Elizabeth Marie “Betty” Mechler Keller

Elizabeth Marie “Betty” Mechler Keller

Elizabeth Marie “Betty” Mechler Keller, of San Antonio, passed away in the evening of June 29, 2017, in San Antonio at the age of 80 years. She was born October 7, 1936, in San Antonio, the oldest of six children born to Frank William Mechler Sr. and Florence Catherine Iltis Mechler.
Betty grew up on the family farm in the Saus Community. She attended Our Lady of Grace Parish Elementary and graduated from La Coste High School in 1954. Betty began dating Marion Francis Keller after meeting him at a class reunion in November 1958. On August 15, 1959 they married at Our Lady of Grace Church and made their home in La Coste. While attending Draughon’s Business College at night, Betty worked in San Antonio during the day. In 1962 she enrolled full time at Our Lady of the Lake College and graduated in 1965 with a B.S. in Elementary Education.
In 1966 the plant at Medina Base that Marion was working at closed and he was transferred to the Pantex Atomic Energy Plant in Amarillo. Marion and Betty moved to Amarillo and became active members of St. Joseph’s Parish. The parish school was in need of a teacher so Betty was hired to teach second grade. She taught for nineteen years and also served as organist and music coordinator for the parish.
In 1978 she received her Master’s degree from West Texas State University in Canyon. She became principal of St. Joseph’s School in 1991 and served until 2002 when she retired. Marion had already retired and after Betty’s retirement they relocated to San Antonio. Betty continued to work as a principal. She was the principal at St. Mary Magdalen School in San Antonio for four years. She completed requirements for a Certificate of Catholic School Leadership at St. Mary’s University. She worked another year at St. Gregory the Great School before retiring for good, although she did continue to substitute teach when needed.
Betty and Marion were music ministers at Holy Spirit Catholic Church and St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church. They were both members of the Order of Carmelites Secular, a part of the Order of Carmel Discalced. Marion passed away on December 30, 2014 at the age of 86. Betty and Marion were blessed with fifty-five years of marriage at the time of his death.
Survivors include her children, Yvonne Brassard of San Antonio, Sharon (Dan) Detten of Gretna, Nebraska and Nathan (Alexa) Keller of Austin; grandchildren, Shane Robinson, Jordan Robinson, Felecia (Nick) DeBravo, Benjamin Brassard, Lindsey Detten, Dean Detten, Dylan Detten, Jake Detten, twins Kendyl Keller and Kye Keller; great-grandchildren, Lauren Robinson, Hayden Robinson, Ashlyn Robinson, Nicholas DeBravo, Rylee De Bravo and Braxton DeBravo; sisters, Ruth (Jim) Persyn of San Antonio, Janet (Patrick) Biediger and Sylvia (Mike) Tschirhart all of Castroville; brother, Frank Mechler, Jr. of La Coste; sister-in-law, Hortense Kroeger of La Coste; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and other relatives.
James Thomas Mechler, the twin brother of Janet, died in infancy. Betty was also preceded in death by in-laws, Henrietta and Edgar Kempf, Evelyn and George Jungman, Vincent and Rose Keller, Ernest “Cotton” Kroeger and William “Billy” Reichert.
Visitation was Sunday, July 2, 2017, from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm at Tondre-Guinn Funeral Home. Visitation continued from 3:00 pm until the recitation of the Holy Rosary at 4:00 pm at the Basilica of the Little Flower, 1715 N. Zarzamora in San Antonio. Mass of the Resurrection was Monday, July 3, 2017, at 10:00 am at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in La Coste. Interment followed at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Cemetery in La Coste.
Memorials may be made in Betty’s memoryto Little Flower Parish for the Remodeling Fund, 824 Kentucky Ave., San Antonio, TX 78201 or to St. Joseph Catholic School, 4118 S. Bonham, Amarillo, TX 79110 or to the charity of choice.
Arrangements by Tondre-Guinn Funeral Home.