Elaine McKinley

Averial Elaine McKinley was born March 24, 1914 in British Columbia, Canada. Her parents, Robert W. and Neva F. (Philpot) Power, who had homesteaded 40 miles north of Quesnel, B.C., could not cross the Fraser River to reach medical help. The ferry operator, a Carrier Indian, invited them to his home where his wife, a Carrier Indian midwife, delivered Averial Elaine. With the onset of World War I and concerns about their U.S. citizenship, the family returned to their home in Humboldt, Nebraska. In the Humboldt area, she grew up among a multitude of cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Graduating from Dawson High School in 1932, she wanted to be a Latin teacher, but the Great Depression had started and college was a rarity for women. So, she stayed with her family when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri. There, she found work as a nanny, which paid two dollars a week with meals. The family moved to Morgan county in 1934, where she married John McKinley in 1936. At that time, John worked for the Troutdale Fish Hatchery, where he earned ten dollars a week, but received a raise to fifteen dollars as a marriage present. They moved to Kansas City, Missouri in 1950, where John worked as a supervisor for Union Wire Rope, and Elaine worked as a key punch operator for Western Auto and the Internal Revenue Service. Besides working, raising her five children kept her busy with PTA, music lessons and church. Elaine was an active member of the Kansas City Cat Association and won numerous awards with the cats she raised. Upon retirement in 1975, they returned to Gravois Mills and purchased her father’s home. There, her passion for art flowered. It was not uncommon for her to be painting in her art studio until three or four in the morning. She became a well-known artist specializing in oil paintings and china. Besides winning many blue ribbons at art festivals, including the Missouri State Fair, she gave lessons in her studio. Her art works are in many homes across the Midwest. She was an active member of the Gravois Mills United Methodist Church, singing in the choir, playing the piano and participating in church activities. She was preceded in death by her husband, John; sister, Kathleen McCormick; brother, Robert Power; daughter, Carole Smith; and son, Michael. She is survived by her sister, Patricia Walters (Gravois Mills, Missouri); son, John Wray (Plano, Texas); son, Richard Lynn (Collins, Missouri); son, Charles Eric (San Antonio, Texas); 11 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. She will be missed. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, November 13, at the Gravois Mills United Methodist Church. Graveside services and interment will follow in the Holst Cemetery in Gravois Mills, to lay her to rest beside her husband. The family will receive friends from 9:15 to 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the Gravois Mills United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 19, 437 Valley Road, Gravois Mills, MO 65037. Arrangements are under the direction and care of the Kidwell-Garber Funeral Home of Versailles.

Elaine McKinley

March 24, 1914 - November 9, 2012

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Elaine McKinley

March 24, 1914 - November 9, 2012

About Us

What We Do

Contact KG/Locations

Grief & Healing

Plan Ahead

Obituaries

Resources

Contact Information

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