On April 25, 2019, Barbara Joyce Anthony McKee, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, amazing aunt to nieces and nephews, and friend to many, peacefully entered the gates of Heaven to meet her loving Savior. She is survived by her husband of seventy years, Billy Charles McKee; son, Joel McKee of Austin; son, Kenneth McKee of Oak Grove, Missouri; and daughter, Jana McKee Riggins of Pflugerville. She had nine grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.
Joyce was born, September 10, 1930, on the family homeplace to Jacob Essau and Gladys Oleane Sealy Anthony, welcomed by three older sisters and a brother. She attended Eustace schools and later went to Henderson County Junior College. Following time in college, she worked in Dallas and Grand Prairie. On January 21, 1949, she and Bill married at the First Baptist Church in Mabank and made their home temporarily in Arlington, later returning to Mabank to raise their children.
She contributed greatly to community life, serving Mabank Independent School District as Executive Assistant to the Superintendent of Schools for thirty-four years, active in the First Baptist Church where she sang in the church choir, served as President of the Women’s Missionary Union and Director of Training Union, among other church positions. She was a 50-year member of the Halcyon Club, having multiple terms as President of the organization and was a 65-year active member of the Order of the Eastern Star #821, holding the position of Worthy Matron four times during her membership.
Joyce will be remembered for her vivacious personality, her unconditional love for her family, the time she spent creating adventures and memories for her grandchildren, and her jubilance at sharing holidays and reunions with her nieces, nephews and her West Texas cousins. Her smile would light up a room and she spread happiness to all who knew her.
Pallbearers are her devoted grandsons, Mark Riggins of College Station; Matthew Riggins of Princeton; Joshua Riggins of Leander; Caleb Riggins of Pflugerville; Jason McKee of Kansas City, Missouri, Eric McKee of Austin , great-grandson Landry Fee of Coppell and John Carter Teague of Mabank. Honorary pallbearers include Larry Teague, Randy Teague, Robby Teague, Wayne Anthony, Steve Anthony, Larry Anderson, Jerry Anderson and Midge Odom.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Jacob and Gladys Anthony, sister Dorothy McGowan, sister Oleane Downing Parten, sister Alice Beryl Anderson, and brother, Gerald Anthony and son-in-law, Johnny Riggins.
