Thomas D. McKee's Obituary
Thomas David McKee was born in the small Southeastern Oklahoma town of Mud Sand on April 25, 1922 to the late Andrew Jay McKee and Sarah Beatrice Butler McKee. He was preceded in death by Nell O. Bice McKee, his wife of 64 years. He was also preceded in death by his sister Pauline McKee Crouch.
Thomas married his childhood sweetheart, Nell, on February 8, 1942. After Thomas and Nell graduated from Soper High School, Thomas went to California to find work and save enough money to pay for Nell to come to California so they could get married. They had celebrated their 64th anniversary the day before Nell went home to be with the Lord on February 9, 2006.
After moving back to Oklahoma, Thomas and Nell celebrated the birth of their first daughter Judith Ann on November 4, 1942. Thomas and Nell moved to Orange, Texas in 1943 where Thomas worked in the shipyard until Thomas accepted Jesus Christ as his personal savior and was ordained as a Baptist Minister by North Orange Baptist Church in 1944. While Thomas was attending Oklahoma Baptist University, they celebrated the birth of their second daughter, Barbara Elizabeth on October 5, 1945. He moved his family to Mississippi to attend Clarke College and study for the ministry. While they were there, they celebrated the birth of their third daughter, Sarah Kay on November 2, 1948.
Thomas began his pastorate in Mississippi while attending Clarke College, and then moved to Burkeville, Texas in 1949 and continued to pastor various churches in Texas including Pineland, China, Elysian Fields, Spring Hill, Hamshire, Lone Star, Beaumont, Murchison, Santa Rosa, Tyler, for 44+ years with his last full time pastorate in Groveton, Tx. He and Nell went to Kansas with the Home Mission Board after retirement in 1988 and then returned to Longview where he was interim pastor at several churches in the area. As members of Oakland Heights Baptist Church in Longview, he and Nell were in the outreach ministry until 2003 when their health worsened. Thomas was an honorary member of Bald Hill Baptist Church in Lufkin, Tx at the time of his death.
Thomas was a faithful pastor who loved his church members and was always available to them for whatever they needed-whether it was for hospital visits, deaths, marriages or just to talk. He was a great prayer warrior and he and Nell tired to visit every member of each of their churches. He was always willing for Nell to help her daughters as each special grandchild was born as well as each great grandchild and they continued to be part of their lives, until they became physically unable.
He is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law, Judy and Mike Templeton of Harlingen; Barbara and Mike Smotherman of Longview, and Sarah and Billy Voss of Lufkin. He leaves behind grandchildren, Angela Cooper, David and Melody Templeton, Susan and John Biltz, Paula and Pete Werner, Kellie and Mark Farris, William and Amanda George, Reagan and Amanda Voss and Jason Rawls. He is also survived by 13 great grandchildren and 3 great great grandchildren. He is survived by one brother, Stanley B. McKee of Little Cypress, Texas and one sister and brother-in-law, Anita Faye and Clois Jay of Little Cypress, Texas and numerous nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers will be grandsons: John Biltz, Mark Farris, William George, David Templeton, Reagan Voss and Pete Werner.
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