Ella Jo McKee

Ella Jo McKee, of Denton Valley, died Monday, January 14, 2008 at the age of 71. The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 8:00 pm Wednesday at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road. Funeral services will be at 2:00 pm Thursday, January17, 2008 at Highway 36 Church of Christ. Burial will follow in the Eula Cemetery. Ella Jo was born March 6, 1936 to Grover Hubert Farmer and Avis Ozella (Rylee) Farmer in Deaton Valley, Texas. She graduated from Eula High School where she was an all-state basketball player. She also played basketball while attending Clarendon Junior College. Ella Jo married Jack Eli McKee January 28, 1955 in Eula. During Jack's career with El Paso Natural Gas, the family lived in Deming, New Mexico from 1960 to 1969, moving to Flagstaff, Arizona in 1970. In 1985, they moved from Flagstaff to El Paso, before moving back home to Denton Valley in 1993. Ella Jo was a wonderful mother and grandmother. She had many talents and enjoyed sewing and doll making. She collected antiques, including Victorian memorabilia and loved roosters and roses. Ella Jo was a member the Church of Christ. She was preceded in death by her parents, Hubert & Avis Farmer, one sister, Kay Hicks, one brother, Edd Farmer, and one grandson, Kyle Johnson. Ella Jo is survived by her husband, Jack McKee of Denton Valley; four sons, Marty McKee of Houston, Randy McKee of Escondido, California, Audie McKee of Clyde, and Greg McKee, also of Clyde; two daughters, Debbie Wilhelm of Loudonville, Ohio, and Darla Quick, of Flagstaff, Arizona; one brother, Von Farmer, of Clyde; her twin sister, Jean Anderson, of Farmington, New Mexico; and 15 grandchildren: Craig Johnson, Luke, J'Anthony, and Samantha Flores, Tanner, Ali, Carly, and Shaun McKee, Michael and Taylor McKee-Hawkins, A.J. and Kirby McKee, Lauren Reginato-McKee, Taryn and Ashton McKee. Luke Flores, J'Anthony Flores, Michael Bolen, Jeff Quick, Mike Hicks, and Ray Farmer will serve as pallbearers. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in honor of Ella Jo to Hospice of the Big Country, 4601 Hartford Street, Abilene, Texas 79605.