Meda Keeney

On Tuesday, May 28th, Meda J. Keeney of Davenport, Iowa passed away peacefully at Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House, Bettendorf. Meda was born on July 5th, 1941 in Van Buren, Missouri to Floyd and Ann Keeney (Clark).

Those who wish to pay their respects to Meda can join family and friends at Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home, 614 N Main Street, Davenport on Saturday, June 1st from 11:00am to 1:00pm.  The celebration of her life will continue at 2:00pm at Bleyarts in the East Village, Davenport

As her daddy would say, “grass don’t grow under that little girls’ feet”. Having a strong work ethic and sense of independence at a young age, Meda always pursued the next Big Thing for herself. She lived all over the South and Midwest to be with family, to face and complete challenges, and to see the country. From Missouri to Davenport, back to Missouri, then on to Bettendorf, eventually, she found herself in Little Rock, Arkansas, but this time not alone. At the age of 25, in 1966, she gave birth to her first and only child, Shawn, “the best gift God ever gave her.”

It would be more than three years later when she would be convinced to come back to Bettendorf for work and Iowa would become home forever.

In 1973, while looking for a change in career, Meda came across a new company looking for office staff in downtown Davenport, Doors Inc. She accepted the challenges of women being in the construction industry and worked her way up from receptionist to hardware manager, becoming well known among leading architects, engineers, general contractors and facility directors. During her 45 year career at Doors Inc., she found another passion known as NAWIC (National Association of Women In Construction) where she again would excel and become Chapter President. It was with this organization where Meda’s passion for people would truly shine.

Those who considered Meda as a friend knew they had someone special in their corner.  She was always willing and able to help, listen, hug, feed, pull strings, and care for friends, family, and strangers around her, a true angel on Earth.

She was proceeded in death by her parents Floyd and Ann Keeney, sisters Betty Jo Johnson, Jean Morris, Ruth Keeney, and Kay Keeney (in-law), and brothers Jimmie Keeney, Robert Heinz (in-law), and Felix Gonzalez.

Meda is survived by her sisters Helen Gonzalez, Verna Heinz; brothers Verlon “Bud” (Sandy) Keeney and Dennis Keeney; her son Shawn Larson, his wife Ellen Larson, and their children Drew, Claire, Jessica, Jack, and Connor; and her BFF, Sharon Guerra.

Memorials can be made to Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House in Bettendorf, IA. To whom we were so blessed to have cared for Mom.