Elfredia Victoria Orlandi Keele, is free at last and able to soar.  She didn’t earn her wings today on June 4th,  2020 because she always had them.

Mom was born July 27th, 1940 at her home in the coal camp of Mutual, Utah to Fredia Nadeen Woody and Victor John Orlandi, Jr.  She never really left her home.  Mom’s heart and soul was always in Mutual.

Mom was the most loving wife, mother, Nonnie and K. Nonnie.  She married our dad Lloyd Keele at her home in Mutual on October 26, 1957.  They were married for 62 ½ years.

She was “mom” to our friends.  “Nonnie” to her grandchildren’s friends.  And she was “K. Nonnie” to her great grandchildren’s friends.

Mom was an avid deer hunter and could dress out a deer better than anyone.  Her O.C.D. cleanliness was shown here.  Those deer were cleaner than a whistle.  She taught us the correct way to clean a deer, with no waste of meat.  The last few months she was even asking “when are we going deer hunting again?”

Mom attended all activities of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and when we were younger, she attended all of our activities.  She was our biggest fan and wasn’t afraid to show it.

She loved attending her Catholic RCIA classes at Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church so much that she went back and took them again, and then wanted to even go and take them a third time, because you learn something new each time.  She was so proud when she was baptized Catholic again.

She couldn’t swim a lick, but yet she taught all of the kids how to waterski.  She wore a wetsuit, big orange life jacket and a ski belt around her.  Mom just bobbed up and down in the lake until someone came by and picked her up.

Mom love the mountains and exploring different places.  She especially loved going for rides in the side by side’s in the mountains and the canyons, where she grew up.  However, if you put a dime under the tires on one side, she thought we were going to roll over and therefore she’d get out and walk.  She had gotten better at staying inside as time went by.  We often wonder if that all started when mom was driving “Erma Jean” the Jeep up a steep mountain road.  Dad was on the hood bow hunting. The Jeep powered out, the brakes failed and rolled back very fast. There was a cliff behind us. She hit a rock, which made her turn the wheel and rolled the Jeep on the top, if it didn’t roll, we could have gone off the ledge.  Dad jacked up the Jeep and rolled it on its side, he was jacking it up to get it back on the wheels, he told mom “don’t push it until I tell you”.  Well I guess she didn’t hear that part and she pushed.  That Jeep jumped up and down on those tires.  Dad was afraid it would jump off the ledge, but it didn’t. Maybe that is why she gets out and walks, or if we pull to close to a ledge to look around, she panics.

Mom will be horribly missed by her family.  Her husband Lloyd – Helper. Daughter Cathy (Don) Brown – Midvale, UT.  Daughter Tracy (Rick) Collins – Helper, with whom she lived with for over the last two years of her life.  Her grandchildren, Ricky (Rachelle) Collins – Helper.  Antonio “Tony” (Denise) Collins – Helper and Caycee (Clancy) Brown – Midvale, UT.  Her great grandchildren, Cenjia, Rickelle, Brodee and Dallen Collins, all of Helper.  Her sister Cathy (Ed) Cooper – St. George, UT.  Brother Ricky (Kathy) Orlandi – Murray, UT.  All of her loving nieces and nephews.  Her best friend and furry bed partner Skye and Gizmo that would not leave her side when she was awake the last six months of mom’s life.

The family would like to express their deepest gratitude and appreciation to Rocky Mountain Home Care and Hospice and a very special thank you to Audrey, Erica and Lexi for the amazing care and respect they shown our mother.

Mom is preceded in the passing of her “Mother and Daddy”, sister Rita, Grandma Thom, our dog Tippy, her cat Sheba and many, many other family and friends.

As per mom’s wishes, she will not be buried because “I can’t breathe under there”.  Instead she chose cremation.

There will be a service with family and friends at her home in Mutual at a later date.

I LOVE YOU MORE

If you would like to make a contribution, the family suggests The Alzheimer’s Association Utah Chapter, 12894 S. Pony Express Road, Draper, UT  84020 or you may call 1-800-272-3900

Arrangements entrusted to Mitchell Funeral Home of Price where friends are always welcome to share memories online at www.mitchellfuneralhome.net.

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