Josephine Austin McKee

Josephine Austin McKee passed away on April 28, 2020, in Hanford California, one day after her 103rd birthday. She was born on April 27, 1917, in Rural Retreat, Virginia, to Joe and Ethel DeBoe. The family relocated to Lemoore and then Hanford when she was 11 years old. She is a graduate of Hanford High School and Visalia Junior College, where she graduated with honors. She worked for the Edison Company in Visalia before she married her husband C.J (Joe) McKee in 1938.

At the time, Mr. McKee was employed in the bridge department of the State Division of Highway, and they traveled up and down the state, staying in each place for about 3 months until the particular bridge job he was working on was completed. In 1947, they settled in Hanford, where Mr. McKee began working for Kings County in the Surveyor’s Office, eventually opening up his own Civil Engineering business in 1950. He was joined in partnership by John Zumwalt in 1973, and the firm was renamed McKee, Zumwalt and Associates. Josephine worked at the firm in a secretarial/bookkeeping type position until her husband retired in 1978.

Josephine was a member of Delta Theta Tau Sorority and a few bridge groups, where she quite regularly won. She and her husband enjoyed playing golf at Kings Country Club, and she continued playing with her friends after her husband passed away in 1984. She loved her children and grandchildren and always wanted to make sure they were all doing well.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and her brother Jake W. DeBoe. She is survived by her three daughters, Linda Habel of Kings Mountain, North Carolina, Susan (John) Henderson of Clovis and Judith (Bill) DeRaad of Hanford. She is also survived by a niece, nephew, 5 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Private graveside services will be held at Grangeville Cemetery where she will be buried beside her husband.