Obituary for James Calhoun McKinney
James Calhoun McKinney, age 85, passed away Sunday, November 20, 2022, at Rutherford Regional Health Systems in Rutherfordton, North Carolina. He was born in the family home located within the original county seat known as Gilbert Town on a chilly, Christmas Eve night in 1936. He was the seventh child to be welcomed into the home of George Calhoun and Minnie Bell Logan McKinney.
Jim relished being outdoors, farming corn, soybeans, hay, and cotton on weekends was his passion. He made many lifelong friends within the community while renting farm acreage. However, his main source of income came from being a grader operator who was recognized as one of the top 5 operators in South Carolina. He assisted in building thousands of miles of roads across Kentucky, Florida, North and South Carolina. He started his career at the young age of seventeen with Thompson Contractor to financially support his aging parents on job US HWY #221 from Rutherfordton to Marion, NC. Recently, he spent many hours admiring the new renovation of the original construction he helped prepare so many years ago.
Jim was a man of strong character who valued- honesty, integrity and dedication to others. He served as a Home Teacher to many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and assisted with church building fund raisers by delivering food plates and attending watermelon and sweet potato patches.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Sonny, Carl; and four older sisters, Marie Monteith, Ruth Roberson, Edith Jones and Helen Long. He was preceded in death by his beloved bride, Vivian Netha Young.
Jim is survived by his daughters, Taran McKinney Long (Yates), Tina McKinney Porter (Tim), and son of his heart, Timmy Tesseneer, and three grandchildren, Lisa Long, Lynn Long Allen (Stephen), and Zackery McKinney Porter and two great-grandchildren Connor and Quinn Allen. Grandchildren of the heart Travis Holland (Callie), Micheal Tesseneer, Chase Tesseneer, four great-grandchildren of the heart; two sisters Shirley Glover and Barbara Epley (Don), sister-in-law Claudia Young and brother-in-law Alvin Young; and many nieces and nephews.
The receiving of friends will be held on Friday, November 25th at 4:30 p.m.- 6:30 p.m. at Crowe’s Mortuary & Crematory at 118 College Avenue, Rutherfordton. Funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 26th at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 250 Mt. Pleasant Church Road, Forest City, NC, and the service will conclude with the dedication of the grave at Southern Baptist Church Cemetery 140 Church Street, Rutherfordton, NC.
Family request in lieu of flowers that memorial donation be made to Toys For Tots, and Rutherford County Schools Educational Foundation.
The family wishes to extend their grateful appreciation to the staff of Rutherford Regional Medical System and the staff of Ohmstead Plumbing Company.
Jim relished being outdoors, farming corn, soybeans, hay, and cotton on weekends was his passion. He made many lifelong friends within the community while renting farm acreage. However, his main source of income came from being a grader operator who was recognized as one of the top 5 operators in South Carolina. He assisted in building thousands of miles of roads across Kentucky, Florida, North and South Carolina. He started his career at the young age of seventeen with Thompson Contractor to financially support his aging parents on job US HWY #221 from Rutherfordton to Marion, NC. Recently, he spent many hours admiring the new renovation of the original construction he helped prepare so many years ago.
Jim was a man of strong character who valued- honesty, integrity and dedication to others. He served as a Home Teacher to many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and assisted with church building fund raisers by delivering food plates and attending watermelon and sweet potato patches.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Sonny, Carl; and four older sisters, Marie Monteith, Ruth Roberson, Edith Jones and Helen Long. He was preceded in death by his beloved bride, Vivian Netha Young.
Jim is survived by his daughters, Taran McKinney Long (Yates), Tina McKinney Porter (Tim), and son of his heart, Timmy Tesseneer, and three grandchildren, Lisa Long, Lynn Long Allen (Stephen), and Zackery McKinney Porter and two great-grandchildren Connor and Quinn Allen. Grandchildren of the heart Travis Holland (Callie), Micheal Tesseneer, Chase Tesseneer, four great-grandchildren of the heart; two sisters Shirley Glover and Barbara Epley (Don), sister-in-law Claudia Young and brother-in-law Alvin Young; and many nieces and nephews.
The receiving of friends will be held on Friday, November 25th at 4:30 p.m.- 6:30 p.m. at Crowe’s Mortuary & Crematory at 118 College Avenue, Rutherfordton. Funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 26th at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 250 Mt. Pleasant Church Road, Forest City, NC, and the service will conclude with the dedication of the grave at Southern Baptist Church Cemetery 140 Church Street, Rutherfordton, NC.
Family request in lieu of flowers that memorial donation be made to Toys For Tots, and Rutherford County Schools Educational Foundation.
The family wishes to extend their grateful appreciation to the staff of Rutherford Regional Medical System and the staff of Ohmstead Plumbing Company.