Fern I. (Watts) MCKINLEY

MCKINLEY, WATTS, SWEARINGEN, LONG, GROOM, MILLER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 4/28/2008 at 19:15:58

Fern I. McKinley, 104, Rowan died April 14, 2008 at Wright Medical Center in Clarion. Services were held April 17 at the United Church of Rowan with Pastor Nancy Hofmeister officiating. Burial was in Graceland Cemetery near Rowan.

Fern was born December 21, 1903 in Kilduff, Iowa, the daughter of Wilbur and Anna (Swearingen) Watts. When she was six the family moved to Parker, SD. She attended rural school until she was ten, and then the family moved to a farm south of Clarion. On November 7, 1929 Fern married Joseph McKinley in Rolfe. The couple moved to the family farm near Rowan where she resided until three weeks before her death. Fern was an equal partner in their farming operation of milking shorthorns and beef cattle. She loved flowers and made floral arrangements for many church occasions. Her hobbies were reading and making quilts, which she was still actively creating for her family and church bazaars. She was a member of the United Methodist Women.

Fern was preceded in death by her husband; parents; son Lewis; grandchildren Brian Long and Ellen Groom; brothers Ralph, Wilbur and Eldon Watts; and sisters Bernice Miller and Mabel, Bessie and Alma Watts; and son-in-law Lawrence Long. Fern is survived by daughters Esther Long of Gowrie and Marjorie (Dwight) Groom of Rowan; six grandchildren; eleven great grandchildren; six great great grandchildren; and brother Lory (Wilma) Watts of Placentia, CA.

04/23/2008
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