A Life Celebrated
The daughter of Nina M. Keeler (b. June 26, 1892) and Washington V. Keeler (b. February 22, 1885), Monda Lee (Keeler) Rojas, beloved mom, grandma, great-grandma, and great-great-grandma passed away peacefully with her family by her side on January 16, 2021. After she passed, we shed tears and then told stories about mom that made us all laugh, a good laugh that helps take some of the sting away from her passing.
In a recently discovered high school paper titled “My Autobiography,” mom told the story of how her father and mother met when Grandma Keeler was working at the telephone office. Grandpa Keeler brought his favorite telephone operator boxes of candy, and they married a few months later on February 21, 1914. Grandma said all you need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt! In her paper that garnered an A- grade (that is probably why mom kept it), she shared how the Keeler family grew over time:
“After a year my oldest sister was born, Fern. In a year and a half my sister Annabelle was born. She was born in Denver, Colo. as my folks were on a trip to see my uncles. In about 2 years and 6 months, my third sister was born. They named her Bobbette because they thought she would be a boy. After that there was a lapse of 9 years before my fourth sister Norma was born, we were then living in this district. Two years later I was born. The last of Washington Vernon Keeler’s children, stopping the mark at 5 children.”
Click here to continue reading A Life Celebrated by Arlene, Jon, Jenny, and Tony
In her autobiography, she also told the true story of how she was named:
“On a cold, dreary day in July, (the eleventh to be exact) a small, red headed girl was born to the Keeler family. This was one of the greatest days in my life, for it was to be my birthday for many, many years. My father was at wits end trying to think of a name for his fifth girl. He happened to glance at a calendar on the wall, it said “Monda_, July 11, 1932.” The “y” on Monday being gone. That has been my name ever since.”
Mom’s sweetness shines through in this class
photo from Sunnydale Elementary School
Circa 1940
Mom grew up in the original family home on 2nd Ave SW between 152nd and 153rd in south Seattle, near the center of Burien today. Back then, the community was completing the transformation from forested homesteads to a small town, and her family lived a happy life there. Years later, Grandpa Keeler built a new house on a hill with a wonderful vista of Mount Rainier, including a beautiful garden with a koi pond. When our dad completed his tour of duty with the Marines, our parents moved into a rental property near Grandma and Grandpa Keeler until they could afford their own home to raise a family.
This beautiful photo captures mom’s love of life
when she graduated with the class of 1950 from
Highline Senior High School,
Seattle, Washington.
The first time our parents met was when Larry got off the bus near her home in Burien. He was there for a double date with Joyce Thompson, and Monda was matched with Russ Zanghi. The double date worked out for everyone, but not in the way it started out. Russ married Joyce, and Larry married Monda in 1951…the rest is history. Years later, we used this photograph for the invitation to their 25th wedding anniversary celebration. They were both so surprised by the party and excited that so many friends and family were able to celebrate with them.
Our dashing dad, who was in the U.S. Marines Corp.,
proposed to our lovely mom.
1951
When mom and dad became empty nesters, they downsized into a smaller home with a garden. Her lifelong love for gardening started when she took botany classes from Harry Lemon. Mom loved being in her garden, getting her hands dirty, and she definitely had a “green thumb”. Later on, they remodeled their home to host the growing Rojas family for holidays and monthly parties. The patio, with a view of her beautiful garden, was where we have many fond memories.
Proud parents celebrating
another Rojas family wedding.
September 12, 1998
From our childhood, Christmas Day typically involved playing a new board game. Of course, there was cheating, laughing and joking throughout the game. Mom would play if we made her, but she would rather watch her kids and grandkids play the game. When Arlene eventually cheated, and everyone started loudly talking over each other, mom would just shake her head. When this photograph was taken, she had just won the Rojas family rock-paper-scissors tournament, and that is why she had such a big grin on her face!
Mom won the rock-paper-scissors tournament
at the Rojas family Christmas party.
December 25, 2007
Photographs & Memories
Friends
Mom thought a friend is one of the nicest things you can have and one of the best things you can be.
Family
Our family is a little bit crazy (okay, maybe a lot), and she loved the laughing, playing, and spending time together.
Please considering sharing a message with Monda’s family and friends…
View messages shared with Monda’s family and friends…
Cien Años
I have the good fortune to work at Slalom: a modern consulting firm headquartered in Seattle, Washington. One of my favorite annual events that embodies our core values is Slalom Speaks. It's an event where people can show up and be exactly who they are and talk about what really matters to them.
Tony
Celebration of life
A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date due to COVID-19. Our mom will be interred with our dad at Tahoma National Cemetery, where Mt. Rainier overlooks the cemetery for members of the armed forces and family. Our dad served our country as a Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corp.
Our mom’s passion for helping others in the community through Meals on Wheels was captured in the Westside Seattle article, Local Volunteers Needed Now.
To view the article, click here.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial donation online, and select Meals on Wheels in the dropdown box under “Please Designate My Gift to:”, and you can add Monda Rojas in the “Tribute Box.”
Click here to make a donation online.
For gifts sent by mail, please send to Sound Generations, Attn: Philanthropy, 2208 Second Avenue, Suite 100, Seattle, WA 98121.
Our mom loved poetry and saved a clipping of this poem that we would like to share with you:
Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep
by
Mary Elizabeth Frye
Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am in a thousand winds that blow,
I am the softly falling snow.
I am the gentle showers of rain,
I am the fields of ripening grain.
I am in the morning hush,
I am in the graceful rush
Of beautiful birds in circling flight,
I am the starshine of the night.
I am in the flowers that bloom,
I am in a quiet room.
I am in the birds that sing,
I am in each lovely thing.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there. I do not die.