Dear Family of Ms. McKinney: My wife and I met Freida about six to eight months ago at the Walmart Garden Dept. on Zero Street. Freida had had heart problems, as I have, we are of a similar age, etc., so conversation between us was comfortable as we shared our life's experiences with one another. My wife is an avid gardener, and Freida said she also had many plants in her yard and around her pool. After a few minutes of conversation with Freida, we felt as if we had known her for years. Thereafter, every time we visited Walmart, we would visit Freida in the Garden Dept. to say hello, exchange a few words, etc. After a while, we were old friends. Then, one day she was not at work. I asked her co-worker where she was and he told me she was in the hospital. Time passed and she hadn't returned to work; we were worried about her but were hesitant to make another inquiry. Then, about July 5, 2014, we were in Walmart and we saw Freida! She was shopping, looked healthy, and we talked to her for about an hour. She had a 2" stack of photos of her yard, her pool, etc., and we examined every one of them! Her yard was beautiful! She told us she had been in the hospital with congestive heart failure, but she was now feeling okay. She shared that she had told her daughter that she wanted to "really fix-up her yard" this summer in case this was her last year of being healthy enough to do so, and her yard was, indeed, quite beautiful. I know she loved being with her daughter as they worked to "fix-up" the yard. Perhaps she had a premonition that this would be her last opportunity to work alongside her daughter as they made the yard so beautiful. I had an appointment at the Little Rock V.A. Hosp. last Thursday, the 17th, when Freida passed away. I did not return home until late on July 21st. As I was reading the newspapers that had accumulated during my appt. at the V.A. Hosp., I read that Freida had passed away and the funeral was at 1 P.M. Monday, before I had returned to Fort Smith. Had I been aware of Freida's passing, I assure you my wife and I would have been there to express our sympathy to her family. Freida often talked about her husband, her daughter, and her grandchild. It was obvious that she loved you all, so very much. I know that daily life with her must have been wonderful, sort-of cozy and warm, and I'm sure you will miss her so very much. I'm sorry my wife and I missed the funeral, truly I am, and please know that Freida will be thought of every time we visit the place where we were fortunate enough to have made her acquaintance. God bless you.