Barbara (Bobbie) Ann McKinney
Dunagin
Bobbie was born to William Andrew
(Bill) McKinney and Hilda Olive McKinney on November 16,
1934. She was born in Columbus, Ga. Bill was
from Glendale and Spartanburg County. Hilda was from
Columbus. Bill had gone there to get work and met
Hilda and they were married in 1932. Bobbie was their
first child. Shortly after her birth they moved to
East Cleveland Street in Spartanburg. Bobbie was
blonde and blue eyed
As sisters we had our “disagreements”, most of the whippings
we got were for fighting. Bobbie was a stay in the
house person and I was an outside person. Therefore,
when something needed to be done quickly, Mama could find
her and not me. I thought it was a pretty good plan
but she did not agree. She learned to sew and made many of
her own clothes. Being in the house, she also learned
to cook from our mother and grandmother. She was an
excellent cook.
She grew up to be about 5 ft. 6 blonde, blue eyed, pretty,
shy, young lady. She was in the first class going to
Pacolet instead of Spartanburg High School. I think
she was disappointed and had looked forward to going to the
city school. Some of her best friends for life were
Roberta Bradley, Suzanne Lovelace, Kay Gilmer, and Bobby
Stephens. All of them except Suzanne (who was in the
Spartanburg district) graduated from Pacolet High School in
1953.
Before she graduated, our cousin, Charles Hammett had
introduced her to a local guy from Zion Hill, Ben
Dunagin. Ben was the one for her. They got along
very well. Ben had trouble telling my mother’s, mine
and Bobbie voice on the phone. Once he said something
endearing to what he thought was Bobbie and got a bit of
Hilda’s sharp tongue. Forever after, he asked who he
was speaking to immediately.
They were married at Preacher Hottel’s house in June of
1954. They moved into a house on Ben’s father’s
land. Ben worked on the farm and in the family dairy
business. Bobbie worked as a secretary in an
elementary school on the east side of Spartanburg.
Soon, along came Benny, their first child. Bobbie
continued working for a little while but quit work when in a
year and a half Billy arrived. Even though the first
two children were close together, it was several years
before Suzanne arrived and then later Rebecca. Four
children made a house full and sometime during all the life
they built a nice brick home on the Sloans Grove Road near
the Dunagin family home.
Bobbie worked beside Ben in all their enterprises on the
farm. At one time, they raised strawberries and also
gladiolas. She worked in the fields and in the selling
part of the projects. Later, they established the greenhouse
that they still have now. Always having a flair for
color and doing things with her hands, this was just right
for her. As a child in elementary and middle school
age, she became quite an artist. The onset of teenage
life left this talent by the wayside. I often wondered
what she could have accomplished if she had continued with
it.
Bobbie and Ben and the family were faithful members of the
Glendale Baptist Church. Bobbie served in the church where
ever she was needed and raised her family there. The
girls, in their teen years, played the violin and often
played in the services. They were all enthusiastic
members and workers at the church.
All the children married and contributed eight grand
children to make a large and happy family. Bobbie passed
away in May of 2000 after a long and hard illness. She
is sadly missed by all her immediate family, her extended
family and her church family and friends.
(Click on this link
to see biography of William Andrew McKinney and Hilda
Olive McKinney with photos.)
(Click on this link to read
more about Barbara's McKinney family and Glendale.)
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service to share the story of Glendale.