Obituary of Ruth Virginia McGuire McKinney

Ruth Virginia McGuire McKinney, 88, of Bryson City died Sunday, Dec. 4, at the John Keener Hospice Center in Asheville. Services are planned for (Thursday, Dec. 8) at 1:30 p.m. at Bryson City First Baptist Church, of which she was a member, with the Rev. John Tagliarini officiating. The family will receive friends at the church for 90 minutes prior to the service. Burial will be in Swain Memorial Park. She was born Jan. 7, 1923 at a logging camp near the Davidson River and was a daughter of the late Jennings Bryan McGuire and Nola Grant McGuire. She grew up in Bryson City and graduated from Swain High School and Lenoir-Rhyne Business College. She worked as a legal secretary for the Tennessee Valley Authority during the construction of Fontana Dam. She operated a country store in Bryson City from 1954-74 and then worked in customer relations at Northwestern Bank. After retirement, she worked part-time for several Bryson City stores. She was a member and officer in the local AARP chapter. She was secretary of Swain County's Baptist association, was a Sunday School teacher and was active in the WMU. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 47 years Glenn McKinney, who died in 1989. Surviving are one son, Gerald McKinney of Bryson City; three daughters, Dona West of Cullowhee, Janice Nations of Charleston, S.C., Regina Coreil of Dallas, Texas; one sister, Esther Cole of Whittier; six grandchildren, and three great grandchildren. Memorials may be made to WestCare Hospice, 132 Sylva Plaza, Sylva, NC 28779 or Bryson City First Baptist Church, 37 Church Avenue, Bryson City, NC 28713. Crisp Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.