Mary Gladis McKee

Mary Gladis McKee( Happy)Born September 12th 1925 Happy was born in Keller Texas, on the Yount Horse Ranch, where her father Carl Osvil McKee and Mother Mabel Jewel Potter McKee worked. They had 6 children C.W. (Henry ), Billy Inktem, George Monroe, Dorothy Claire, Mary Gladis (Happy) and Osvil Carl ( Hot Shot) Happy was the last surviving sibling. Her Daddy worked for the WPA during the depression, Then worked for many years running the Yount horse ranch with his wife & children. They grew their own food, and farm animals to live on and they all had jobs to do on the ranch. The boys helped with the horses and at the Ft Worth Northside Horse & Mule barn in the winter where Happy helped shoveling manure for the pastures and fields. In the Summer her job was as the "water jack " she rode a mule from sun up to sun down taking water to the hired hands in the field. She told us many stories about that ole mule, she fell asleep on his back many times until one time while she was asleep a bee got after the mule and stung him, he started bucking & running and Happy was on the ride of her life until she was airborne. She never slept on that ole mule again. But she did get in trouble talking her sister into smoking grapevine with her behind the barn when they got caught. The family moved on and took many jobs as share croppers picking cotton through the years. They finally wound up in Dickins, Tx where her father worked as a mechanic. The younger kids including Happy went to school there. In 1934 Her mother came back to Fort Worth to live near her sisters, her Father followed. In 1940 at the age of 15 her father died. Happy lived with her Mother and sister & brothers that didn"t join the Army during WWII or get married and move away until her Mother passed away in 1975. She then lived with her Aunt Tinny, her mother"s sister, and took care of her until her death in 1990. Happy retired from her job of 29 years at American Bank Stationary in 1990. She built a home in Weatherford, next door to her sister Dorothy & brother Hot Shot and lived there until December 26th 2014. Happy loved the Lord and gospel singing. She was an active member of the Parker County Gospel Singers and organized a singing at Lambert Baptist Church once a month, she went to singings faithfully every weekend, and got more & more people to come join in. They now have 120 or more people who come regularly at different locations . Happy worked at contacting everyone every month for different singings and making sure the song books were there and the place was ready until her final singing in December 2014Happy passed from this life and went to her Heavenly Home January 16th 2015 She will be missed by many, who love her dearly