Wilma S. Keene, 88, of Hot Springs, formerly of Rapid City, died on Thursday, October 22, 2015 at the Seven Sisters Nursing Home in Hot Springs.

Wilma was born in Dahlgren, IL to William and Paula (Beeler) Acks on January 29, 1927. She graduated from Dahlgren High School and moved to St Louis, MO and then to Evanston, IL where she started her career as a bank teller. She met Sigmont Slomka and was married on June 14, 1953. They moved to the Orlando, Florida area where Siggy began a construction business, knowing, eventually, the area would grow. Siggy died in 1958 and Wilma moved back to Evanston with their two children.

She raised her children and worked in the banking industry as a teller and loan officer. She truly enjoyed being a bank teller where she could socialize with her customers. She met James Keene when he taught at the Traffic Institute at Northwestern University and after a long courtship, they married on November 22, 1968. After retirement in 1987, Wilma and Jim moved to Rapid City.

In her younger years, Wilma enjoyed the USO dances and modeling. She was a wonderful seamstress, making habits for the nuns in Evanston and making clothes for her and the children. After her retirement from the banking industry, she was a model for local clothing stores in Rapid City and followed her passion for art and began painting with oils and pen and ink, becoming a prolific artist.

Wilma will be remembered as an elegant lady who enjoyed the social life.

Wilma volunteered at the Rapid City Police Department and was a past president of the Canyon Lake Senior Citizens Center. She lived at Somerset Court since 2012 and due to health reasons moved to Hot Springs in June to be near her daughter.

She is survived by her children; Patricia (John) Scheltens of Hot Springs and Edward Slomka of West Valley City, Utah and her sister, Paula Manning (Tom) of El Paso, TX and numerous nieces and nephews.

Wilma was preceded in death by her husbands; Sigmont V. Slomka in 1958 and James Keene in 1991, her brother, Ernest, her sister, Paula Genevieve (Eva), her sister, Isabelle and brother, Robert.

A visitation will be held from 5:00pm until 7:00pm on Monday, October 26, 2015 at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home with a Rosary Recitation at 7:00PM.

A Funeral Mass will be offered at 10:00AM, Tuesday, October 27 at St. Therese Catholic Church with Fr. Bill Zandri presiding.

A gathering of family and friends will be at Somerset Court beginning at 11:30 AM until departure for the 1:30pm interment at Black Hills National Cemetery.

Memorials in her name to the St. Jude's Children's Hospital may be sent to Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home, 2700 Jackson Blvd, Rapid City, SD, 57702.