Elmer Harold Keller, 81, of Wellington, Texas, passed away at his home, Saturday April 26, 2025.
Funeral services took place at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 1, 2025, at the Bowie Street Church of Christ in Wellington, with Kevin Rhodes, of Fort Worth, Texas, officiating. Burial followed at North Fairview Cemetery. Arrangements were by Adams Funeral Home in Wellington.
Michael Souder, Cary Skaggs, Chance Fox, Dylan Fox, Christopher Topliff and Lee Souder served as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers included Larry Oswalt, Glenn Thomas, Troy Thomason, Danny Martin, Ray Floyd, Byron Bell, Jack Neeley, Robert Wayne Powell and Ralph Decker.
Elmer was born May 10, 1943, at Saint Joseph Hospital in Wellington, to Harold and Bertha Mae Carter Keller. He graduated from Wellington High School in 1961 and attended Clarendon College. He married Carolyn Christian on April 29, 1967, at the Bowie Street Church of Christ. They had three daughters, Nicole, D’Nae and Marla.
He joined the United States Army in 1961, serving one year of active duty in Fort Chaffee, Ark. He later received an honorable discharge from the Texas National Guard in 1969.
A man of many talents, Elmer became a certified welder, working in Lubbock, Texas and New Mexico. He moved back to Wellington in 1966, and he began farming and ranching in 1968. His work ethic and attention to detail were among some of his greatest qualities. Elmer and Carolyn owned and operated the Sears Catalog Store from 1978-1993.
He loved God and loved serving the church. He previously served as a deacon and an elder at the Bowie Street Church of Christ. Elmer had a talent for singing and he loved leading singing at the church.
Elmer enjoyed the outdoors, including fishing, hunting, roping and riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
Elmer had a servant’s heart. He loved helping people, volunteering his time and abilities. He never hesitated to lend a hand or support someone in need. He served on several boards, including the Farm Bureau, Farmers Co-Op Gin, Farm Service Agency and the Wellington Emergency Medical Services (EMS) board. He volunteered with Wellington EMS from 1999-2015, and he served as the Collingsworth County Commissioner for Precinct 1 from 2013-2020.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Bertha Mae Keller; sister Carolyn Kazelskis; and great-grandson Jesse Topliff.
He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Carolyn; daughters Nicole Pruitt, of Claude, Texas, D’Nae Souder and husband Michael, of Wellington, and Marla Skaggs and husband Cary, of Bushland, Texas; grandchildren Brittany Topliff and husband Christopher, of Clarendon, Texas, Lindsey Salazar, of Colorado Springs, Colo., D’Lyn Faulks, of Wellington, Chance Fox, of Claude, Ashley Souder, of Amarillo, Texas, Dylan Fox, of Claude, and Brystol and Hadlee Skaggs, of Bushland; and great-grandchildren, Jenna, Adeline and Levi Faulks, of Wellington, Caroline, Anna Kay and Keller Topliff, of Clarendon, Jameson Donahue and Jaydjn Salazar, of Colorado Springs, Colo.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Brown Trail School of Preaching, 1801 Brown Trail, Bedford, TX 76021, or Collingsworth County Home Delivered Meals, P.O. Box 228, Wellington, TX 79095.
Sign the online guestbook at adamsfuneralsvc.com.
