Jimmie C. McKinney, age 79, of Eldon, died Sunday, January 29, 2006, at St. Marys Health Center in Jefferson City.

Jimmie was born near Laurie on January 31, 1926, a son of the late William Talbert and Edna Eugene (Sidebottom) McKinney. His family later moved to Rocky Mount, where he completed the 8th grade. At the age of 12, Jimmy went to work for the farmers in the Rocky Mount Community putting up hay and a variety of other jobs. At the age of 16 he started work at the Eldon Laundry Mat washing uniforms for the Army soldiers at Ft. Leonard Wood. At the age of 18 he was drafted into the Army. He served in World War II from 1944 to 1946 under the command of General Patton. He was stationed in Germany and France during the war and was visited by General Eisenhower while at Yerville, France.

After returning home from the war, he married Elsie Lucille Bunch on May 24, 1947. They made their home in Eldon where Jimmy held several jobs in the community. He worked for the Eldon Special Road District, the State Highway Department, the Eldon Ice Plant, the International Shoe Company, and later became self-employed where he cut and hauled stave bolts, wood, hay and also feed for Roy Houston.

Jimmy was an active member of Greenridge Baptist Church where he often caught the fish for the church's summer fish fry.

He loved hunting and fishing and had been known to get to his "secret" fishing spot well before dawn so no one else would get it. He and his wife, Lucille, loved gardening, hunting mushrooms and picking a variety of berries, especially strawberries from their own strawberry garden.

Those who survive him include: three daughters, Shirley Taylor and husband Don, Darlene Bunch and husband Marvin and Fran Winters and husband David all of Eldon; six grandchildren, Dawn Atkinson and husband Mark, Troy Taylor and wife Shawndra, Jennifer Bradley and husband Tony, Tiffany Bunch, Stephany McDowell and husband Bradley and Chad Winters; six great grandchildren, Taylor and Kelsey Atkinson, Clara Taylor, Haley and Kaylin Bradley and Jordan Bunch and one sister Elsie Shikles.

His wife, Elsie Lucille (Bunch) McKinney preceded him in death on May 19, 2005. A grandson, Jamie Bunch; two sisters, Fannie Hogan and Oma Brown and one brother, Roy McKinney also preceded him in death.

Services will be at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 31, at Greenridge Baptist Church near Olean. Pastor Tom Farrington and Rev. Jay Quinn will officiate. Interment with military honors will be in Greenmore Memorial Gardens near Barnett.

Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. on Monday at Rekus Funeral Home in Eldon.

Memorial contributions are suggested to the American Cancer Society or Greenridge Baptist Church.