Roger V. McKee, 78, of Estelline, passed away Thursday, November 2, 2017, at his home in Estelline. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 am Tuesday, November 7, 2017 at St. Francis deSales Catholic Church in Estelline. Visitation will be from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm Monday at the church with a Liturgical Wake Service and Rosary beginning at 7:00 pm. Geise Funeral Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements.

Roger Verdell McKee was born on November 4, 1938, in Brandt, SD, the son of Ben and Evelyn (Collins) McKee. He attended school in Clear Lake. He began working in Miller, SD hauling gravel, before working at Sioux Steel in Sioux Falls, SD and later hauling hay for E.W. Wiesel. He served in the United States Army from 1958 to 1960. Upon his discharge he returned to work for E.W. Wiesel. On October 20, 1962, he was united in marriage to Patricia Ann Peterson at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Milbank. The couple lived in Brookings, where Roger worked for the City of Brookings, until 1964 when he attended Southern State College in Springfield, SD to obtain his associates degree in mechanics. In 1966, he went to work for Dayhoff Cleaver Chevrolet in Vermillion, SD before moving to Montana in 1972. Roger worked at Glacier National Park as a heavy machinery mechanic until his retirement in 1994. In 2007, Roger and Patricia moved to Estelline, SD.

Roger was fond of camping and enjoyed completing word search puzzles and working on small engines.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia Ann McKee, of Estelline, SD;  one brother, Douglas McKee of Clear Lake, sister, Donna Sisson, of Richfield, MN and an aunt Dolores Nordquist, of Milbank, SD.

Roger is preceded in death by his parents, Ben and Evelyn, McKee; parents-in-law, Bill and Marie Petersen; brother, Roland McKee; two sisters-in-law, Phyllis McKee and Junice McKee and one brother-in-law, Richard Sisson.