Death Takes D. L. McKee, Prominent Farmer Near Blair
Heart Disease Fatal to Last Child of Pioneer Settlers of That Community
David L. McKee, member of a pioneer family of this community and all his life a resident of the Blair neighborhood, died at his home there at 4:45 o’clock Friday afternoon after an illness of three months of heart disease. He was aged 71 years, 6 months and 12 days.
Funeral services were conducted at the Blair Presbyterian church at 2:30 o’clock Sunday afternoon by Rev. William Maxton, of DuQuoin, assisted by Rev. W. M. Nichol, Jr., of Sparta. Interment was made in Union cemetery.
The pallbearers were J. C. Hawthorne, H. G. Uchtman, Andrew Wilson, William Fricke, W. R. Ervin and Charles Welshans.
David Lyons McKee, son of the late Samuel Collins and Mary Ann Boyd McKee, was born near Blair, December 31, 1862. He was the last member of a pioneer family, three half-brothers, four brothers and one sister having preceded him in death. The three half-brothers were Will, George and John McKee; the four deceased brothers were Dr. H. T. McKee, Samuel C. McKee, Jr., Charlie and Edward McKee, and the sister was Mrs. Mary Campbell.
On November 13, 1894, he was united in marriage at Chester to Miss Bertha Ellen Stipe and to this union were born four sons, two of whom, Charles and Kenneth, preceded him in death. A nephew, W. D. Campbell, now of St. Louis, was reared in the home. Surviving are his widow; two sons, Edwin of near Blair and Myron McKee of Sparta, and three grandchildren.
Among those from a distance here to attend the funeral were W. D. Campbell and family, Mrs. Mary A. McKee and Miss Effie McKee, of St. Louis, and W. M. K. Lyons and J. R. Lyons, of Marissa.
Source: Sparta News-Plaindealer, 19 Jul 1934, Page 6
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