Robert E. McKinney was born December 26, 1902 in Crainville, Illinois. McKinney who was active in school affairs and followed in his father’s footsteps as County Superintendent of Williamson County schools spent 44 years in teaching and supervising duties.
McKinney was the son of the late Reverend and Mrs. J.W. McKinney. His father, who died in 1950, was county superintendent of the Williamson County schools for 12 years and pastor of the Warder Street Baptist Church for 28 years.
The father was in the ministry for 56 years and an educator for 37 of those years.
In the 1920 census, Robert was 17 and living with his parents at 1007 W. Main Street, while his father was superintendent of schools. His siblings in the home were Harvey, Wendell and Ruth.
Robert graduated from Marion Township High School and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree From S.I.U. in Carbondale with graduate work at the University of Illinois.
He was united in marriage with Miss Jessie H. Holland on December 26, 1927. A 1927 directory revealed that the newly married couple lived at 902 W. Main Street.
During the 1930 census, Robert and Jessie were living at 216 S. 11th Street in Herrin, while he was principal of a Herrin grade school. Their son, Robert H. McKinney was 7 months old and the couple was paying $35 per month in rent.
McKinney was county superintendent of the Williamson County schools for 11 years being first elected on November 8, 1938 after working as principal of three Herrin grade schools. He resigned to help create and become the first superintendent of the newly created Unit 2 School system which he served for 9 years before going to LaGrange around 1959. Orland Stanley replaced McKinney when he left.
He was very active in community affairs and was president of both the Herrin and Marion Rotary Clubs. McKinney was president of the Marion chapter in 1946-47.
Their children were Robert H. McKinney and Mrs. Jack D (Jane) Riddle. McKinney and his son-in-law were all school principals in the same general vicinity in Northern Illinois.
Robert McKinney, former superintendent of Marion Unit District 2, died at 12:45 a.m. Saturday, April 16, 1966, at the Community General Hospital in LaGrange at the age of 63.
At the time of his death McKinney was superintendent of School District 106 at LaGrange, where he had been for the last six years. He had planned to retire at the end of the present school year. He was stricken on April 1st with a coronary occlusion and had never fully recovered from that condition.
Survived at his death were his wife, Jessie, and mother, Mrs. J.W. McKinney, 88. She made her home with a son and daughter-in-law, Harvey and Violet McKinney at 1902 Warren St. in Marion. A sister, Mrs. James G. (Ruth) Blackburn, lived at 716 East Main Street in Marion. A brother, Wendell H. McKinney died in 1955.
Funeral services were held at 1:30 p.m. Monday at Mitchell Funeral Home with the Rev. T. Arthur Guscott officiating.
Organ selections were played by Mrs. Louise Goddard. Pallbearers were Don Sullins, Cliff Storme, John Ledbetter, Robert Gay, Loren Pinson and Orland Stanley.
Honorary bearers were William Armstrong, Raymond Owens, Jim Parker, Wallace Peebles, Guy Peterson, and Wilbern Boatright.
Burial was in Old Rose Hill Cemetery in Marion.
(Extracted from Federal Census Records; Marion Daily Republican obits from April 16, 1966; compiled by Sam Lattuca on 11/20/2013)