Elva June McKinney Wishon Morel, 95, of Midlothian, Va., formerly of Morgantown, passed away peacefully at home on Jan. 26, 2022. The daughter of the late Russell McKinney and Sina McCoy McKinney, June was born in Grafton and grew up, along with her three sisters, on their parent’s farm in Reedsville. Shortly after graduating from high school, she moved to Baltimore, where she worked until she was accepted into the Cadet Nursing Program at Mount Sinai Hospital. She graduated from Nursing School in 1947. She married and started a family with her first husband, Gordon Lee Wishon, working at Mount Sinai Hospital until moving back to West Virginia several years later.
In the early ‘60s, she moved to Morgantown and began work as a registered nurse at West Virginia University Hospital. After a divorce in the late ‘60s, in 1972, she was remarried to William C. “Bill” Morel and was eventually promoted to nursing supervisor on obstetrics and served on the Board of Directors for the West Virginia Nurses Association. She retired in 1984 after 23 years.
She was a loving wife, mother, stepmother and grandmother. She loved spending summer vacations at the beach with her children and grandchildren. She had a green thumb and enjoyed keeping several varieties of house plants. She and her husband loved to travel. In the early ‘90s, they bought an RV and went on many trips to different state and national parks, spending winters in New Orleans with family. June and Bill were members of The Western Stars Square Dance Club and attended many square dance conventions. She researched her McKinney family history and published a book which can currently be found at the Morgantown Public Library and the West Virginia University Library.
June loved to sew, making outfits for her daughters when they were little, as well as making most of her square dance outfits. She loved to cook and volunteered with Meals on Wheels and was a member of the Morgantown Church of the Brethern for over 25 years. In 2005, she volunteered with the Red Cross, traveling to Mississippi at the age of 79 to help feed those displaced from Hurricane Katrina. In 2007, she moved to Richmond, Va. to be closer to her daughters.
She was preceded in death by her husband, William C. Morel; two sisters, Verda McKinney Little Jones, of Richmond, Va., and Marjorie Sue Taylor, of Masontown; four sons, Richard, Rodney, Michael and Steven; and one grandson, Lee William Morel.
She is survived by her sister, Connie Radabaugh, of Masontown; one son, Gordon D. Wishon (Cynde), of Apollo Beach, Fla.; two daughters, Carol Wishon McGhee (James), of Midlothian, Va., and Christina Wishon, of Richmond, Va.; four stepchildren, Iris Morel Wolfe (James). of Pentress, Caroline Morel Shay (Leo), of Morgantown, William C Morel Jr. of Morgantown, and Charles Morel (Cindy), of North Carolina; 22 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and two great-great grandchildren.
In keeping with her wishes, she was cremated by the Cremation Society of Virginia. A memorial service will be held at the Morgantown Church of the Brethern 464 Virginia Ave., Morgantown, at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 16, 2022, with interment to follow at Gladesville Cemetery in Gladesville.
A special thank you to Hospice of Virginia and Care Advantage for their excellent care in her final days.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Red Cross and the American Cancer Society in her memory.
