Micheal Mathias Keller, 79, passed away peacefully in his sleep on April 21, 2026. A vigil service will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 30, 2026, and his funeral Mass will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, May 1, 2026, all at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church with Monsignor Daniel Wathen officiating. Burial will take place in Cottonwood Cemetery. Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with services and arrangements. Please visit Micheal’s online memorial page to send a card or leave a message of condolence for his family at www.hollandbonine.com.
Micheal was born August 27, 1946, in Havre, the 11th of 16 children to William and Juletta Keller. He grew up north of Havre on the family farm. Micheal attended grade school at Cottonwood Elementary School for grades 1-7. In the 8th grade he attended St. Jude’s Elementary School in Havre and then attended Havre Central High School graduating in 1964. During high school he played basketball. He was a member of the Wildhorse 4-H club, and one of his projects included chickens, where he won Grand Champion chicken at the fair.
Micheal worked for the neighbor farmers north of Havre, those being Joe Pruys, JP, Hans, Paul and Bill Verploegen. He drove tractor and grain trucks for the farmers. He also worked for his brother LeRoy Keller. His senior year in High School he worked at H&R Texaco in Havre for Herman Pruys and Ray Berg.
Micheal was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1966. He did basic training in Fort Hood, Texas for 9 months, then spent 13 months in Saigon Vietnam. There he ran a Univac 1005 card machine and ordered all the items that came to the Vietnam 14th ICC Inventory Control Center. After serving he worked for Joe Pruys, then went to work for Triangle Telephone for 6 months before his job at the U.S. Postal Service in Havre for 10 years (1969-1979).
On November 27, 1970, he married Paulette Hofeldt in Chinook. They raised 2 children, Lisa and Todd. They lived in Havre until 1979 when they moved to Paulette’s family ranch south of Chinook and created H&K Cattle Company and Sulfur Creek Cattle with Dale Hofeldt, and Doris and Paul Hofeldt.
Micheal was active in the Havre Jaycees (1970-1979) and enjoyed bowling leagues for several years. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and Eagles club for 60 years. While in Havre, he joined KBR construction in 1972 and built 5 homes including his own. The construction skills learned were put to use building a home in 1980 on the ranch south of Chinook as well as a shop. He also built a teacherage and updated the Lloyd School that Lisa and Todd attended, and where Mike was a school board member from 1979-1999. He also served on the District 10 school board for Chinook High School. Micheal served on the parish council for St. Gabriels in Chinook for several years. He was a member of the Stockgrowers at the local and state level. He was active in 4-H with his children, being a 4-H beef breeding barn superintendent, chaperoning 4-H camp, and spending many hours helping Todd and Lisa halter break animals and work on 4-H projects.
He enjoyed watching sports on TV. NASCAR racing was his favorite, but any kind of sports on TV would always catch his attention. He loved to cheer on and support his grandchildren, with several trips to Billings to take in gymnastics meets, track meets, wrestling, basketball, football, soccer and baseball games to watch Ethan and Tyler. More recently, he spent time watching granddaughter Paige as a Chinook Sugarbeeter in volleyball, and her other school activities. He was their biggest fan.
He was a farmer first and rancher second, he truly enjoyed his time in his tractor and swather. He would take his side-by-side over a horse any day. Mike and Paulette could be found almost anywhere in their side-by-side, moving cattle, visiting neighbors, getting stuck and unstuck, checking on crops or gopher hunting.
Micheal was preceded in death by his parents, Juletta and William Keller; two infant brothers, Ronald at 2 months and Delbert at 24 months; sister, Carol Keller; brothers, Neil Keller, LeRoy Keller, Clarence Keller and Daniel Keller; brother-in-law, Dale Hofeldt and sister-in-law Karon (Hofeldt) Baertch.
Micheal is survived by his wife, Paulette (Hofeldt) Keller; children, Lisa (John) Murray, Todd (Kristine) Keller; grandchildren, Ethan, Tyler and Paige Murray, Emily Keller; siblings, Arlene Keller, Audrey Martson, Gerald (Shirley) Keller, Laura (Jerry) Kinsella, Victor Keller, Dennis (Gayle) Keller, Kenneth Keller, and Lorraine (Steve) Don; sister-in-law, Arliss Keller; and numerous nieces and nephews.
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