in caring for sick or wounded animals in her care. Lucy attended Wenatchee Heights and South Wenatchee elementary schools, graduating from Wenatchee High School with top honors. She finished one year at Wenatchee Valley College and then went home to work on the ranch she loved. She married Delbert R Keane on March 16, 1947, at Stemilt Hill. They made their home at the Keane Ranch on the bluffs above Rock Island, where they raised wheat, cattle, and horses. Even though the dry, treeless ranch was different than the ranch life she had known, she fell in love with her new life and encountered things few women of her day got to experience. She helped round up eighty head of half-wild horses on the ranch and took them to shipping pens in South Wenatchee using what is now the walk bridge to cross the Columbia River. While Lucy enjoyed the ranch cattle, her love was the horses she rode and raised. Lucy’s biggest love was giving horses to family members whom she loved even more than the horses. The family all rode good horses for ranch work because of her generosity. Along with ranch work, Lucy watched over cattle at Columbia Feeders and took care of cattle for Roy Taylor. She drove a school bus for the Wenatchee School District for eighteen years, mostly on the Wenatchee Heights run. Lucy was also a member of the Rock Island City Council. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church. Lucy belonged to the Stemilt Hill Grange for over seventy-five years and was secretary for those years. She was a member of the Wenatchee Eagles Ladies Auxiliary and Stemilt Hill Ladies Club. Anyone who knew Lucy knew how her Dad and Mother had given her an excitement at an early age to go hunting and fishing. For Lucy, the big thing for her was planning for the day and making sure there was enough food for everyone to enjoy. People hunting with Lucy knew her pick-up “chuckwagon” always had plenty of food, coffee, and water. One of the best parts of a hunting or fishing day was hunting for Lucy’s chuckwagon and the treats it held. Like all ranch ladies, Lucy’s work or harvest lunches made it hard to go back to work. Lucy was a smaller lady who had a big talent for painting pictures, writing poetry, caring for animals in need, and loving her family. Survivors include son Jeff (Carole) Keane, son Dane (Lisa) Keane. Grandchildren Robbin Lee of Mississippi, Eric (Emily) Keane of Tonasket, Kellen (Chelsea) Keane of Rock Island, Kaylee (Gavin) Burnett of Cashmere, Clint (Cassidy) Keane of Palisades. Ten great-grandchildren Landon Lee, Katie Keane, Carstell Lee, Dan Keane, Erin Grace Lee, Anna Kate Lee, Casen Keane, Kinsley Keane, Cully Keane, McKall Keane, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Delbert Keane, sister Peggy (Stanton) Chase, brothers Ned (Anna Mae) Shiflett, and Tom (Ruby) Shiflett. A Visitation will be Friday, August 8, 2025, 3:00 - 6:00 pm at Chapel of the Valley, 378 Eastmont Ave., East Wenatchee. A Funeral Service will be Monday, August 11, 10:00 am at Chapel of the Valley; Graveside service to follow at Evergreen Memorial Park, 1301 10th St NE, East Wenatchee. Arrangements in care of Chapel of the Valley.

Lucille Keane

August 6, 1927 - August 1, 2025