This page is dedicated to our mother, Eda Faye "Tommie" (Thomasson) McKinney, who passed away on 17 Oct 1998 in Topeka, Kansas. The family histories linked to this page are intended to honor her memory as an Army wife and loving mother, with added emphasis on her proud Arkansas ancestry. A separate page will be dedicated to our father and his Wyoming ancestors.

EDA FAYE "TOMMIE" THOMASSON was born 22 Nov 1920 in Magazine, Logan County, Arkansas. Her parents, GORDON & HESTER (JONES) THOMASSON, resided in that area of Arkansas for many years where her father was a rural mail carrier and later postmaster at Magazine.

Her paternal grandfather, Horace G. Thomasson,was an educator who served as Principal/Superintendent of the Magazine Ouachita Academy & later as Logan County's first Superintendent of schools. He also served terms as County Judge & State Representative.

Her maternal grandfather, Dr William Enoch Jones, originally from Sebastian County, AR, was a physician & surgeon who practiced in Poteau, Indian Territory, Charleston, Paris & Magazine, AR before establishing a cliniic in Little Rock.

After graduation from high school, Eda Faye became nurse's aide at the State Sanitorium, Booneville, Ark. In 1943, she joined the WAACS and was stationed at the Whitside Clinic, Fort Riley, Kansas. She earned her nickname "Tommie" while in the WAACS. She met cavalryman Donald Earl McKinney at Ft Riley that same year. After they married, she was discharged from the WAACS & her husband soon went off to combat in Burma during World War II. While her husband was in Burma, Eda Faye & infant son Donald Jr lived in Magazine with her parents. After the war, she and their 2 sons, Donald Jr & Richard, traveled with her husband on his various assignments as a career army officer. After her husband's retirement from the Army in 1962, they moved to Junction City, Kansas where they lived for many years. Soon after her husband died in 1988, Eda Faye moved to Topeka, Kansas, to be near her sons. She passed away 17 October 1998 and was buried beside her husband at the Fort Riley Military Cemetery.

Children of Donald & Eda Faye(Thomasson) McKinney:

Child 1: DONALD EARL McKINNEY, JR (HOME PAGE)
Born: Paris(Logan) Ark

Child 2: RICHARD OWEN McKINNEY
Born: Whitside Clinic, Fort Riley, KS

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Links to biographies pertaining to ancestors of EDA FAYE (THOMASSON) McKINNEY who settled in Arkansas: