JUDGE JEFF KELLER
1977 Graduate
Nominated by:  Deb Warnke Lofquist ‘71

Since high school graduation, Jeff has pursued and obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Toledo in Political Science.  Following his graduation from UT in 1981, he then pursued his law degree, also at UT.  He received his Juris Doctorate in 1988 and went into private practice.

While maintaining his law practice, Jeff has supported the Oregon Community in a number of ways, most notably as Councilman for the Oregon City Council.  He served on Council from 1981 to 1987 and then again from 2003 until 2005.

On January 1, 2006, Jeff became only the 3rd Municipal Court Judge for the City of Oregon since the City’s formation of a courts system in 1964.  He was preceded by Judge Donald Petroff.

In addition to his work on City Council, his role as lawyer in his private practice, Jeff served as Magistrate of both the Berkey Mayor’s Court as well as Magistrate for Northwood’s from 1994 to 2004.  In Northwood alone, he presided over more than 10,000 cases from 1994 to 2004.

Jeff has been a pillar of the Oregon community since his high school graduation and continues to support various programs and organizations within the Oregon School system, including but not limited to the 2006 CHS After Prom and CHAFA.  Jeff is Past President of the Oregonians Club and maintains an active membership of the organization.  He is also a member of the Toledo Bar Association.

Jeff is the husband to Lisa (Taylor), ’80 and has two graduates of Clay, Samantha, 2011, and Jillian, 2014.

BETTY CARSTENSEN
Friend and Distinguished Citizen, Posthumously
Nominated by: Roxie Grabenstetter Mylnek ‘70

She is someone you saw all around Oregon and represented the best of the best! She had been an Oregon City School Board Member, Lucas SWCD Supervisor/Chair, Lucas County Farm Bureau Member, Curtice-Jerusalem Historical Society member and the list goes on….

To those of us that had children grow up in the Oregon School System, we might have known her as “The Tree Lady” or “The Book Lady” due to her generosity in giving each first grader a tree sampling to plant and watch grow as they grow. As “The Book Lady” she donated her time reading to young children. We are Proud to have the Library at the new Coy School named for her as she had been such an inspiration to our “young” readers. But did you know that Betty was hired to set up and manage the cafeteria at Jerusalem School in the early 1050’s? Did you know many summers, students started their “first job” on the Carstensen 275 acre fam in the 50’s and 60’s? 

Betty was an inspiration to all who met her. Her pleasant personality and friendliness were top notch! She supported the arts through her membership in the Oregon Community Theatre and sometimes saw the same play twice!

A smile was a constant with Betty. Always thinking of her “Oregon” family she was a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, sister, daughter and friend.