Josephine (Josie) Mckenney

Out of an abundance of caution, the family of Josie McKenney has decided not to have visitation this Saturday the 5th.  They wish to offer their appreciation to all those who have reached out to them and who were planning to attend.

If you knew Josie, you knew her ten thousand megawatt smile that lit up her entire face!  And when she laughed, she could light up the whole room!

Josie came to America from Mexico when she was 20 years old as a wife.  She met her husband Charles in the Downtown Plaza in El Paso, Texas.  She and her identical twin sister shared a bench when 2 soldiers strolled by to chat them up.  After a bit, the sisters went to the restroom where her sister Micaela told her that she didn’t really like the guy she was sitting next to, so the sisters traded places and Josie sat next to Charles R. Mckenney.  They were married on October 15, 1950 and she made America her home.

They had 2 boys and 2 girls, Charles, Eddy, Diana, and Betty.  They remained in West Texas until the kids were out of high school.  They retired to go camping and ended up in Junction, Texas.  After her husband passed, Josie and Betty stayed together and eventually ended up in Abilene.

In 1972, Josie had one of her proudest moments.  She became a United States citizen.  At her Naturalization Ceremony, for which she studied diligently, she was asked only 3 questions.  How many representatives are in the House of Representatives?  She confidently said 100!  Then the judge asked how many senators does each state have?  Realizing her mistake, she softly said 2.  Then he asked how many senators were in the Senate? With anxiety and fear in her eyes, she said 100.  The judge told her she was right and had passed!

In Abilene, Josie worked in the cafeteria at Hardon Simmons.  She loved working there interacting with the students and made friendships with her co-workers.  It brought her great joy to joke with those students and give them extra fries!

Her daughter Diana lives in Alaska and she traveled there every year.  She went during the winter breaks from Hardon Simmons and later when she retired – I mean stopped working – she would stay for 3 months or more in the winter.  She delighted in the snow and the other-worldliness of Alaska and her daughter’s life there.

After she ‘stopped working’, Betty took the reluctant Josie to the Rose Park Senior Activity Center in Abilene.  She acclimated almost instantly.  The somewhat competitive card and domino games fed right into her enjoyment of both of those.  She was great at catching the bus to get there, but often somehow missed the bus at the end of the day.  So she just had to keep playing and have a reluctant daughter or son-in-law come and get her after work.

She attended Abilene First Baptist for a time.  But when they formed the City Light mission that catered to the homeless, she was drawn to it.  Once they set up regular meals, including Sunday breakfast, she was there every Sunday to help.  She always had that smile on her face and you could tell she wanted to be there.

In the spring of 2014, Josie suffered a stroke.  She lived in nursing home care until she died on Nov 20, 2020 at 90 years of age.

To honor Josie’s joy at the Rose Park Senior Center and her passion for City Light, donations would be welcome.  And if you would prefer, a random act of kindness for someone in need in her memory would be a blessing as well.

Rose Park Senior Center

South 7 ^th and Barrow

Abilene, TX  79605

(325)734-5300

City Light

https://www.mychurchwebsitegiving.com/App/Giving/firs1333170

Select Other-Please Specify under Fund.

In the Note box, enter City Light in memory of Josie McKenney