Jennie Mae Keiger had an amazingly long and independent life - 103 years. She died quietly and peacefully at her home Thursday, March 5. She is survived by a son, Bob Keiger and his wife Bonnie of Greensboro, NC, her baby sister Virginia Csik of Roebling, NJ, two grandsons, James Keiger and his wife Kerri of NYC and Tom Keiger and his wife Sarah of Durham, NC and 4 great grandchildren - Natalie and Madeline of NYC and Lukas and Sam of Durham. And also importantly she has been surrounded by an extended family of nieces and nephews and Margaret Lenoir an amazing neighbor of some 60 years all of whom have been very close to her especially in the 31 years she has lived independently since her husband Bob died.
In the last 3 years she has also been cared for in a most loving way by Lisa Adams - the two became quite an inseparable pair.
Jennie was born in West Orange NJ - the first of 5 children of Italian immigrants Nicholas and Rose Annechini. She grew up in Morrisville, PA and was the valedictorian of her high school class at Morrisville High School. She went to work at Liberty Mutual Insurance company in Trenton and became the first woman in Liberty Mutual to run one of their offices in NJ …… and always added that she walked to work in Trenton from Morrisville each day - it was implied that it was uphill both ways.
She married a very chivalrous southern boy, John Robert Keiger of Winston Salem, NC but only after having received a “Dear John” letter from Sgt Keiger during WWII. As it turned out though, that union did in fact work out great! She and her husband Bob were one of the first Levittown residents and she lived in that “Levittowner” home for the rest of her life.
She has been a member of St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Levittown since its start in 1954. What she loved to talk about most though was baking. Peach pie, apple pie, fruit cocktail cake, coconut cake, chocolate cake and cookies of all kinds. All great treats. She could be counted on to supply any and all church bake sales and was always willing to let you know there were not only special advance orders for these sweets but also her cookies and cakes just happened to be the ones that sold out first. But on the cooking side there was no equal to her meatballs and sausage and deviled eggs - although she was reluctant to admit that she got the deviled eggs recipe from her husband - but according to her she improved it.
There will be a visitation at St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Levittown on Wednesday, March 11 between 9:00 -10:00 AM, immediately followed by a funeral service at 10:00 AM. Burial will be at Newtown Cemetery on Washington Avenue in Newtown, PA right after the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Jennie’s name can made to either St Paul’s Episcopal Church, 89 Pinewood Dr, Levittown, PA 19054 or Jefferson Health Homecare and Hospice at 225 Newtown Road, 3rd Floor, Warminster PA 18974.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the J. Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel, Morrisville, PA.
St. Paul;s Episcopal Church
89 Pinewood Drive, Levittown PA 19054
Web:
http://www.stpaullevittown.org
Jefferson Home Healthcare and Hospice
225 Newtown Road, 3rd Floor, Warminster PA 18974
Web:
http://www.abingtonhealth.org
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