Frances Riley Key

Frances Riley Key, of Dumas, passed away on Saturday, September 10, 2011. Memorial services are scheduled for 10:30 A.M. on Wednesday, September 14, 2011, at First Presbyterian Church in Dumas. Rev. John Conley, pastor of the church, will be officiating. Private family interment will be at Dumas Cemetery. Arrangements are by Morrison Funeral Directors. Frances was born on October 2, 1924 to H. R. and Lyda Wills Riley in Munfordville, Kentucky. She was employed as a registered nurse, and began her nursing career by graduating from the Kentucky Baptist Hospital School of Nursing in Louisville, KY in 1945. Next, she completed postgraduate work in obstetrics at Baylor University Hospital in Dallas. After finishing her education, she continued working at Kentucky Baptist Hospital until 1950, rising to the position of supervisor of the labor and delivery room. In 1950, she moved to Dumas to work at Memorial Hospital. Frances married Billy E. Key of Dumas in 1951. They had two children a daughter, Jo Anne and a son, John. She left hospital work in 1952 to concentrate on family life, but returned to help treat victims of the Shamrock McKee Refinery fire in 1956, and the Northern Natural Gas fire in 1969. Later that year, Mrs. Key began a twentyone year career taking care of school children as a registered nurse for the Dumas Independent School District. She retired in 1990. During her retirement, Mrs. Key was an active volunteer in the community. Among her favorite causes were the Friends of the Library and the Logos program of the First Presbyterian Church of Dumas, where she was a longtime member. She was also a longtime member of the Pierian Study Club of Dumas. She was preceded in death by her husband, Billy E. Key, her parents, H. R. and Lyda Wills Riley, one sister, Lucile Stiles of Bowling Green, KY, one brother Kenneth Riley of Louisville, KY, and one nephew, Carl Ray Thornton of Dumas. Frances is survived by one son, John Key of Dumas one daughter, Jo Anne Batman and husband Steve of Dumas one granddaughter, Heather Batman of Montrose, Colorado one greatgrandson, Jonathan Goodwin of Montrose two nieces, Judy Ball of Bowling Green, Kentucky and Cindy Crouch of Louisville, Kentucky three nephews, David Stiles of Gunnison, Colorado, James Riley of Nashville, Tennessee, and Jack Thornton of Arvada, Colorado one sisterinlaw, Dorothy Riley of Bowling Green, Kentucky and several grandnieces and nephews. The family suggests memorials be to First Presbyterian Church, Logos Program, P. O. Box 1118, Dumas, TX 79029. The family will be at 409 Mills in Dumas.