Joseph Herschel Mckissick, Jr.

Joseph Herschel McKissick, Jr. was born Feb 21, 1926 in Tamaha Oklahoma to the late Joseph Herschel Sr & late Minnie (Allen) McKissick. Papa Joe departed this life on Tuesday, Jan 10th, 2017 at 10:30am in his home with his caring wife Mary Lou (Stach) McKissick at his side. He is survived by his daughter Sherry (McKissick) Stein and her husband Howard of North Richland Hills, TX, his son Jim McKissick and his wife Debbie of Boerne, TX, his daughter-in-law Patricia Hernandez of Abilene, TX, his brother-in-law Doug McSwane of Richardson, TX, his sister-in-law Lee (Stach) Hodges of North Richland Hills, TX, his sister-in-law Gerry Smith of Waco, TX, six grandchildren Jeremy McKissick, Kristy (McKissick) Orr, Jonathan Stein, Michael McKissick, Ashley (Stein) Bell and Zachary Stein, and one great grandchild Easton Orr. He is preceded by his Mother & Father, 9 Brothers & Sisters and son Joe Burton McKissick. His 7 brothers and 2 sisters were Johnnie, Mary, Leonard, Roy, Troy, Bob, Marvin, Bill & Edna.
Years ago Papa Joe told Nana that he always wanted to be remembered as a ‘good man’, which he also chose for his epitaph. Consequently his family and friends all remember him as a very gentle, kind & humble man. He was a lifelong preacher & caring missionary, which spanned his life from age 17 to 90. Even during his last 5 years battling Parkinson’s disease which left him weak in body and unclear mind, he constantly relived & retold his life stories of studying the Bible with others, preaching to the lost, ministering to prisoners and bringing everyone he could to know God thru Christ. That was his true mission in life which he fulfilled it beautifully & lovingly to the end.
One of his last picture’s was Papa Joe giving Nana her final new year’s kiss … it was so special and sweet. They were married 64 incredible years, and thru these years they never were heard arguing or raising their voice towards each other. They truly are perfect examples of loving each other with all their soul, and of course caring for everyone else they met along the way sharing their Christ like loving spirit.
In 1943 at the young the age 17 Joe was declared the new preacher by the Boynton Church of Christ minister who following his sermon announced that he was moving and that the new preacher would be Joe McKissick. However this was clearly new news to Joe as this was the first he heard of his newly declared profession. But he gladly took on the role and began his missionary journey for the rest of his life. In Dec 1944 he accepted a Preachers Scholarship at Freed Hardeman College.He left for college with only $100 in his pocket graciously given by his poor father who barely even had more than that to his name. The reason he waited until Dec was because he was still in charge of taking care of the family’s 250 acre sharecropping field. This was his first venture ever away from home & the family farm and would not have money to return.
Upon graduating Freed Hardeman in 1947, he enrolled in Murray State to complete his Bachelors in 1949. After graduation he accepted preaching positions with congregations near Springfield, Ill. During the week he taught Jr. High School and coached the Jr High basketball team.
Joe met his life love Mary Lou thru a preacher friend Wesley Jones, who was preaching Gospel meetings and ask Joe to be the song leader. This took them to Cleveland where he met Mary Lou who was only 11 while Joe was the ripe old age of 19, but she liked to hold his hand. Some 8 years later they were married in May 20, 1952, he was a young man at 26 & she was his sweetheart at 18.
Just 2 years later in 1954 they became young missionaries traveling by boat to South Africa where he preached for the Turffontein Church of Christ. They brought with them their 6 month old baby Sherry Silista. They returned for a furlough in 1958 to Levelland, TX where Joseph Burton was born. Later they moved to Welkom, Orange Free State South Africa and started another church there in Welkom where they also welcomed their newborn baby James Robert (Jim). They returned home to the United States 2 years later in 1962. They were well remembered in cities all over South Africa for the mission work they accomplished, starting Churches, helping old & new grow churches, baptizing new Christians and sharing the love they knew thru Christ Jesus.
When they returned to the states Joe preached for Lake Worth Church of Christ, then Webb Chapel Rd C of C growing them into a mission minded church while beginning the first World Wide Mission Forum which attracted preachers and Missionaries from around the Globe for 25 years. From there they moved to Vancouver British Columbia Canada, then 8 years later moving to Houston’s Eldridge Rd C of C where he began his new Prison Ministry. Years later they found themselves in Abilene at Abilene Christian University Pruitt Gerontology center and completed his Master’s degree in Gerontology in 1991 while continuing the Prime Time Ministry for the aged, which they also founded years earlier. During this time they worshiped and served at the Southern Hills Church of Christ until retirement at age 85. In 2014 they moved in with their daughter & son-in-law in North Richland Hills, TX.