Kevin McKay

Kevin John McKay was born in Fargo, North Dakota, on August 14, 1957, the son of Lyle and Betty (Higginbotham) McKay of Valley City. He graduated from Valley City High School in 1975. On May 26, 1979, Kevin was united in marriage to Vicki Halldorson at Valley City. He drove semi for the oil industry in Watford City. A short time later, the couple moved to Texas where Kevin drove truck in the oil fields. In 1982, Kevin and his family returned to North Dakota. He attended college in Bismarck, earned his degree in Power Plant Technology, and began working in maintenance at Valley City State College. Kevin also raised cows, pigs, chickens and kept a few horses around for training.

In 1990, Kevin moved Wahpeton, completed the electrician program at the NDSCS, and began working for Nordick Electric. In 2001 he began working for Minn-Kota Ag Products in Breckenridge. Kevin and Julie (Nisja) were married on June 3, 2011, in Wahpeton.

"Shakey" had a great love for the outdoors, hunting out west, fishing, golfing, playing cards with his buddies, and was an accomplished cook, a "grill master' in his own right, and liked nothing better than to feed a group of people. No one left the table hungry. He had recently restored an old John Deere lawn tractor of his Dad's and had another one (or two) projects in the works.

He is survived by his wife Julie of Wahpeton; daughters, Sarah (Wyatt) Tulp and Amanda (Nick Nielsen) McKay, both of Valley City, and son, Neil McKay of Valley City; his mother, Betty Carter, of Breckenridge (formerly Valley City); and two grandchildren, Noah and Paige Tulp.

Kevin was preceded in death by his father Lyle McKay and step-father Robert Carter.

Memorials are preferred in lieu of flowers.