On Monday, Feb. 14, 2022, Leanne Blewett Keatts went to heaven to meet her Lord and Savior and to reunite with her family members who went before her.
Leanne was born to Jack and Julia Mae Blewett on Nov. 28, 1952, in Lewiston. She was the second of five daughters. Leanne grew up on the family farm in Sweetwater and attended school in Lapwai, graduating with her class in 1970. During her school years, she participated in many sports and clubs. Leanne was athletic, very competitive and excelled at any activity she chose.
In the fall of 1970, Leanne enrolled in Lewis-Clark State College. To help with college expenses, Leanne cleaned houses for a local woman and then worked at her beauty salon, the Magic Mirror, at the Lewiston Shopping Center. She was one of the only stylists who knew how to back comb hair for the popular bouffant hair style.
While attending LCSC, a mutual friend introduced Leanne to a handsome Tammany farmer named Randy Keatts. They soon realized they shared similar farming backgrounds, the same ethics, values, and the love of mini skirts and big hair.
In the late summer of 1972, Randy purchased a new modular home and had it set up on the farm near his parents’ house in Tammany. Leanne and Randy were married Sept. 16, 1972, in Lewiston. Together they enjoyed farming, attending stock car races, riding motorcycles, snowmobiles and flower gardening around their new home.
Leanne always had home-cooked meals ready for Randy when he came in from the field for lunch and later dinner. Since she was home during the day, she developed, nurtured and perfected her love of cooking and baking, crafting and gardening.
Food was Leanne’s love language. She would often send food home with anyone who stopped by, or take a meal to a sister, friend or neighbor just because she made more than she needed. Her home was always open at every holiday for family gatherings or celebrations. The good food and desserts were plentiful. Her home, yard and flower gardens were always immaculate. Leanne always had a craft project set up in the spare room. She made many of her clothes and quilts, and learned to tole paint. She was also a member of the Tammany Pollyanna Club and made many new friends.
In the spring of 1975, their son Larry was born. He was the light of their lives. Larry’s first ride on a snowmobile was when he was just a few weeks old. Leanne put him in a helmet bag and took him with her on a ride. Leanne supported Larry any way she could by being a Room Mother at school, helped the 4-H kids raise funds for Larry’s Washington, D.C., trip by making fresh pine wreaths to sell, chaperoned the D.C. trip, took him to Disneyland, cheered him on at four-wheeler, snowmobile, and later jet boat races. She also attended the jet boat races in New Zealand when Larry’s team qualified to go.
Leanne had a swimming pool installed so Larry, his friends and the rest of the family had an entertaining place on the farm to have fun. Many, many hours were spent inside and alongside her pool. The nieces and nephews had most of their early birthday parties at Leelee’s pool.
Through the 1980s and beyond, Leanne, her mother and sisters had an annual Christmas craft sale in her home called The Country Craft Boutique. She would take down her decorations and move furniture out to display the crafts and wreaths. Dozens of ladies would line up before opening on the first day in an effort to purchase the crafted items by the Blewett girls.
Leanne and Randy spent many winters in McCall at their cabin. Snowmobiling and skiing were favorite activities. Many family members and friends spent countless weekends enjoying the Keatts’ cabin.
When Larry and his wife, Monica, were married, Leanne decorated the wedding venue in typical “Leanne” style. The altar, pews and tables were heavily decorated in fresh flowers and bows, everything meticulously organized and lovingly assembled.
In 2001, Leanne and Randy’s only grandchild was born. Cole was the apple of Leanne’s eye. He was soon on a kitchen stool donning an apron and helping Nana make her FAMOUS gooey, chewy chocolate chip cookies. Leanne followed, cheered for and supported Cole through all of his fun adventures. The past 10 years she has followed and attended many of Cole’s cart, side by side, pickup and Nascar-type races all over the United States. Cole has raced around the world, so when she couldn’t be there, she watched on Facebook or TV. We always appreciated her updates and pictures of Cole’s races on Facebook.
In 2010 Leanne’s love and desire to have a home décor and garden store was realized when she opened the Garden Gate and Cottage. She enjoyed traveling to “market” in Las Vegas and Seattle and flea markets in Texas, Arizona and the Northwest to fill her shop with coveted treasures old and new for the community.
In recent years, she opened her shop out on the farm to offer seasonal home décor. Her talent for knowing what to purchase and how to display it to sell was unmatched. After 10 years of retail, she was ready to retire. She sketched and designed an incredible new home and together she and Randy spent several years building it and bringing it to life. There was nothing Leanne couldn’t do. She installed flooring, painted, decorated and laid pavers. She laid a whole semi load of interlocking pavers to make the driveway and entrance to the front of their new home. No matter what Leanne did, she could do more of it in a day than most people could do in a week.
Leanne was a role model for her sisters and many friends and community members. She was amazingly supportive and taught the value of hard work, organization and commitment. Leanne was also generous with her community service. She was a 4-H leader, a seven-year member of the Lewiston Service League, and she was a member of Quilts of Valor and the Orchards Community Church, to name a few.
Leanne especially enjoyed traveling. She and Randy spent many years attending the National Finals Rodeo and Nascar in Las Vegas, driving the motorhome with a trailer to the Texas flea markets, and in later years, spending winters in Arizona.
Leanne will be fiercely missed by all who knew and loved her. She is survived by Randy at their Clarkston home, son Larry and Monica Keatts, of Richland; grandson Cole Keatts, of Clarkston; sisters Lynda (Phil) Taylor-Derby, of Rainier, Ore., and Joan (Steve) Boyle and Kristin (Dave) Gibson, of Lewiston; uncles Tom (Linda) Blewett, of Genesee, and Rex Ankney, of Sweetwater; as well as many beloved and treasured nieces, nephews and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Julia Mae Blewett; her sister Gina Blewett Quesenberry; her father and mother-in-law, Wayne and Lucile Keatts; brother-in-Law Don Taylor; and great-nephew KC Taylor.
Cremation has taken place. A celebration of Leanne’s life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at CrossPoint Alliance Church, 1330 Powers Ave., Lewiston.
You can also watch the livestream on Malcom’s Brower-Wann Funeral Home’s Facebook page.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial contribution can be made to the Gina Quesenberry Foundation, P.O. Box 506, Lewiston, Idaho 83501.
Service Information
- Date & Time
- Saturday, February 19, 11:00 AM
- Location
-
CrossPoint Alliance Church
1330 Powers Avenue
Lewiston, ID 83501
Get Directions
Offer Condolences
Professional Service
✔ Since 1924
✔ Burial or Cremation Services
✔ Pre-Arranged Funeral Plans
✔ Web-Casting
✔ Modern Comfortable Facility
✔ Up-To-Date Audio/Video
Contact Information
1711 18th StreetLewiston, Idaho 83501
P: (208) 743-4578
F: (208) 743-9453
E-mail: malcoms@malcomsfuneralhome.com
The administrative offices are open Monday - Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday are by appointment only.
1711 18th Street