Dale P. McKinney

Dale McKinney, 87 of Sidney, Nebraska and a longtime Potter resident died Thursday afternoon, April 16, 2015 at the Golden Living Center in Sidney.

Memorial services will be held at 2:00 P.M., Saturday, April 25, 2015 in the Prairie West Church in Potter with Pastor Betsy Galloway-Carew officiating. Inurnment will follow in the Potter Cemetery.            

Cremation has taken place and there is no visitation at the funeral home. Friends who wish can stop at the Holechek Funeral Home in Sidney on Friday to sign the register book.   

 In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established to the Potter Rescue Unit or the Prairie West Church.

Dale Paul McKinney, the son of Cecil and Nellie (Geist) McKinney was born August 7, 1927 at the family farm in Ravenna, Nebraska. In 1929, the family moved northwest of Potter. Dale attended and graduated from Potter High School.

On June 2, 1946 he married Leota Mathewson at the Potter Methodist Church. They had four children, Marlene, Gary, Glen and Darlene. They farmed and ranched there until moving to Daniel, Wyoming in 1958 where they ranched. After injuring his back, the family moved back to Potter in 1960 where he continued to farm and ranch.   Dale and Leota both drove school bus for Potter Public School.

In 1987, they moved into Potter and in 2008 Dale moved to assisted living at Golden Living Center in Sidney and in 2013 to the Golden Living Nursing Home.

Dale was a 50+ year member of the Potter Methodist Church and served on many committees for the church. He was a past member of the Potter Volunteer Fire Department and the Potter Rural Fire District Board. Dale also served as an assistant Scout Master. He was one of the founding members of the Potter Flying Club.

Survivors include his Children: Marlene McKinney, Gary McKinney, Glen (Lynn) McKinney and Darlene Stratton; 6 Grandchildren: Amanda Votruba, Sean, Grace & Ben Murphy, Nathan McKinney and Joseph Stratton; 12 Great-grandchildren; Brother-in-laws: Rodney (Arlene) Mathewson, and Max (Emma) Mathewson, and Sister-in-law Shirley Mathewson.

Dale was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Leota, parents, Cecil & Nellie McKinney; sisters and brother-in laws: Louella & Hubert Herboldsheimer and Lucille & Harry Coates, and Granddaughter, Katrina Murphy.