Francis Thomas Kinney was born on Sunday, March 24, 1918 to Francis (Frank) Kinney and Mary Grennan Kinney in East Moline, Illinois. He spent a brief part of his childhood in Hoosick Falls, New York, before returning to East Moline. He was the third of nine children.

A veteran of WWII, he served in the United States Army from 1942 to 1946. During this time in the service, he married Elsie Shultz on Saturday, August 15, 1942 in Bastrop, Texas. They raised their family in Madrid, Iowa, where they lived for 62 years, before moving to Sherman, Texas.

Francis worked for John Deere & Company for 42 years, he retired in 1978.

Francis is survived by his wife, Elsie, and five children, Anne Hutchinson, of Kalamazoo, MI; Stephen (Lana) of Austin, TX; Robert (Clara) of Woodbury, MN; John (Dana) of Burlington, IA; and Carolyn (John) Cantrell of Pottsboro, TX. Also surviving are 4 sisters, 13 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandson. He was preceded in death by three brothers, one sister, and one grandson.