KENNY LEE McDANIEL
Services: 10 a.m. Oct. 16, Cantlon Otterness & Viets Funeral Home, Buffalo, Mo. Burial in Maple Lawn Cemetery. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 15, at the funeral home.
The Revs. Loren Dryer and David Miller will officiate.
Escorts will be Greg McKinney, Micky Davies, Matt Mashburn, Larry Hunt Jr., Larry Jones, Darin Newman and Brian Kramer.
Music will be provided by Karli and Abbi Duren and Geneva McDaniel.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Kenny McDaniel Memorial Bench Fund.
Online condolences may be made at cantlonotterness.com.
Kenny Lee McDaniel, 71, was born Aug. 7, 1947, in Long Lane, Mo., the son of Kenneth and Geneva (Stidham) McDaniel. He died Oct. 13, 2018, after a long illness.
He grew up in Long Lane and graduated from Buffalo High School in 1965.
On June 2, 1967, he was united in marriage with Jeanne Walker.
He accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior in 1967 and joined Cherry Grove Baptist Church, where he later served as deacon for over 30 years.
After working several years as a Davies Chevrolet auto mechanic, he became an auto mechanics instructor at Dallas County Vo-Tech, now known as Dallas County Technical Center. For over 30 years he encouraged students to be a “productive product of society.” He continued to support the school and cared deeply for his students.
He was passionate about everything he did, including hunting, trapshooting — he was 1986 Missouri state champion — and drag racing. He was inducted into the Southwest Missouri Drag Racing Hall of Fame for 2017 and said in his usual humble manner, “I can’t believe they selected me; I never did anything great.”
Especially passionate about his family, he loved them dearly and always was willing to help them, including going to his mother-in-law’s house on cold winter nights to fill her woodstove. Most importantly he was passionate about his Lord and Savior and loved his church.
Kenny was preceded in death by his parents; and a sister, Janis Dee Jones.
Survivors include his wife, Jeanne, of the home; one daughter, Angie (McDaniel) and husband, Aaron Taylor; one son, Mike McDaniel; one sister, Debbie and husband, Gary Eaker; six grandchildren: Nathan Taylor, J.C. Hernandez, Cierra (McDaniel) and husband, Dalton Parnosky, Ryann Taylor, Geneva McDaniel and Michael McDaniel; honorary grandson, Tanner Allen; honorary son, Mike Stanton; and sisters-in-law and spouses, nieces, nephews and many friends and former students who will sadly miss him.
