Everett George Mckinney

Everett George McKinney, 87, formerly of La Grande, died July 13 at his Hermiston home. Graveside services will begin at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the Hermiston Cemetery.

Everett was born July 24, 1922, to George and Frances (Simonis) McKinney in North Powder. He was raised in Eastern Oregon and attended La Grande High School. He enlisted in the Navy Oct. 13, 1942, and served with honor in World War II.

Everett married Eunice Irene Foughty Jan. 6, 1945. After being honorably discharged from the Navy on Oct. 11, 1945, with a $100 mustering-out payment, he got his first post-war civilian job with the Portland Fire Department.

The McKinneys later moved to Seattle, where Everett began a 36-year career with Union Pacific Railroad, working many years as a conductor and living in Washington in Seattle, Spokane and Tekoa and in Oregon in Stanfield. He had many stories to tell about his railroad service - including surviving a train wreck. He said he lay trapped in the engine while watching rail cars catapult through the air over his head.

Everett and Eunice were the parents of two daughters, Pamela Irene and Kathleen Frances. The couple later divorced.

He married Mary Ellen Powney of Stanfield in 1975. She died in 1999.

Throughout his life Everett was an avid camper, fisherman and outdoorsman. He especially loved the Oregon and Washington coasts, where the family often camped. Everett taught the girls to dig clams. He also was an enthusiastic crabber.

He retired from UP in 1981 and spent his retirement years primarily in the Stanfield and Hermiston areas. After retiring, Everett and Mary served as volunteer camp host at several state parks.

Those who knew Everett say he was a gregarious man, a story-teller and yarn-spinner. He loved visiting with friends in civic groups and organizations like the Eagles. He was proud of his membership in the Masonic Lodge, which he joined early in life.

He loved cribbage and won many prizes for it.

He was especially proud of serving his country during WWII, when he served as an electrician aboard the submarines USS Bonefish and USS Batfish. Everett made seven war patrols on the Bonefish.

Everett survived several close calls in the war. In 1944, he was transferred off the Bonefish when it docked for refitting and crew rest and relaxation in Fremantle, Australia. When the Bonefish went to sea again with a new crew, it was sunk on its next mission, with the loss of all 84 crew members.

Everett went back to sea for two more war patrols on the USS Batfish before receiving his honorable discharge in Portland on Oct. 15, 1945. By then he had made five trips back and forth across the Pacific.

He is survived by his life partner, Dorothy Thomas, of Hermiston; daughters, Pamela (Ahrens) and her husband, Steve, of Boise, Idaho, and Kathleen (Dauenhauer) and her husband, Alan, of Veradale, Wash.; three grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Hermiston Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 4750, 45 W. Cherry Hermiston 97838.

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