Paul Vernon McKee, age 87, passed away the morning of Wednesday, October 7, 2020 at Avera Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD.  Visitation will be held from 5:00-7:00 PM, Wednesday, October 14 at Alcester Baptist Church, followed by a Prayer Service at 7:00 PM.  Funeral services will be held at 1:00 PM, Thursday, October 15 at Alcester Baptist Church and will be live streamed at www.facebook.com/alcesterbaptist . Paul's family asks you to wear masks and be socially distant. If you're not feeling well, please send condolences to the family.

Paul was born January 12, 1933 in rural Union County to Clyde K. and Palma E. (Loe) McKee and was educated at Finnie Country School and attended Hawarden High School and earned his GED through the military.  Paul married Shirley J. Peterson on November 29, 1952 in Alcester, and together, they were married for 64 years.

Paul received his draft notice on the day of his wedding rehearsal, November 28, 1952, and reported for duty in April of 1953.  He took basic training at Ft. Riley, Kansas and Sault Ste Marie, Michigan.  He served active duty in Stuttgart, Germany.  He was honorably discharged on April 27, 1955.  Paul farmed for his entire life in Lincoln and Union County.  During the winter months he had many different occupations including Smith's Plumbing, Ver Hoef and Truesdell Motors in Hawarden, Iowa, and home carpentry.  He had many talents and could fix almost anything.  He was very meticulous about everything he worked on including car detailing, field work (especially cleaning his bean fields), and took pride in how things looked including himself.  He enjoyed camping with Shirley and good friends in Newton Hills and Yankton, playing cards, and Country Western and Blue Grass music.  He was active in the Alcester Baptist Church, including ushering and trustee.  He loved taking an annual summer family vacation after crops were in, especially memorable were the Black Hills, Tennessee, Yellowstone, Colorado and visiting family in Arizona and California.  He loved visiting his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and attending their activities.  One of his favorite things to do was going on convertible rides with Shirley on Sunday afternoons.

Paul is survived by two sisters, May Lou Lewison of Akron, IA, Carol (Lou) Boido of Grass Valley, CA, two daughters, Paula (Ken) Severson of Richfield, MN and Patti (Kevin) Sebesta of Wellington, CO, two sons, Scott (Laura) McKee of Hawarden, IA and Tom (Lavonne) McKee of Alcester, SD; 10 grandchildren, Jennifer Severson (Peter) Lesch and Erick Severson, David Sebesta, Matthew Sebesta and Jeffrey (Jenn) Sebesta and Anne Sebesta (Mike) Stapleton, Courtney and Zachary McKee and Jamye and Sydney McKee; 11 great-grandchildren, Madalee and Memphis Sebesta, Jacob, Caleb and Grace Stapleton, Kendall and Jackson Lesch, Stella Severson, and Brooklynn, Bayleigh and Bentley Sebesta, and 4 sisters-in-law, one brother-in-law, and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley, his parents, an infant daughter, Diane, brother Clyde McKee Jr., and several brothers and sisters-in-law, and a niece and nephew.