Thelma May McAfee, 88, Hays, died August 30, 2016, at Via Christi Village in Hays, Kansas. She was born January 19, 1928, to Lenna Elizabeth (Green) and Charles Lester Keith at their farm home south of Penokee in Graham County, Kansas.

A 1947 graduate of Morland High School, and that class year’s valedictorian, Thelma married Darral Lee “Mac” McAfee on June 28, 1947, in Hill City, Kansas. He preceded her in death in January 2013.

Thelma and Darral began their marriage living in eastern Sheridan County, Kansas, and Thelma worked as a bookkeeper for A.T. Sanger Motor Company.  About 1949 the couple moved to Rooks County and Thelma became a full-time homemaker. They first rented a farm home, then moved to Plainville in 1954 and to Palco in 1963. In 1970, due to Darral’s work transfer, the couple moved to Duncan, Oklahoma, where they resided until 2008 when they returned to northwest Kansas to live in Hays.

Thelma was a former member of the First Christian Church in Plainville and she was also active in a local Home Demonstration Unit (HDU).

Thelma’s family was her joy. She was an exceptional cook: she was everyone’s favorite room mother with her decorated cookies, and her daughters’ friends looked forward to stopping by after school for snacks. Thelma was also an expert seamstress in both fashion clothing and home decor, and she could build furniture.

Thelma loved a wide variety of music genres, and it wasn’t uncommon for her to dance and sing—even sometimes yodel—while working at home. In retirement she and Darral enjoyed traveling and spending time with family and friends, and especially with their grandsons.

Survivors include two daughters and sons-in-law, Kathy (Mrs. Pat) Spicer, Hays, KS; Karen (Mrs. Kenneth) Ross, Fort Wayne, IN; two grandsons, Geoffrey, Fort Wayne, IN, and Ethan, Grand Rapids, MI; one sister and brother-in-law, Arvilla (Bell) and Harold Taylor, Hoxie, KS; four sisters-in-law, Mary (Mrs. Howard) Keith, Garden City, KS; Venita (Mrs. Loyd) Keith, Hill City, KS; and Edna (Mrs. Ivan) Keith and Coralie (Mrs. Otto Keith) Bise, both of Moses Lake, WA; plus numerous nieces and nephews and their families. She was preceded in death by her parents; by six brothers and two sisters-in-law: Ivan, Floyd (Verla), Russell (Becky), Otto, Howard, and Loyd Keith; and by two sisters and three brothers-in-law: Marjorie (Mrs. Lee) Toll, Vera (Mrs. Guy) Duvall, and Albert Bell.

Funeral services will be at 11:00 am on Friday, September 2, 2016 at the Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, 1906 Pine Street.  Visitation will be from 10:00 am until service time on Friday at the funeral home.  Interment will be at 2:00 pm on Friday at the Kansas Veterans Cemetery in WaKeeney, Kansas. 

Memorials are suggested in Thelma’s memory to Fort Hays State University academic and fine arts scholarships. 

Condolences may be left for the family at www.haysmemorial.com.