Doris Elaine McKinney

     With a heart full of sorrow yet gratitude for a life well-lived, we announce the passing of Doris McKinney on April 3, 2024, at the age of 79. Born on July 24, 1944, in Montgomery, AL, Doris's life journey came to a peaceful close in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. 

     Doris Elaine Bergquist Hall McKinney was born July 24, 1944, in Montgomery, Alabama, along with her fraternal twin, Dorothy, daughters of Eleanor and Stanley Bergquist. She graduated from Sidney Lanier High School in Montgomery and went straight to work with the State of Alabama as a secretary. She married and gave birth to three sons, then became a full-time mom. During that time, she was also a Cub Scout leader. 

     Later, she was hired as a part time clerk at the Electric Mills, Mississippi Post Office. After a couple of years, she transferred to the Meridian Post Office as a clerk and through promotions, she became the Postmaster's Assistant. She attended American Postal Workers Union functions with her husband, Franklin McKinney, who was an officer. In time, they found a lot on Walton Lake, Meridian, Mississippi and she helped design the home they built. Her husband passed away after a heart transplant in 2002. She worked for two more years after his passing and retired after 28 years of working for the Postal Service. 

    Doris started taking art lessons and was a passionate artist for the rest of her life. She joined the South Mississippi Art Association and hung her art at the Kress Building in Hattiesburg, MS and at all shows available. She won several awards for her paintings and sold many of them over the years. 

     She enjoyed traveling with family and friends, going to Hawaii, Paris, Costa Rica, the Florida beaches, and especially to New Orleans where family often gathered at Dorothy’s home there. 

     Doris is survived by a loving family who she always welcomed with joyful smiles and hugs. Her survivors include her sister, Eleanor Becker, sons, Clint Hall and daughter in law, Karis Hall, Matthew Hall and his wife, Lucretia, and Benjamin Hall and his wife, Marty; 9 grandchildren, Branda, Brittany, Tiffany, Jared, Natalie, Aurora, Mina, Leia, Arimis and 13 great grandchildren. 

     A graveside service to honor Doris McKinney's life will be held at Forest Lawn Memorial Garden in Meridian, MS on Thursday, April 11th at 10am. Friends, family, and those whose lives were touched by Doris are welcome to attend and pay their respects. 

     In memory of Doris, donations can be directed towards the Meridian Museum of Art, an organization where her legacy will continue to support the arts that she always held dear.

     The staff of Webb & Stephens Funeral Homes-North is grateful for the opportunity to honor Doris’s memory and to serve her family during this time.