CECIL KEITH SR.

CAIRO, Ill. -- Cecil U. Keith Sr., 79, of Cairo died Saturday, Oct. 30, 1999, at his home.

He was born Dec. 3, 1919, in Cairo, the son of Stephen and Florence Minter Keith. He was a retired captain for the Cairo Fire Department, the retired building and grounds superintendent for the Cairo Public Schools, a retired employee of Barkett Funeral Homes and was a deputy coroner of Alexander County.

He was a member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church and Cairo VFW Post 2649, where he was a past commander. He also served as a past commander of the VFW 15th District and was a past state officer of the Illinois VFW. He served in the Illinois National Guard and in the U.S. Army in World War II and the Korean War.

He is survived by a daughter, Vivian Winding of Villa Ridge; two sons, Cecil Keith Jr. of Kevil, Ky., and Steve Keith of Cape Girardeau; a stepdaughter, Theresa Phillips of Cairo; three stepsons, Gene Crippen of Jonesboro, Jeff Crippen of Metropolis, and Gus Crippen of Tupelo, Miss.; two sisters, Florence Skinner and Virgil Stroble, both of Palm Harbor, Fla.; a brother, Stephen Keith of LaFayette, La; two half brothers, Hayden Keith of Cairo and Eugene Eaton of Anaheim, Calif; a granddaughter he raised, Stephanie Moreno of Grand Forks, N.D., and other grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Therese, in 1995.

Visitation will be after 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo. The rosary will be recited at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

The funeral Mass will be said at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, with the Rev. Jerome Fortenberry officiating. Burial will be at the U.S. National Cemetery in Mound City, with military honors by Carroll P. Foster VFW Post 3455 in Anna.