KEETON, Lannie, was born on Sweetwater Creek in Wayne County, Tennessee on 19 July 1894. His parents, Newton J. and Dora Jane COPELAND KEETON were hard working, God fearing folk and made their living farming. Later his parents 
bought a farm in the Mt. Hope Community where they built a home and resided the remainder of their lives.
Lannie enlisted in the Army on 26 June 1918 and was assigned to Co. B, 161 Infantry at Camp Zackary Taylor, Kentucky. His training concentrated on protecting the machine gunner. There were ten men in his company who received this specialized training. Soon after completion of training, his company was sent to France. The day before he was to engage in battle, he became ill with mumps and was quarantined in the infirmary. When he recovered the war was over. He attributed his life to the timing of his illness, as the other nine men did not survive the battle.
Soon afterward he returned to the United States and was honorably discharged on 1 March 1919 at Camp Zackary Taylor, Kentucky with excellent character and good physical condition.
Prior to his marriage, Lannie bought a house and farm adjoining his parents in Mt.Hope Community. On 23 December 1923, he married Mary Lula MORGAN, the daughter of John and Gertrude MORGAN. They were the parents of six children: Charles Cleemon who died at the age of eleven months; Dora Nadine; Marshall; Marcella; N. J. and Lannie, Jr.
In April 1935, Lannie encountered misfortune while upgrading the family cemetery. He was trying to complete the concrete work when he lifted too much sand and was seriously injured, resulting in an aneurysm of the aorta. He miraculously lived for 34 years in this condition but was unable to operate the farm.
Lannie was a devout Christian, devoted father and family oriented. He greatly influenced the lives of his children, encouraging a good education and high moral standards.
Lannie died on 14 Aug 1969 after a long illness. He was buried in the Keeton Cemetery in the Mt. Hope Community.
This was my Grandpa Lannie David Keeton. He died when I was 6 years old. I remember before he left to go to the hospital before he died, they lined up each of the grandkids to hug him and say bye to him one more time. That’s all I remembered of him. I remember my dad, NJ Keeton, said that because of Grandpa Keeton’s heath being bad, he and his brothers never finished high school so they could work and take care of the family farm. The girls got to finish high school, but not the boys. It wasn’t until 1992 that we started having a Decoration at the Keeton Cemetery. That’s the family cemetery where Grandpa Keeton got hurt trying to fix it up. The Decoration is the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend each year.