Patricia "Pat" Ann (Abt) Keller

Patricia A. Keller, age 78, formerly of Pembine, Wisconsin, passed away on October 31, 2023 while under the care of The Pavilion at Glacier Valley in Slinger.

Born on March 15, 1945, Pat was one of five children of Jacob and Louise (nee Dellman) Abt. She attended high school, and married Christopher Keller on September 23, 1978 in Milwaukee. Christopher passed on November 4, 2012. She owned Beecher Pub in Beecher, Wisconsin, where they enjoyed socializing with their local friends.

Pat was a tough and strong woman who lived her life without fear of what others thought of her. She told it how it is and we’re all a little stronger for that. She had the ability to laugh when the situation wouldn’t be deemed funny by others, and that’s okay; she was happier for it.

She didn’t have an easy life by any means. There was struggle, turmoil, grief, and just about any synonym you can plug in there. She lost her son, Craig Suelflow in 2013, but was able to carry on despite the heartache. This brings a funny story, actually. When Pat and her daughter, Brenda, were organizing the celebration of life for Craig, they had thoroughly planned out all the details and went out and bought everything they needed for it: flowers, food, drinks, pictures, etc. As Brenda and Pat were driving to set everything up, Brenda asked her mom if she remembered to bring Craig’s urn. “I thought you had him!” The two laughed as they turned around to go get the urn.

Despite all the hardships, Pat was a kind woman who cared about others. She loved dogs, dancing to disco music with her husband - especially to Donna Sommer songs, Fleetwood Mac, Abba, you name it. In her younger years, Christopher and Pat were part of bowling leagues, played pool and darts, and she was just an all-around social butterfly. One of their favorite memories together was the cruise they took, simply enjoying life and the beauty of the world. In homage to her zest for life, Pat was a member of the Red Hat Society which is essentially an organization dedicated to having fun in life.

Pat loved to watch WWE wrestling, which was the most common program on her TV, aside from Harry Potter. She had her favorite Harry Potter pajamas and would always say “Harry Potter!” in an English accent when they asked what she wanted to wear to bed.

She was a good cook…I mean, she made something so disgusting sounding as pig’s feet and sauerkraut tasty, and that’s to be taken literally. She shared her love through her talent of cooking with her friends and family. People still talk about her famous potato salad, and Pecan Fingers for Christmas.

Pat is for sure painting the town red up there in the company of her husband, son Craig, and siblings Mary Hotter, Jeanette Palash, Caroline Bellin, and Henry Abt.

Her stories will forever live on in the memories of her children, including Brenda Nielsen who took care of her for the last seven years, Chad Suelflow, Kim Doud, Christine Pataconi, and Lura Keller. Her grandchildren will also miss her, including Heather Nielsen, Amanda Nielsen, Amber Keller, Corey Nielsen, Lily Doud, Jessy Treece, Brittani Baas, Molly Suelflow, Dakota Suelflow, and Sumer Suelflow. She is survived by many great-grandchildren.

VISITATION: Pat’s life will be honored in a visitation on Friday, May 3, 2024, beginning at 1:30 p.m., until 3:30 p.m. All are welcome to join us at St. John's Lutheran Church (2881 Division Road, Jackson, WI – 53037).

SERVICE: A memorial service will follow the visitation, beginning at 3:30 p.m. at the church. Lunch will be served after the service.

A graveside service to lay Pat and her husband Christopher to rest will take place in Washington County Memorial Park.

A special thank you to all who visited her in her final years and took the time to let her know that she was loved and thought of often. It meant more to us and to her than you know.

“Prepare yourself, you know it's a must
Gotta have a friend in Jesus
So you know that when you die
He's gonna recommend you
To the spirit in the sky.” ~ ‘Spirit in the Sky’, by Norman Greenbaum

Myrhum-Patten Funeral & Cremation Service has been entrusted with Pat’s arrangements. Additional information and Tribute Wall may be found at myrhum-patten.com.