Obituary of Henry Clay McKee

Henry Clay McKee, age 64 of Yankton passed away unexpectedly Saturday, November 14, 2015 in Wagner, SD due to a hunting accident. Funeral Service will be 2:00 PM, Saturday, November 21, 2015 at the Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Chapel, Yankton, SD with Rev. Ron Johnson officiating. Burial will be in the Gayville Cemetery. Visitations will be from 5-7 PM, Friday, November 20, 2015 with the family present at the Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home and Crematory, Yankton. Visitations will resume one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Henry was born on August 26, 1951 to Juana (Dion) and Clay Junior McKee in Pickstown, SD. As a young child Henry moved with his family to Gayville from Hudson, SD. He graduated from Gayville-Volin High School in 1970, where he was active in football, basketball, track and field. He held the pole vault record for 44 years. The record was the longest held record at Gayville-Volin until it was tied in 2012 and was finally broken in 2014. He served in the Army National Guard. In the early 70's, Henry was a great softball player for the Gayville league. He was employed with Kolberg-Pioneer as a welder then working as a cook at the Fryn Pan for over thirty years. Henry had a great love for the outdoors, hunting and archery. He went on elk hunts in Colorado on horseback. There was always a special place in his heart for stray animals. Those who will cherish his memory are his life partner, Joan Fuks of Yankton, SD; two brothers, Russell McKee of Sioux Falls, SD and Marlow McKee of Gayville, SD; two sons, Jeremy and Jason and his whole extended family, staff at the Fryn Pan. Henry was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Tammy McKee, and his grandparents.