Carolyn Vickery McKee

Carolyn Vickery McKee passed away quickly on Easter Sunday, April 17th, 2022, which is fitting since Easter caps Holy Week, the time to celebrate Christ’s life, death, resurrection and our salvation in Christ.

A visitation will be held 5:00 to 7:00pm Friday, April 22nd at Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home and her celebration will be held 10:00am Saturday, April 23rd at First Baptist Church in Marble Falls. A graveside service will be held 2:00pm Sunday, April 24th at Hillcrest Cemetery in Uvalde Texas. All are welcome to attend services in Marble Falls and Uvalde, but Carolyn’s family doesn’t want anyone to feel obligated to travel to attend all services. Your presence at any of these services is a gift to those who love Carolyn.

Carolyn lived a full life with many chapters, all marked by kindness, generosity, creativity and grace (tempered with directness when she thought you needed it!).

Born in San Antonio to loving Great Depression era parents, Carolyn had a father who went barefoot to school in Robstown, Texas and rode an Indian motorcycle to Texas A&I when he couldn’t afford a car. Her mother from Fort Worth worked her way through TCU operating the campus telephone switchboard and sharing textbooks in the library. Carolyn learned to be thankful, thrifty and always a good steward. The Vickery family moved to Uvalde, added two younger brothers, and branched out from a seed business to vegetable farming and a John Deere dealership.

Carolyn graduated two years early from Uvalde High School and attended Texas Tech University. She met and married Jim Biediger after posting a note on a bulletin board looking for a ride home from college one semester. Their marriage began with them sharing a three room ranch house with her new in-laws, quite a challenge! Carolyn finished her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Psychology by commuting to St. Mary’s University in San Antonio while raising a young family. Although she was accepted to Baylor University for a PhD, she gave up that dream to care for her family.

From getting kids up and fed a warm breakfast for a 7:00am school bus to tucking them into bed at night with a prayer for God to “keep them and bless them, love them and guide them” Carolyn gave her all as a mother. She drove all over South Texas in a green and white Volkswagen van, with a stick shift and no A/C, carrying her kids and others to 4-H meetings, events, and stock shows. She balanced her career teaching Psychology at Southwest Texas Junior College in Uvalde at different times with teaching night classes in Del Rio and Eagle Pass, while leading 4-H Sewing, Foods & Nutrition, and Photography groups. There was also a monthly ladies “Bridge Party” with friends, though there was always more socializing than actual card playing! Having a mother who knew everyone in Uvalde, in 4-H, and had taught almost every school teacher and law enforcement officer in the area was the ultimate small town upbringing. Carolyn’s kids couldn’t get away with anything. This chapter sadly included the loss of her oldest child, Lynne, in a tragic accident.

In the 80’s Carolyn found a new passion in personal computers, starting with an Apple II computer and later the first Apple Macintosh computer. She learned to write programs and opened a small computer store in Uvalde where she taught kids programming in a “summer camp.” She even used her computer skills to write and print a cookbook she shared with family and friends.

As time passed, Carolyn divorced and then later married William “Bill” Barnes IV. She fought and won a battle with breast cancer. After retiring from teaching psychology she vigorously embraced deep research into any topic that interested her. Carolyn also merged her creativity and computer knowledge, purchasing a computer-operated embroidery machine and creating her own designs.

After Bill passed away, Carolyn ventured up to Marble Falls for her final chapter. After losing a ring, a church friend told her that Jack McKee had a metal detector. Carolyn and Jack failed to find her ring, but Carolyn said she “lost a ring and found a husband!” Jack kept their life interesting with swap meets and traveling Texas in pursuit of incredible finds. Carolyn adored Jack and he made sure she had anything she wanted. Weekly domino games, church activities, and volunteering at the Marble Falls Library Thrift Store kept her busy. Carolyn’s creative outlet was designing for her newer, bigger embroidery machine and crafts projects made from men’s silk neckties and fabric samples. (Does anyone need HUNDREDS of old neckties? If so, let us know!)

Carolyn fought hard with Jack’s help to recover from a stroke and was doing well, but a second stroke and surgery complications suddenly ended her life story.

As a family, we thank everyone, from the bottom of our hearts, who filled Carolyn’s Marble Falls chapter with such joy and companionship – her beloved husband Jack, her domino competitors, her church family and thrift store friends.

Carolyn was preceded in her rest by parents Oscar and Laura Vickery, daughter Lynne Biediger, second husband William Barnes IV, and sister-in-law Elaine Vickery.

Carolyn is survived by her husband Jack McKee, brothers Oscar Vickery and Virgil Vickery, sister-in-law Melonie Vickery, son Jay Biediger, daughter-in-law Valerie Biediger, daughter Kathy Warner, son-in-law Ernie Warner, daughter Kaete Biediger-Edington, and grandchildren Stephanie Biediger, Matthew Biediger, Caleb Warner, and Declan Edington.

Carolyn is also survived by her first husband Jim Biediger, Bill Barnes’ son “Cinco” Barnes, and Jack McKee’s children Debbie Kay Idler, Darla Quick, Marty McKee, Randy McKee, Audie McKee and Greg McKee.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Marble Falls Library, or your favorite charity.