THOMASTON — Beatrice M. Keizer, 100 ½, died suddenly and unexpectedly, April 19, 2019, on Good Friday, just fourteen hours after returning home after a wonderful family gathering the prior evening.

She was a beloved mother and her children said, “their lives would never be the same.” It would be impossible to count the many people she has welcomed into her old country home, including the many friends of her children who often spent the night.  She was a wonderful cook and recently mentioned how she missed making those lemon pies, Nissua coffee cake and cheese cakes. Her children remembered when they were younger, coming home from school and having their Mother’s homemade goodies.

She was waiting for good weather to come so she could get out on her porch. But…., she said she was not looking forward to seeing the new rock piles growing in sight of her back yard. She had lived in this same house since she was sixteen years old and didn’t want to be anywhere else. She loved driving and did not like eventually giving up her car however, this gave her the chance to spend more time with her daughter, Polly. They enjoyed many outings together over the years, and Bea had recently informed Polly all of the places and people she wanted to visit over the summer.

Bea was an avid lover of animals. She was always quick with a story from years ago, when Clayt and Polly were younger. She loved her dear blind Siamese cat ”Su-kai”, who she reminisced about often. She especially loved visiting with her great-granddaughter Desirea, to whom she passed on her love of animals. She loved to see all the animals and was never shy about kissing and snuggling ALL the pets, no matter how big or small. Her love of animals reflected her sweet and loving demeanor. She could never understand how anyone could say “stupid animals”, and said she knew many animals who were smarter than most people she met.

She always loved having her family stop by to visit, which they did regularly. Her grandson Brian stopped by almost daily, bringing her sandwiches and pizza’s. She also looked forward to Sunday night pizza dinners with her son, Clayty and daughter-in-law, Bette. On occasion, daughter Polly would join them as well. She always commented how every pizza was the prettiest pizza she had ever seen. Bea enjoyed having her great niece Pearl Seekins come to visit weekly, as well as her friends Jane Sprowl, Marion Martin, Judy Meklin and niece, Kay Sylvester.

She loved having Brian over to take care of her beloved bird feeders. She always wanted to do it herself, but didn’t mind letting him help out. She would spend hours looking out the windows at the birds and loved the delicate little hummingbirds, waiting their arrival every year. Her plants and birdfeeders were always a source of joy and another excuse for her beloved grandson to stop by. In the past 5 ½ months she enjoyed holding her newest great-great grandchild, Levi Ezra York and loved his blue eyes.

Bea always took pride in the flower gardens, vegetable gardens and lawns she kept. In more recent years she was pleased to have her grandson Brian, help with the flower gardens, grandson Jeff, help with the vegetable gardens and her son Clayt, mow her lawn. Bea’s favorite flowers from her garden were peonies and she loved to make beautiful bouquets for family and friends.

Bea was a longtime active communicant of St. Peters Episcopal Church in Rockland. For many years she loved serving as Altar Guild Coordinator, beginning with Father Kenyon and continuing with several Priests that followed at St. Peters. She enjoyed the Thursday Guild meetings and lunch and was particularly pleased to be visited weekly by the ladies from St. Peters’, who brought communion and readings.

She was also an Emeritus member of the Order of the Eastern Star and the Rebekah’s Lodge in Thomaston.

Born in Brandon, VT, October 7, 1918, Bea was the daughter of Chauncy, Sr. and Eva M. Rogers Clark. She attended local schools.

Other than her parents, Bea was pre-deceased by her beloved husband, Clayton E. Keizer, Sr. in 1995; her beloved son David Keizer in 1983, and son-in-law John O. Lantz, Jr. in 2015; two beloved grandsons, Jeffrey York in January of this year and Daren Keizer; three siblings, Herbert Clark, Marian Clark and Chauncey Clark, Jr.  

She is survived by her daughter, Pauline York Lantz of Port Clyde; her son Clayton E. Keizer, Jr. and his wife Bette of Cushing; her sister Elizabeth Howland of Brandon, VT; nine grandchildren, Kevin Keizer, Brian York, Sherry Ripley, Jamie Keizer, Kimberly Moore, Sal Keizer, Lisa Garrison, Heather Keizer, Michael Tripp; 18 great-grandchildren, Robbie Keizer, Christoffer Keizer, Cody Myers, Aleyah Keizer, Caleb Keizer, Andrew McLain, Landon Garrison, Desirea York, Keith York, Hannah Moore, Zachary Moore, Kelsie Smith, Dakota Keizer, Amiah Keizer, Daren J. Smith, Lilly, Landon and Ophelia Tripp; two great-great grandchildren, Emily Sykes and Levi E. York, as well as several nieces and nephews.

Relatives and friends are invited to visit Thursday, May 23, from 10 to 11 a.m., at Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home, 110 Limerock Street, Rockland, where a funeral service will be held at 11 a.m.

The Reverend Lael Sorensen, Rector of St. Peters Episcopal Church, Rockland, will officiate. Interment will be in Village Cemetery, Thomaston.

To share a memory or story with Bea’s family, visit their online Book of Memories at www.bchfh.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Pope Memorial Humane Society of Knox County, P.O. Box 1294, Rockland, ME 04841.