BVA Family Mourns Keith Marshall Passing
Harold Keith Marshall, known and admired throughout the country
for his leadership and dedicated service to both BVA as an organization
and to individual blinded veterans, passed away on December 19,
2003.
Keith was born in Osage, Iowa, on September 4, 1923. He graduated
from Osage High School and from the American Institute of Business
in Des Moines. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army and served in
the China-Burma-India Theater during World War II.
Following his military service, Keith returned to Osage and was
married to Annette Bloomquist on May 19, 1946. He owned and operated
Marshall Truck Line for 25 years and served on the Osage City
Council for three terms.
Keith began losing his sight some 25 years ago. In the intervening
time, he served for 15 years as BVA Director of District 2. He
was also a volunteer at the VA Hospital in Des Moines for 18 years.
Although active in the Kiwanis and Lions service clubs, Keith
found time to perfect his woodworking skills, engaging in numerous
projects on behalf of his family and friends. He always had time
for his family and enjoyed traveling and learning to use computers.
Keith’s popularity within the BVA family extended from his
regional group, to the members in District 2, and eventually to
blinded veterans everywhere. Fellow blinded veteran and Iowan
Walt Stromer shared a unique friendship with him the past several
years, including regular and frequent phone calls, even as the
two lived on opposite sides of Iowa and had very different backgrounds
and interests.
"Keith has the unique and innate ability to talk with just
about anyone about practically anything and everything,"
said Walt during a visit last September with BVA National President
Neil Appleby.
Keith's popularity within the BVA family extended from his regional
group to blinded veterans everywhere. Fellow Iowan and BVA member
Walt Stromer shared a unique friendship with him the past several
years, including regular and frequent phone calls, even as the
two lived on opposite sides of the state and had very different
backgrounds and interests.
"Keith has the unique and innate ability to talk with anyone
about nearly anything and everything," said Walt while visiting
with Neil Appleby in his home last September.
Upon his passing, granddaughter Kelli Paulson also shared a tribute
she wrote about Keith some seven years ago.
"My grandfather taught me in a round-about way that no matter
what the obstacle is, it is better to face it head-on than to
give up," she wrote in the tribute. "And that is something
that even a blind man can see."
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