James Wilbert (Bert) McKee

MCKEE, GORMLEY, BANKS

Posted By: Mary Welty Hart (email)
Date: 2/25/2006 at 20:13:54

Winterset Madisonian, Winterset, Iowa
July 10, 1974

BERT MCKEE Dies at 91

James Wilbert (Bert) McKee, a longtime resident and banker of this community, died at Madison County Memorial Hospital last Friday, July 5, 1974, at the age of 91.

Mr. McKee was born near Crawfordsville in Washington County, Iowa on November 4, 1882, the son of Thomas and Anne Gormley McKee. He moved with his parents to Madison County in 1901, making his first home here on a farm in Scott Township.

A graduate of Winterset High School, Mr. McKee attended Tarkio College in Missouri and completed a course at the Capital City Commercial College in Des Moines.

As a young man, he taught in a Madison County rural school, and for a time was employed with the Hamilton Brothers real estate firm in Winterset.

In 1906, Mr. McKee was employed by the Citizens National Bank of Winterset as a bookkeeper, teller, and general assistant. After three years in that position, he was employed by a bank in Eddyville, Iowa. He returned to Winterset in 1911 as assistant cashier at Citizens National Bank, and retained that position until May, 1934, when Citizens National was succeeded by the Farmers and Merchants National Bank.

He was elected assistant cashier of that bank, and retained the same position when the bank was succeeded by the Farmers and Merchants State Bank in 1938. He was later promoted to cashier and several years later became vice president, a position he held until his retirement in 1970. He retired then, at the age of 88, after 64 years in the banking business.

Mr. McKee married Effie Marie Banks at Winterset on June 6, 1906, and is survived by her. Also surviving are his daughter, Helen Marguerite McKee of Winterset, and a brother, Dean McKee of San Diego, California.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, and four brothers.

A member of the First United Presbyterian Church of Winterset, Mr. McKee was also active as a member of the Masonic Lodge, had served as school treasurer, as a member of the Chatauqua Board, and as a member of the Winterset City Council.

Funeral services were held at 1:30 p.m. Monday, July 8, at the First United Presbyterian Church of Winterset, with the Rev. Alan Parker, officiating. Burial was in the Winterset Cemetery.