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From The Winchester Star dated Thursday 4 Jan 2007.

She was the widow of Charles M. McKay. Lucille and Charles were long time attenders of our annual Virginia Robert McKay Family Reunion.

Charles and Lucille McKay

Lucille Fiddler "Mommy Kay" McKay, 82, of Berryville, died Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2007, in the Godfrey House, Berryville.

Mrs. McKay was born Nov. 8, 1924, in Clarke County, the daughter of Noble and Mary Fiddler. She took care of children in the Purcellville area for more than 50 years.

She was a member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.

Surviving are, two sons, Bill McKay of Round Hill and Gary McKay of Berryville; a daughter, Diana McKay Geddings of Roanoke; a sister, Mary Funkhouser of Winchester; eight grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

A funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Purcellville. Burial will be in Hillsboro Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at Hall Funeral Home, Purcellville.

Memorials may be made to the Godfrey House, 210 W. Main St., Berryville 22611.

From the Purcellville Gazette dated Friday 19 Jan 2007.

Tribute to Lucille "Momma Kay" McKay
Compiled by Naomi Laine

After over fifty years of caring for local children in her home, Lucille "Momma Kay" McKay died January 2, 2006, at the Godfrey House in Berryville. The following is a collection of memories from those who knew her--a tribute to one of the community's most beloved women.

Beverly MacDonald Chaisson: "My best friend growing up was Diane McKay (now Geddings). Diane and I went to elementary school together. At least several times a week, I went over to Diane's house, where there were always babies and kids around. These were Momma Kay's children. Normally, children cry when parents leave them at the sitter's. These children would cry when the parents would come to pick them up. Parents would call Momma Kay at all times of the day and night to get her opinion on whether to take their child to the doctor, or how to discipline or correct certain behaviors."

Memories from Lisa Schnibbe: "I'm a school teacher in the county and also a neighbor of Bill McKay, so we've been close to the McKays for years.

Any teacher who left a child in Lucille McKay's care didn't have a worry during the workday. She was known for her homemade apple sauce, french fries, and coleslaw. She loved babies and would rock them all day long. There was never a thought about sending the kids to preschool--they learned to share and be kind to one another at her house.

She was even ready in the middle of the night when I left my son there to deliver his baby sister. Twenty-three years later, he was still visiting her: once a week at the Godfrey House, to eat lunch with her. She loved country ham, and at the end of her life that was something he would take her. I think one of the hardest parts of my day then was getting the kids back in the car- they never wanted to leave. I can remember just pushing my two-year-old into his car seat at the end of the day, kicking and screaming from not wanting to leave."

Pat Holden: "Momma Kay and Papa Charlie were true icons of a family that gave most of its life to helping the community."

Ellen Rowley's memories: "I remember on Halloween we'd go over to Momma Kay's house and have pumpkin pie and Pepsi. I remember how my son learned numbers and colors with Skittles. I'm sure everyone thought their kid was the special one to her. And they were right. Her lunches for my son were often better than my dinners. I remember how she was always dressed immaculately, but she would still get down and play in the dirt with the kids.

She was a strong woman. She had a very close-knit family, but she always had time for gardening and taking walks and going to the playground. She cared, but she wasn't a pushover. My son wasn't always ready to leave. Life was good at Mommy Kay's.

Momma Kay was one of the last old-fashioned grandmas. If kids didn't feel well, she'd sit and hold them all day. My kids have three grandmothers from my marriage with my husband, but there's no grandma like Mommy Kay. It was a blessing to have her come into our lives. She was incredible."

Momma Kay took care of Sev Schnibbe from when he was only a few months old to his second grade year. These are his memories: "I remember picking strawberries. She would make strawberry preserves. She had a huge garden, and picking strawberries was always a big deal. I remember playing in the huge apple tree on the back of her property. She said the word "ornery" a lot. Anyone who was stubborn, Momma Kay called them ornery.

I had been visiting her for the last few weeks of her life.We had lunch together every Wednesday. She didn't really want to eat, so I would take her country ham sandwiches. She loved country ham, and I would try to get her to eat it. She would always tell me to eat it instead. Once I started to
eat, she'd ask for a pinch now and then. My most recent memories are of just sitting with her, picking at lunch together." u

From The Winchester Star dated Thursday 4 Jan 2007.

She was the widow of Charles M. McKay. Lucille and Charles were long time attenders of our annual Virginia Robert McKay Family Reunion.

Lucille F. McKay

Charles and Lucille McKay

Lucille Fiddler "Mommy Kay" McKay, 82, of Berryville, died Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2007, in the Godfrey House, Berryville.

Mrs. McKay was born Nov. 8, 1924, in Clarke County, the daughter of Noble and Mary Fiddler. She took care of children in the Purcellville area for more than 50 years.

She was a member of St. Peter's Episcopal Church.

Surviving are, two sons, Bill McKay of Round Hill and Gary McKay of Berryville; a daughter, Diana McKay Geddings of Roanoke; a sister, Mary Funkhouser of Winchester; eight grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

A funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Purcellville. Burial will be in Hillsboro Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at Hall Funeral Home, Purcellville.

Memorials may be made to the Godfrey House, 210 W. Main St., Berryville 22611.

Another commentary sent to me courtesy of Scott McKay


I was disappointed to return home after the three-day MLK weekend to find that I had received a call from the Gazette and had now missed the deadline to share in a tribute to Lucille "Momma Kay" McKay which was reported in your January 19th edition. As a result, I felt the need to share some thoughts in this article. My family had the pleasure of meeting Lucille "Momma Kay" and her husband Charlie, affectionately know as "Pappy" back in 1988. I was the Principal of Emerick Elementary School at the time and was looking for child care arrangements for my two sons. Ian, was just entering Kindergarten and Andrew was just one year old. The staff at Emerick suggested this wonderful woman who lived next door to the school. I called Momma Kay and spoke to her and the rest as they say is history!

Momma Kay and Pappy were the third set of grandparents for my sons. My parents lived in New York and could not get down to Virginia to see the boys as much as they would have liked to. The McKays filled that void for many years. They loved and adored all of their children as much as they did their own family. At her funeral service, the Pastor noted that a "legend was gone" and that "an era has ended". Momma Kay was indeed a legend in her time. She cared for, counseled and consoled many a young child and their parents. Momma Kay knew when to listen and when to give advice. Apprehensive new mothers often called Momma Kay for her medical diagnosis, and most of the times she was right! Whenever my sons got sick at school, I knew I could se nd them "through the hole in the fence" and Momma Kay would be there to greet them with a loving hug. Momma Kay was a fantastic cook. As noted in the tribute, her hot lunches for the children were amazing. I still could never make cream corn, macaroni and cheese or cole slaw like Momma Kay did. Her kitchen was a busy place, always filled with laughter and conversation. It reminded me of visiting my grandparents in the olden days!

Momma Kay always remembered the children for their birthdays and on holidays. The smell of her homemade cookies and cakes greeted parents as they picked up their children on these various occasions. She and Pappy always made each child feel special. As her son Gary noted at her funeral service, you could always tell who the "birthday child" was, because up until about age three, when you lifted the party hat, they were the ones with the "spit curl" underneath and the red lipstick mark on their cheek.

I am now the Principal at Mountain View Elementary and two of my students here were lucky enough to have Momma Kay as their babysitter too. My two sons are now in college and have matured into fine young adults, along with hundreds of others. On behalf of all of the children (and their parents) who were fortunate enough to be in her care over the years, I want to say thank you to Billy, Gary and Diane for sharing your mother with us. She was truly a very special lady and an incredible person. We will forever treasure the memories!


Carol A. Thomson

Purcellville