On Saturday, August 6, the town of Sisters lost a local who will be forever missed. Conrad Charles Kiefer was born in Eureka, California, where he lived for most of his childhood until moving to Sisters in 1996.

Conrad graduated from Sisters High School in 1999. After High School, he worked as a wildland firefighter. No one knew the Deschutes wilderness better than Conrad. Conrad worked for the City of Sisters, Knife River, and most recently McKenzie Cascade Excavation. He would spend his summers cutting as much wood as they’d let him (and maybe a little more) and spend winters burning the fire so hot that guests either didn’t stay long or stripped down to their underwear, and candles melted where they stood.

Conrad was diagnosed with brain cancer in June of 2011 (you guessed it, he was cutting wood when he had that awful seizure) and he gave cancer the fight of its life, surviving multiple brain surgeries and treatments. At the young age of 41, Conrad lived more than most.

He is survived by his wife, Cary Kiefer; his children, Sawyer Kiefer and Madison Gibney; his mother, Jayne Simmons; his brother Bruce Kiefer, step-brother Mosby Simmons, and step-sister Jennifer Simmons. Conrad has many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and so many friends that were family to him.

To know Conrad was to love him and to love him was to share laughs, good times, and (his personal favorite) good food. He was a great softball player (“lover” could really hit a ball) and an even better friend. His passion was cutting wood and spending time with his family and friends outdoors. Hold your loved ones close and take nothing for granted. F&%k cancer.

A Celebration of Life is planned tentatively for September 17, 2022.