Havre native gives back

Mildred Keene, 93, was born in Havre in 1920. She took part in many community activities and lived in the area until this year. In May, Keene suffered a stroke and was placed in the Immanuel Skilled Care Center in Kalispell, near her son.

As a gift to the community, Keene sold her home, divided up the money and donated it to different community groups that she was passionate about.

Some of the organizations she donated money to include: the Van Orsdel United Methodist Church, the First Lutheran Church, the Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line and the Havre Youth Hockey Association.

Tim Brurud, the Boys & Girls Club director, said that Keene contacted the board of directors there. She wanted to help out with their expansion project.

“We were obviously very very pleased … she really wanted to help out building the new building.”

The club is using the donaion to help pay for their facility’s expansion project.

“It is going to have a multipurpose room and a full-service kitchen,” Brurud said.

The construction is scheduled to be finished by Feb. 1.

Ann McKnight, congregation president at First Lutheran Church, said that her organization received a donation from Keene.

“We think it is an incredible gift,” she said. “We actually have an endowment fund, and that is where the gift was directed.”

Bob Sapp, Keene’s son, said that this was a way for his mother to give back to the city she grew up in.

Sapp said that none of his siblings wanted to move back to Havre after Keene moved to Kalispell because they had their own homes already.

“I would hate to see somebody think that she just up and moved out of the community and left it high and dry, when she was so part of the community,” he said. “I want to give her credit for her life there.”