Benjamin "Ben" Edward Keller was born November 21, 1937, at Mills, WY, to William and Loretta (Wilcox) Keller. He grew up in Sturgis and Newell. Ben married Eleanor Wood on August 23, 1955, in Belle Fourche, SD. On March 14, 1955, he joined the United States Army and was stationed at Ft. Lewis, WA, where he served as a Guided Missile Crewman. Upon Ben's release from the Army, he moved his family back to Newell where he resided for the last 58 years.

Ben held several jobs during his career. His main jobs included 7 years at Lambert Lumber Company in Newell, SD. He spent the next 12 years at Dutton Lumber Company in Vale, SD. He retired in 2001 after spending 24 years as a highway maintenance worker for the South Dakota Highway Department. Ben was known as a hard worker who always found something to do with his hands. At the highway shop, he was always known as the "G" Man, the Go Man.

One of his proudest accomplishments was his building of the two homes that he lived in and built himself. When building the 2nd home, he always commented that he was going to build this one right and not make the mistakes that he made on the first one.

Ben, 78, Newell, died Monday, May 16, 2016, at the Hospice Unit at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Fort Meade, after a short battle with cancer.

Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Eleanor Keller, Newell, SD; two sons, James (Debra) Keller of Katy, TX, and their children, Christopher Keller, Katherine Yancey, and William (Wilma) Keller of Anchorage, AK, and their children, Rebecca Becker and Robert Keller; sister, June Kosola, Newell, SD; one sister-in-law, Julie Ault, Torrington, WY; six brothers-in-law, James Wood, Pierre, SD, Robert Wood, Rapid City, SD, John Wood, Edgemont, SD, George Wood, Ft. Pierre, SD, Danny Wood, Pringle, SD, and William Wood, Blundt, SD; four grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, and special friends.

Graveside services, with military honors, will be held Friday, May 20, 2016, at 1:00 p.m. at Black Hills National Cemetery with Pastor Darla Dunn officiating.

A memorial has been established to the Hospice Unit at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Fort Meade, SD.

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