Noneine Keene has never been one to sit on the sidelines of life. She grew up working in her father’s business on Mill Street when Taylor Machine Works was in its early days, building the “Logger’s Dream” just yards away. At that time, the Coca-Cola plant was still bottling the classic soft drink on Columbus Avenue. She has seen many changes come to Winston County and quite a bit of history. “I used to go watch them bottle Cokes,” she recalled with a smile. She was imperative in saving the Legion State Park a few decades ago when a lack of interest had the state questioning whether to close the park. “I grew up swimming and playing there. It was important to the community, and we didn’t want to see it close.” She and a few others established the Friends of Legion Park, of which she is still an active member. Keene and others would lobby for funding to keep the park open, and she also physically aided in cleaning the property. She’s still a member of the Friends of Legion Park, and she is a fixture at each event held at the park. Even now in her early nineties, Keene still drives locally and does her own shopping. She is also a talented gardener with a beautiful yard full of beautiful plants – some of them with “heirloom” status. She lends her wisdom to the Town and Country Garden Club, of which she is an active member as well. Keene is a gem to the community. She remembers when Louisville was a growing town, yet she enjoys the many things the city offers today. She was born and raised here, the daughter of Lamar and Mattie Sue Frazier. Her parents owned a feed store, where farmers could bring corn to be processed for livestock feed. The store also offered groceries. She remembers the days she would walk from school to the store to help her parents. Many days she would go home ahead of her parents – starting at around ten years old – stopping by a business to pick up the main ingredients for their supper. “I would go on home and cook for Mother,” she recalls. Everyone in the family had to pitch in. “It was just what we did. We never questioned our parents when they gave us jobs to do.” Keen learned early in life that a good work ethic was desirable. She would carry this belief into adulthood. She would marry and move away from Winston County for some time. She and her husband had four boys, many of whom still live right here in Winston County. She lovingly described each of her boys: Dan, Darryl, Doug, and David (all Thompsons). Life took a peculiar turn while Keene was living away; she would soon find herself and her boys moving back to Winston County alone. She would eventually remarry to photographer Rufus Keene and add two girls to her family, Sylvia and Ingrid. “I’m proud of all my children; They’re all wonderful!” She also noted that they all pitch in and help her around her home – one may cut her yard while another may make repairs. “They take good care of me!” she smiled. Upon returning to Winston County, Keene would eventually find work in the food service department of Louisville Municipal School District. Utilizing her belief in hard work, Keene eventually moved up to manage the middle school cafeteria. She eventually became the food service director at the high school, and later the director for the district. She retired in 1995. At that time, she enjoyed a leisurely pace in life. She and her husband “went everywhere together” and they often fished together. When he passed away, however, she began working in the community. Along with Cline Shepherd, Elaine Thompson, and Carolyn Mills, they worked hard to not only keep the Legion Park open, but to restore it. Keene is also active in church. She still drives herself to service each Sunday. Staying active keeps Keene sharp and healthy, and she isn’t looking to slow down anytime soon.
