Virginia Margaret Murphy, 93, of New London, passed away at 8:37 a.m., on Monday, June 28, 2010, at Hannibal Regional Hospital in Hannibal.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m., Thursday, July 1, 2010, at the Grand View Funeral Home in Hannibal. There will be a 2 p.m. graveside service at the Forest Home Cemetery in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, where she will be laid to rest.
Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until the time of service Thursday, at the Grand View Funeral Home in Hannibal.
Mrs. Murphy was born Sept. 16, 1916, in Hannibal, the oldest of three daughters to Homer and Helen Silvers Pennington. She lived most of her childhood in Ralls County before marrying Arthur A. Murphy on Oct. 13, 1938, in Hannibal. She was an athletic, strong-willed woman who always encouraged her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to “keep on trying” no matter what challenge they were facing. Having lived through many wars, the depression, and the hard farming life, she was not one to whine or complain about how “tough” things were. Her family has fond memories of her and Arthur’s love of cars. Virginia was one of the first women in Ralls County to save up enough money to buy her own car at the age of 18. When she went to get the title, she was not happy that her father had to come along to sign for it. How times have changed! Her love and concern for her family was never-ending. After losing her husband in 1974 to a heart attack, she threw herself into a career in management with Pamida in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. We recall her frustration at having to retire when they found out she had forged her birth date on the personnel records.
Before coming back to Mount Pleasant, Arthur and the kids spent a year in Sherman Oaks, Calif., and more than two years on a farm in Longmont, Colo. After many years of working in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, she moved back down to the family homestead to take care of her father before his death in 1992, at the age of 102. She enjoyed living life to the fullest and wanted to live longer than “pop”. She touched many lives, baked hundreds of angel food cakes, and will be sorely missed by all. Don’t worry; “Toots” is with many relatives and friends that have gone before her. We know she is happy.
She is survived by her sons, Richard W. (Barbara) Murphy of Brigham City, Utah, and Kenneth A. (Vera) Murphy of Loveland, Colo.; her sister, Dorothy (Alan) Bushmeyer of Hannibal; her grandchildren, Deborah Elmore, Steven Murphy, Teresa Isaac, Darrell Murphy, Patricia Murphy-Chambers and Cynthia Murphy; and her great-grandchildren, Michael Elmore, Brooke Chambers and Morgan Chambers.
She was also preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Eileen Smashey.
She was a member of the First Baptists Church of New London, and the Ladies Herb and Garden Club.
She loved to knit and garden. She spent many enjoyable hours mowing and taking care of her “place”.
Memorial contributions are suggested to the First Baptist Church of New London, in care of Grand View Funeral Home.
|
|
|
Virginia Margaret Murphy, 93, of New London, passed away at 8:37 a.m., on Monday, June 28, 2010, at Hannibal Regional Hospital in Hannibal.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m., Thursday, July 1, 2010, at the Grand View Funeral Home in Hannibal. There will be a 2 p.m. graveside service at the Forest Home Cemetery in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, where she will be laid to rest.
Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until the time of service Thursday, at the Grand View Funeral Home in Hannibal.
Mrs. Murphy was born Sept. 16, 1916, in Hannibal, the oldest of three daughters to Homer and Helen Silvers Pennington. She lived most of her childhood in Ralls County before marrying Arthur A. Murphy on Oct. 13, 1938, in Hannibal. She was an athletic, strong-willed woman who always encouraged her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to “keep on trying” no matter what challenge they were facing. Having lived through many wars, the depression, and the hard farming life, she was not one to whine or complain about how “tough” things were. Her family has fond memories of her and Arthur’s love of cars. Virginia was one of the first women in Ralls County to save up enough money to buy her own car at the age of 18. When she went to get the title, she was not happy that her father had to come along to sign for it. How times have changed! Her love and concern for her family was never-ending. After losing her husband in 1974 to a heart attack, she threw herself into a career in management with Pamida in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. We recall her frustration at having to retire when they found out she had forged her birth date on the personnel records.
Before coming back to Mount Pleasant, Arthur and the kids spent a year in Sherman Oaks, Calif., and more than two years on a farm in Longmont, Colo. After many years of working in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, she moved back down to the family homestead to take care of her father before his death in 1992, at the age of 102. She enjoyed living life to the fullest and wanted to live longer than “pop”. She touched many lives, baked hundreds of angel food cakes, and will be sorely missed by all. Don’t worry; “Toots” is with many relatives and friends that have gone before her. We know she is happy.
She is survived by her sons, Richard W. (Barbara) Murphy of Brigham City, Utah, and Kenneth A. (Vera) Murphy of Loveland, Colo.; her sister, Dorothy (Alan) Bushmeyer of Hannibal; her grandchildren, Deborah Elmore, Steven Murphy, Teresa Isaac, Darrell Murphy, Patricia Murphy-Chambers and Cynthia Murphy; and her great-grandchildren, Michael Elmore, Brooke Chambers and Morgan Chambers.
She was also preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Eileen Smashey.
She was a member of the First Baptists Church of New London, and the Ladies Herb and Garden Club.
She loved to knit and garden. She spent many enjoyable hours mowing and taking care of her “place”.
Memorial contributions are suggested to the First Baptist Church of New London, in care of Grand View Funeral Home.
