Phyllis "Boots" Kellar, 85, Lead, died Wednesday, May 17, 2006, in Spearfish. Following her wishes her body has been cremated.

Graveside committal services were held Tuesday, May 23, 2006, at 3 p.m. at the Masonic section of the West Lead Cemetery, with Pastor Keith Nelson officiating.

Phyllis H. Anderson was born in New Mexico November 18, 1920. She lived with her great-grandmother in Mexico City as a child, where she was exposed to the great Mexican art masters. "Boots", as she came to be known for the footwear she wore all her life because of weak ankles, began piano lessons at the age of four and organ lessons at five. "I never learned to ride a bike until I was a grown woman," she shared. "I was taught to practice as a child; it was all I ever did."

Her formal training included attendance at the Philadelphia School of Fine Arts and studying at home and abroad with such prestigious masters as Eugenie Schonnard, Baroness Marie Von Ridelstein, and Kay Schlater. Her professional career as a pianist and organist began in her early teens. She traveled extensively throughout the United States, Europe and Latin America.

Upon her marriage to Homestake Mining Company Director and attorney Kenneth C. Kellar in 1959, Phyllis retired from professional life and dedicated her resourcefulness, initiative and boundless energy to creating an Art Association for the area and in bringing working art to the region.

She was the first curator of the newly formed Black Hills Art Association for a three-year term, served several terms as a Director, but repeatedly declined her energies to creating a working organization.

She hosted art shows at her residence, organized competitive shows for amateurs and professionals from South Dakota and surrounding states, initiated the first antique show, and taught art classes at her home on a non-profit basis, an endeavor which eventually expanded throughout western South Dakota.

She was instrumental in the creation of the Sweatman Art Memorial in Lead where, for the first time, an art association in the state owned the building, the grounds, and was dedicated solely and exclusively to the portrayal of art. Governor Nils Boe appointed Mrs. Kellar to a four-year term on the South Dakota Fine Arts Council in 1972 in recognition of her achievements.

In 1966, Mrs. Kellar embarked on a project on painting special canvases in vivid, brilliant colors, depicting five well-known dances of the Sioux Tribe. At the suggestion of her husband, Boots continued each year to paint five additional Indian dance paintings, covering the Southwest tribes, the Iroquois Confederation, the Woodland Indians of Michigan, Ontario and surrounding states, and lastly a group of five depicting the Sonora Deer Dance, the Quetzale Mayan Dance, the Tlingit Blanket Dance, the Cherokee Booger and Tomahawk Dances. The series was exhibited at the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C., the Philbrook Art Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Detroit Historical Museum, and the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The paintings were ultimately donated to the Cherokee National Museum in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, where they are on permanent display.

Flamboyant and almost extravagant in the possession and use of her talents, style, and confidence, "Boots" was professional acclaimed as a sculptor, potter, writer, historian and archaeologist in addition to her talents as a professional musician and artist.

Mrs. Kellar divided her time between South Dakota and Texas after Mr. Kellar's death in 1982, continuing to share her many talents with others, enjoy new experiences, and exploring new vistas. She actively encouraged senior citizens throughout the United States to remain active in their former occupations and to develop new areas of interest in their golden years.

Boots will be sadly missed by anyone fortunate enough to have met her. She will be especially missed by Barb Biel and family of Lead, "though not related by blood, we were related by love."

Memorials honoring Mrs. Kellar's lifelong commitment to the arts can be mailed to the South Dakota Art Fund, c/o Barb Biel, PO Box 484, Deadwood, SD 57732. Flower memorials may be sent directly to the Dorsett Home in Spearfish.

Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis is in charge of arrangements.

Meade County Times-Tribune May 31, 2006