Memorial
Laura Roberta Keister, 90, of Cedar Rapids, passed away peacefully on August 30, 2026, at Living Center West in Cedar Rapids, Iowa with the additional care of Mercy Hospice. The visitation will be at 10:00am on Thursday, September 3rd at Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories with 11:00am service to follow. Entombment in Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery.
Laura is survived by her son, William Donald Keister; her daughter, Kristen Kaye (Paul) Trovas; six grandchildren, Zachary Kaye (Mikail) Keister, Matthew Donald (Bailey) Keister, Savannah June (Donald) Gubbels, Callie Rae Keister (Joshua) Lester, Shelby Lynn Keister Cook, and George Paul Trovas; and ten great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, William Charles and Florence Esther (House) Hamer; her brothers, Allen (Viola), Morgan (Jeanette), and David (Kathy) Hamer; her husband, Kaye Barton Keister, in 2009; her daughter, Jackie Lynn Keister-Pacheco, in 1997; her son, Paul Merle Keister, in 2012; and her grandson, Cordaro Tance Griffin, in 2022.
Laura married Kaye Barton Keister at Jordan’s Grove Baptist Church September 28th, 1956. Together, they celebrated 50+ years of marriage. Laura did the bookkeeping for Kaye’s Vernon Village Phillips 66 for many years. In 1987, Laura and Kaye built and operated Kaye’s Car and Truck Service Center, where they worked together until their retirement in 1997.
Laura was happiest when surrounded by family. She loved sharing stories, snuggling with her grandchildren, making people laugh, and enjoying a hot cup of coffee each morning. She was a writer, numerologist, spiritual connector, fulltime caregiver to her grandkids, and lifelong learner. To know Laura was to experience her unconditional love, generosity, and encouragement. Her caring heart touched many lives, and her memory will continue to live on in the family and friends she cherished.
Memorial contributions may be made to the family to be designated toward a memorial established in their loved one’s honor.