Jennifer McKinney

A Time to be Born: Jennifer S. McKinney, born February 6, 1946, in Cleveland, OH to the late Eason Steele, Sr and the late beloved Floyda Hines Steele Danner. She was also predeceased by the following beloved family members: Husband Herman McKinney and siblings Betty Steele Vance, Barbara J. Danner, Eddie Jean Danner and Ronald Danner; Father and Mother-In-Law John and Carolyn McKinney; Sister-In-Law: Sandra R. Christian; Brother-In-Law: John McKinney.
A Time to Serve: Jennifer accepted Christ at an early age and was baptized under the late Rev. E. L. Chandler at Second Avenue Beulah Baptist Church, Bessemer, AL. She loved her Church family and was a member of the Church for 67 years.
She began taking piano lessons from Mrs. Georgia Chandler and by the age of 12, she started playing the piano for the Sunday School at the Church. This was the beginning of her music ministry which lasted 64 years. She attended and graduated from G. W. Carver School, Bessemer in 1964. After graduating High School, she furthered her education at Tennessee State University where she majored in music. Her way of serving the Lord was by sharing her gifts of playing the piano, organ, singing gospel songs and teaching choirs. She served as a Musician, Director and Minister of Music at various churches and choirs in the Bessemer and Birmingham areas. Churches include Second Avenue Beulah Baptist Church, First Baptist Ninth Street Church, Canaan Baptist Church, Bryant Chapel AME, the Black History Choir, Male Chorus to name a few. At the time of her passing, she was Minister of Music at Sixth Avenue Beulah Baptist Church.
In addition to her Music Ministry, Jennifer’s work career started at Brownell Travel Agency. From there, she worked at AT&T in the Information Technology Department for over 20 years before retiring. After retiring from AT&T, she worked at Regions Bank for many years and retired.
Jennifer was very active in her community. She was a member of the Concerned Citizens for voting rights, the Mission Circle #2 and Secretary of the Adult Choir at Second Avenue Beulah Baptist Church and a member of the Coinnettes Social & Savings Club. She was an avid reader of books and enjoyed reading books she would borrow from Mrs. Patterson from time to time.
A Time to Die: “To everything there is a season. A time for every purpose under Heaven. A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck what is planted” – Ecclesiastes 3:1-2.
Jennifer’s earthly life ended when the Lord called her home on Friday, June 24, 2022, at 9:45 P.M. at Brookwood Baptist Medical Center, Birmingham, AL with her son Mark by her side.
She leaves to cherish her precious memories: a loving and devoted Son, Mark Spencer; loving and devoted Sister, Marva (Bill) Dawson and Christine King; Brother: Eason Steele, Jr.; Aunts: Ida Wilkins, Olivia Wise, Geneva Robinson, Nell Danner Abner; Uncle: John Henry Odell; Sister-In-Laws: Willa Dean Harris, Edwina Paige, Charlie Mary Foreman, Maxine Williams, Cynthia Toodle; Brother-In-Law: Rudolph (Jackie) McKinney; Stepsisters and Brothers: Louise Hammond, Rose Mary Williams, Robert (Brenda) Williams, and Harold Williams; Special loving Cousins Jimmie Hudson and Joycelyn Rice; Special friends Evelyn Moore, Jimmye Dell Enoch, Carolyn Thompson-Boykin, Odell Singleton, Maxine Mahan, Connie Hill, Ann Jones and others too numerous to name; loving nieces, nephews and cousins and other family members and friends.