Obituary of Mary Elizabeth McKenna

Cayce - Mary Elizabeth McKenna, 89, of Cayce, widow of Dr. Adrian Eric McKenna (USAF ret), died peacefully surrounded by her loving family on Wednesday, December 3, 2014, after a short illness. She was born December 17, 1924 in Gaffney, South Carolina, the eldest daughter of Horace Archer Wheat and Grace Virginia Little Wheat. She grew up in the home of her great-grandparents, Lee Alexander Little, a Confederate veteran, and Mary Elizabeth Little. She was the big sister to eight siblings and devoted her early years to their care. She graduated from Gaffney High School in 1941 and went to work at Fort Jackson when WWII began. She volunteered for overseas duty at the end of the war and was assigned to the staff of Brigadier General Frank Howley, Commandant of the American Sector of Berlin. She lived and worked in Berlin through the Berlin Airlift and loved to tell the story of flying into Berlin at night seated on the jumpseat between the pilots. She met and married Captain Adrian McKenna and supported his pursuit of education until he received his PhD from the University of Louvain in Belgium in May of 1960. Sadly, she was left a widow with three young children just six months later. The family returned to her native South Carolina, where she worked for the first neurosurgeon in Columbia, Dr. William Bridgers. She decided to reenter government service and worked with the U.S. Attorney's office in Columbia before finding a home at the U.S. Secret Service, where she worked as office manager of the Columbia Field Office from 1967 until her retirement in 1989. In total, she had 32 years of federal service. Always a hard worker, she found retirement not to her liking and worked for several years for the Governor's Office of Emergency Management, State of South Carolina. She was also an active volunteer at Lexington Medical Center from 1998 to 2013. She was a proud Daughter of the American Revolution (DAR), a member of St. Peter's Catholic Church for 54 years, and a long-time resident of Edenwood. She is survived by her children and their spouses, Adrienne McKenna of Winchester, VA, Mary McKenna Burkett and Ronny Burkett of West Columbia, and Bill and Heather McKenna of Boulder CO. She was "Mima" to Timmy (Cam), Kate, and Patrick Frier; Michael, Patrick, Meghan, and Ian (Jenn) Burkett; and Lauren McKenna. She was great-grandmother to Micaiah, Anna, and Alexis Burkett and Ashby and Quinn Frier. She was predeceased by her "sweet boy," grandson Sean Frier. She is also survived by siblings and in-laws Harley and Lou Wheat, Pauline Wheat, Sarah Stogner, Jim Wheat, and Richard and Katie Wigham, numerous nephews and nieces, and her special neighbor and friend, Julia McCauley. There will be a Mass of Christian Burial at 2 p.m. Friday, December 5, 2014, at St. Peter's Catholic Church at 1529 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC, with burial to follow at St. Peter's Catholic Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the church beginning at 1 p.m. Thompson Funeral Home of West Columbia is assisting the family. Memorials may be made to the Fort Loudoun Chapter, NSDAR in care of Susan Wilt, Treasurer, 112 April Avenue, Stephens City. Virginia 22655.