Helen Parish McKinney

Helen Parish McKinney was born February 22, 1922, in Canfield, Arkansas to the late Willie Mae and Danny Earnest Parish. She was the third (3rd) of twelve (12) children. She accepted Christ at an early age and was very active at Munger Avenue Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. Since childhood, Sister McKinney developed her personal relationship with Jesus Christ enabling and equipping her to respond to her God-given calling to the nursing profession. An avid learner she graduated from Booker T. Washington High School, in Dallas, Texas at the age of seventeen. She then prepared for her career in nursing by attending Terrell Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. She received her Registered Nursing diploma in 1942. Upon completing the nurse training program Sister McKinney was eager to begin working in her field and was asked to stay at Terrell Memorial Hospital as the Nursing Supervisor.

Sister McKinney met and married her husband William C. McKinney Sr., who preceded her in death. To that union were born three (3) children, two (2) daughters LaLena McKinney (who preceded her in death), Helen Jane Gaston (Reverend Donald H. Gaston), and son William C. McKinney Jr. (who preceded her in death, (Roshell). In Tennessee, Sister McKinney gained a wide range of supervisory skills and diverse experience in patient care and emergency first aid. However, she still desired more experience and training in a field where not many African Americans were welcomed. She also had extensive training at Homer G Phillips Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. Nevertheless, Sister McKinney continued her quest for knowledge allowing her to serve in various nursing positions such as Pediatric Nurse, Public Health Nurse, Emergency Room Nurse, and Operating Room Nurse in cities across the United States including New Orleans, Dallas, St. Louis, Cleveland, and Chicago. She and her husband William moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and joined East Mt. Zion Baptist Church in 1953 on their Christian Experience. She was active in the Choir, Evangelism Team, Sunday School, Women's Auxiliary, Vacation Bible School, and Women's Day Committee. She maintained memberships in many civic and community organizations. Sister McKinney continued to stay abreast of the medical profession by taking classes at Case Western Reserve University and Kent State University and keeping her nursing license active until 2000.
She was employed in various Nursing capacities in Cleveland at Mt. Sinai Hospital, University Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Job Corps, Manpower, Private Duty Nursing, and as a School Nurse and Teacher with Cleveland Public Schools until her retirement.

Sister McKinney soon learned God had plans for her to continue to use her nursing gift with the National Missionary Baptist Convention of America. In 1993 at the request of Dr. T.B. Boyd III and Sister Lockridge, Sister McKinney was asked to be the Coordinator of Medical Services for the Congress, Convention, Winter Board, and Evangelism Conference. She actively attended Winter Board, The National Baptist Sunday School, and Baptist Training Union Congress. She received many honors and awards from the Congress and Convention, including being an R.H. Boyd Awardee, Union Review Torchbearer, and the Dr. S.M. Wright, Sr. Service Award. Throughout her lifetime Sister McKinney felt a calling from God volunteering for more than 40-years in a variety of capacities. During that time, she became an active Church Nurse at East Mt. Zion (EMZ) and assisted other Churches in developing their Church Nursing Programs. At EMZ she served as President and later President Emeritus of the Nurses Ministry. Her love for nursing and caring for people caused her to encourage her students and volunteers to become trained and pursue a career in nursing. When the Cleveland Branch of the Red Cross no longer desired to provide training to the Cleveland Sub District of Baptist Women she helped to write and develop the curriculum and provide training and instruction for many years.

Sister McKinney enjoyed many hobbies and interests. She especially enjoyed travelling around the country, visiting 49 of the 50 States. She visited countries in Europe and South America. She enjoyed fishing and traveled to Canada annually for fishing trips with her husband and grandchildren. When not traveling, she enjoyed bowling, golfing, singing the hymns of Zion, reading and spending time cooking and shopping with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Sister McKinney's dedication to the nursing profession, her quick wit, her bright smile, her praise and worship of God in humming hymns and her love of family and friends will be greatly missed.

She leaves to cherish her memory her daughter Helen Jane McKinney Gaston (Donald), a brother-in-law Carl McKinnie, a daughter-in-law Roshell McKinney, two (2) grandchildren Nycole West (Jason) and Kyle McKinney (Jennifer) and two great grandchildren Jordin and Kristin McKinney and a host of nephews, nieces, and many friends and extended family.

Lovingly submitted, The Family.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Helen Parish McKinney, please visit our floral store.