Funeral for Arvel Estus McKee, age 92, from Priceville, Al. will be Monday, July 8, 2013, at 2 p.m. at Rideout’s Brown Funeral home with Dr. Freed Ware officiating. Burial will be at Rock Creek Baptist Church Cemetery, Morgan County, Al. Visitation will be Monday, July 8, 2013, from 12 until 2 p.m. at Rideout’s Brown Funeral home.
Mr. McKee, who died peacefully at his home on Saturday, July 6, 2013, was born on October 28, 1920, at Rock Creek Community in Morgan County to James Harvey McKee and Nettie Eugenia Evaline Ryan McKee and grew up on the family farm.
He attended Rock Creek School through the 6th grade, grades 7 and 8 at Eva and graduated from Cotaco High School in 1940.
Arvel worked in Georgia as a lineman for ATT Long Lines from 1940, until he was called to enter the U.S. Armed Forces in Sept. 1942, at Fort McClellan. He was assigned to the 391st Signal Company (Aviation). After communication (telephone and telegraph) training at Savannah, Ga., Drew Field, Florida, Camp Pinedale, Ca., and Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, Arvel and other soldiers boarded a ship in New York with no idea where they were headed. Eleven days later, on Sept. 1, 1943, he saw land for the first time as the ship passed through the Straits of Gibraltar off the Coast of North Africa. The Germans attacked twice, from the air and the water, while they were in the Straits but no one was injured in the attack. After landing at Bizeret, North Africa, they traveled to Tinjoa, North Africa, where they were loaded into boxcars for a three day trip to Algiers. At Algiers an Army C-47 troop transport plane took them to Naples, Italy, arriving on Sept. 20th, 1943. Shortly after they got to their barracks and unpacked, the air raid warning sounded. This was very frightening, knowing the enemy bombers might have them in their sights. Arvel spent 5 months in Naples then was transferred to Bari, Italy, where he remained until the war in Europe was over. Arriving back in New York by ship, he was sent to Fort McPherson, Ga. where he was honorably discharged on December 12, 1945, having earned the Good Conduct Medal, Meritorius Unit Award, European African Middle Eastern Service Medal, with one Bronze Star, and World War II Victory Medal.
After his discharge from the U.S. Army, Arvel went back to work for ATT but didn’t like moving from town to town so he returned back to North Alabama. In 1947, Arvel went to work for Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in Decatur, Al. He worked in the 5-2 weaving department and was promoted to shift foreman. He retired in 1980, as the overseer of weaving at the Decatur plants. During the 1960’s Arvel also teamed with his brother, Theo, building about 15 houses in Decatur and the surrounding area.
Arvel had a passion for being outdoors, especially if it involved gardening, fishing, and bird hunting on the McKee farm. He especially enjoyed helping train and hunting his bird dog, Rusty.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers and their wives, Levy Hugh McKee and wife Christine Crawford McKee and Annie Hawk McKee and Theo James McKee and wife Wanda Self McKee; and one niece, Suzanne McKee Densmore.
He is survived by his wife, Eula Morris McKee; nephew, Steven James McKee and wife Susan Strickland McKee; great nephew, Dr. James Case McKee and wife Dr. Beverly McKee and their daughter, Carly; great niece, Kelly McKee Meadows and husband Tyde Meadows and their children Jace and Kate. He is also survived by his nieces husband, Delano Densmore and their daughter, Deborah Densmore.
Pallbearers will be Dr. Case McKee, Ronald Woodall, Billy Woodall, Billy Morris, Matthew Morris, Chris Byrd and Chris Hogan.
