Keith graduated from Elmwood High School and attended Wesleyan University. On June 15, 1956, he married Martha Ann Stolz, his beloved wife of more than 66 years. The couple had two daughters, Deb and Janet. They lived first in rural Elmwood, then later in town. In 1966, Keith finished construction on the Elmwood house which his family still calls home.
An entrepreneur at heart, Keith took ownership of the lumberyard in Elmwood in 1958, overseeing many construction projects throughout the community. In 1971, the Bornemeiers sold the lumberyard and continued to operate their floor covering business for 15 years. To ensure his knees would always be able to get him in and out of his fishing boat, in 1985 Keith transitioned to a career in financial services as an advisor with Waddell & Reed, a position he would hold for more than 16 years before he retired in 2001. He held himself to a high standard, and he took great pride in his work.
A private pilot, Keith spent many years flying his Cessna 170B. He and Martha Ann hosted 51 years of much-loved annual vacations at their cabin on Little Birch Lake in central Minnesota for the three generations who followed them. He was famous for his funny-faced goodbyes and endlessly teasing his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Keith enjoyed polka music, woodcrafting in his home shop, and telling stories and jokes (some several times over). He’d ask everyone lucky enough to be around him, “Are we having fun yet?” We always were.
Keith was a member of the St. Paul United Methodist Church. He served on the committee overseeing construction of the new church, where in later years, he often had to be separated from his grandkids to ensure services could proceed uninterrupted.
Keith is survived by his wife Martha Ann; daughter Debra (Dave) Whitehead; daughter Janet (Tim) Tooley; grandchildren Rebecca (Bryan) Smith, Katie (Tom) Pasniewski, Jacob (Kelsea) Tooley, Jamie (John) Heine, and Toby Tooley; eight great grandchildren (Ava, Olivia and Owen Smith; Ryan Pasniewski; Maura and Louisa Tooley; and Kaylin and Konnor Heine); sister Jeannie Spaulding; sister-in-law Sherry (Wayne) Stubbendeck; two step grandchildren and two step great grandchildren; many nieces, nephews and cousins; and friends too numerous to mention.
Keith was preceded in death by his parents, his in-laws John and Florence Stolz, his sister-in-law Beverly Lannin and her husband Larry, brother-in-law Hugh Spaulding, granddaughter Kylie Tooley, and twin granddaughters.
The family will host visitation from 5:30-7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 19, 2022, and services will be held at 10:30 am on Wednesday, July 20, 2022. Both gatherings will be held at the St. Paul United Methodist Church in Elmwood. Burial at the Elmwood Cemetery will follow services at 1 p.m.
The family requests memorials be made to the Elmwood Community Center, St. Paul United Methodist Church, and the Elmwood Rescue Squad.
The service will be livestreamed on Facebook on the St. Paul United Methodist Church-Elmwood page.