Conrad Garst Keyes

Conrad Garst Keyes, 91, of Ruidoso, a retired Water Well Driller and NM Highway Department employee, died on November 13, 2007 in Las Cruces, NM at the Mesilla Valley Hospice - La Posada. Cremation was arranged by Getz Funeral Home of Las Cruces, NM and funeral arrangements are by La Grone Funeral Home of Ruidoso, NM. A memorial service will be at the Ruidoso Community United Methodist Church at 220 Junction Road at 1 pm on November 20, 2007 and interment will follow at the Ruidoso Forest Lawn Cemetery with a Masonic burial. Conrad was born in Worchester, Massachusetts at the family home at 29 Oread Street, January 22, 1916. He married Ada Josephine Green, daughter of Barney and Lucille Green, in Carlsbad, NM on March 28, 1937 Conrad was a Polo player at the NMMI in the 1930s and worked in the oil fields near Artesia and Carlsbad for his dad in the late 1930s. He and Jodie lived at the Red Lake Oil Lease where their son was born. He worked in California during the World War II years at two different locations, while moving back and forth from Artesia and/or Roswell. After the war, Conrad and Jodie moved to Roswell, NM and he started Keyes Drilling Company in 1945. He drilled many water wells in southeastern NM for ranchers, farmers, and towns during 1945-1965. He retired from the drilling business and worked as a contractor for and as an employee of the NM Highway Department in Roswell until his retirement in the 1970s. Jodie and Conrad moved from Roswell, NM to Ruidoso, NM in 1972. Conrad also did many water well searches for individuals and communities in southeastern NM during his retirement years under Accurate Water Location. Conrad and Jodie traveled in their travel trailer for over 40 years to all but four states of the U.S. Conrad was a life member of Roswell Lodge No 18 AF & AM for over 60 years and a member of Knight Templar. He was a member of the Ballut Abyad Temple of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Mystic Shrine, Roswell's Shrine Patrol Drill Team, Roswell Elks Lodge 969, life member of the National Water Well Association (now National Ground Water Association), the National Rifle Association, the Ruidoso River Association, and the Ruidoso Community United Methodist Church. He is survived by his wife Jodie and one son (Conrad G. Keyes, Jr. and wife Tywilla Jo Reddoch Keyes) and two grandsons - Garry Doyle Keyes (and wife Roberta Ann Wesley Keyes) and Kevin Lyn Keyes, and two granddaughters - Kirsten Shelby Keyes and Kori Rae Keyes. His son and family, and grandsons and family all live in Las Cruces. Preceding him in death in the Keyes Line were his father (Floyd Grant Keyes who was a pioneer oil operator and royalty broker in the Pecos Valley), mother (Amy Garst Keyes who was the daughter of Dr. Julius Garst that once owned parts of downtown Roswell), his two sisters (Marjorie Lillian Keyes Meyer who was an artist and movie actress in the late 1920s, and Barbara King Keyes Davidson who lived in Roswell most of her life), and his brother (Robert Grant Keyes who was in World War II and worked for Southwestern Public Service of New Mexico). The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Ruidoso Community United Methodist Church Building Fund, 220 Junction Road, Ruidoso, NM 88345 and/or the Masonic Foundation, Box 1512, Roswell, NM 88202-1512. PDF Printable Version