6/5/2005

Virgil Allen McKinney 
    BURLINGTON — Virgil Allen McKinney , 98, of 6237 Stoney Mountain Road, died Saturday, June 4, 2005, at Burlington Manor.
    Virgil  was born in Caswell County on September 25, 1906 and was the eldest child of the late John Allen  and Minnie Rudd McKinney . He spent his childhood years in what is currently known as the Oakview community and in 1926, he moved to Alamance County where he found employment at the former McEwen Hosiery Mill. While at Mc-Ewen, Virgil  met and married Ollie Mae Bryant on May 11, 1929. After one of his co-workers at the mill accidentally read a letter written to Virgil  from Ollie that was addressed "Dear Sweetheart", he was to be forever known at McEwen as "Sweetheart McKinney" .
    During the early to mid-1940’s, Virgil  owned and operated McKinney  Grocery, which was located on Graham-Hopedale Road adjacent to the former Alamance County Hospital. Always being an ambitious and self-motivated individual with a strong desire to better himself and the livelihood of his family, Virgil  made the decision to begin a career in the home building industry and thus established "McKinney  Builders". He purchased fifty acres of farmland in east Burlington near the former Western Electric Plant and in 1948, he constructed his first house from pine trees that he purchased from a sawmill belonging to his wife’s uncle. On those fifty acres, Virgil  constructed numerous homes and created many streets and avenues, some of the first being Holland Avenue, McKinney  Street, which he named after his father and Rudd Street, named for his mother. Virgil  went on to become one of the primary Land Developers and Home Builders in east Burlington and during his career, he built numerous homes in Alamance and the surrounding counties of Caswell, Orange and Guilford. He was recognized for the quality workmanship of his houses and took great pride in producing structures that were both finely built and well designed.
    Throughout his entire lifetime, Virgil  placed great importance on the well being of his family and his church. He was a devoted and faithful member at Glen Hope Baptist where he was a member of the Victory Bible Class. In the 1950’s, Virgil  built and donated the "Victory Hut" which was used as a meeting place for Church and Sunday School-related activities and events. He was a charter member of an Outreach Ministry program at Glen Hope, chairing a building committee that formed and later constructed the Eastlawn Baptist Church. Virgil  served as a Deacon and a Church Usher at both Glen Hope and Eastlawn.
    At the age of sixty-three, Virgil  retired from his long and successful career of home construction, and for a few years, he and his wife, Ollie traveled to Florida during the winters where they enjoyed the warmer weather. But never one to remain idle for too long, Virgil  spent the most of his retirement years farming his land in the Union Ridge community where he raised beef cattle of which he was so fond, grain and a host of different vegetables and fruits.
    Virgil  was preceded in death by his beloved wife of seventy-one years, Ollie, on November 26, 2000 and a brother, Luther McKinney  and sister, Beulah Rudd. Virgil  is survived by his four children and their spouses, Colleen Brinegar and husband, Chesley of Winston-Salem, Peggy Rainey and husband, Wimp of Burlington, Willie Page and husband, Bill of Burlington and V. Allen McKinney , Jr. and wife, Sue Ellen of Burlington. He is also survived by nine grandchildren, Debra Wilberger, Teresa Edwards, Robin Rainey Warren, Mike Page, Donna Hall, Tim Rainey, Wendy Page Carter, Leslie McKinney  Pope and Josh McKinney ; fourteen great-grandchildren; and sisters, Eva Rudd and Pauline Murray; and brothers, Raleigh McKinney , Malloy McKinney  and Hassell McKinney .
    Virgil’s  children and family wish to extend their sincere and heartfelt thanks to the entire staff of Burlington Manor for the kindness, concern and loving care that was so freely given to their father during his time there.
    The family will receive friends from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. today, June 5th at Lowe Funeral Home at 2205 South Church Street in Burlington and other times at the home on 6237 Stoney Mountain Road. A funeral service will be held on Monday, June 6th at 11:00 a.m. at Glen Hope Baptist Church.
    Memorials maybe be directed to Hospice and Palliative Care of Alamance-Caswell, 914 Chapel Hill Road, Burlington, NC 27215 or to Glen Hope Baptist Church, 911 North Avenue, Burlington, NC 27215.
    Condolences may be emailed to lowefh@bellsouth.net 3, Virgil Allen McKinney