Ralph Leo Mckee

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Ralph Leo McKee, 86, of Dell Rapids died Thursday, September 3, 2020 at the Avera Dells Area Hospital.

Funeral service will be held at 2:00 PM Monday, September 7, 2020 at the Lutheran Church of Dell Rapids.  Visitation will be one hour before the service at the church. Service will be livestreamed at 2:00 PM at the Minnehaha Funeral Home and Cremation Services Facebook Page.  Burial will be in the East Nidaros Cemetery, rural Baltic.  Masks are required at the church.

Ralph Leo McKee was born May 19, 1934 to Irene (Jorn) and Lawrence V. McKee in Verdon, Nebraska. He grew up on a farm near Verdon. Ralph was baptized and confirmed at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in rural Verdon. He attended country school and graduated from Verdon High School in 1952.

Ralph worked at Eaton Metal Products in Omaha from 1952-1959. He married Delores Moen in Omaha on April 1, 1955. They moved to a farm near Baltic, SD in April 1959. In 1964 they moved to a farm south of Dell Rapids where they lived until July 1985 when they moved into Dell Rapids. Ralph worked at the Dell Rapids school and then the Sioux Falls Regional Airport until his retirement in 1988. Ralph worked part-time at the Dell Rapids Golf Course and for the Dell Rapids School District until ill health forced him to retire again in 2010.

Ralph was a long-time member of the Lutheran Church of Dell Rapids. He was the Secretary-Treasurer of the SD Brown Swiss Association for many years. He served the kids and families of his community through being a 4-H leader, Cub Scout leader, Little League coach, bus driver, church council member and head usher throughout the years. Ralph enjoyed working on cars and woodworking. He and Delores spent many hours making crafts. He particularly enjoyed spending many hours playing games with the grandchildren and loved to go camping.

Ralph is survived by his wife Delores; their eight children: Randy (Carol) of Rapid City, Roger (Glennda) of Tea, Gary of Colorado Springs, Greg of Baltimore, Daniel of Watertown, Donald (Barb) of Montevideo, Mike (Teri) of Dell Rapids and Lisa (Todd) Hirschkorn of Harrisburg; 14 grandchildren and 5 great-children; brother, Harold (Ruby) of Kansas City and many nieces and nephews. Ralph was preceded in death by his grandparents; parents, Lawrence and Irene McKee; sister, Mary and her husband Earl Ramer; nephew, Doug Ramer; in-laws Carl and Ovidia Moen and Oscar Brende; brother-in-law Clyde Moen.