Carol Murphy
J. Carol Murphy was born November 22, 1918, to Nathan Hugh and Ida Mae Reed. Carol was born in the small town of Jamesport Missouri. She grew up on a small farm and attended a one room schoolhouse. She was very fond of horses in her childhood and was considered a "tomboy" due to the tricks she would do while riding her horse. She was often seen standing up on her horse while it was galloping giving her parents a scare. Later in life she became a great lover of birds and flowers and always had a beautiful garden and bird feeder in her yard. She worked as a beautician during her 20s prior to marrying Paul Murphy on April 8, 1945. Once her children were in school, she worked as a clerk for a local Drug Store. She and her husband spent most of their adult lives in Burlington Iowa a small community in southeastern Iowa. All of her children were born and raised and graduated from high school in Burlington. She had three sons Russell Randall and Rodney and one daughter Rita all of Tucson. She had seven grandchildren: Christy Murphy Ford Heather Murphy Stevens Mark Murphy Brent Williams Brianna Williams Kevin Neely and Mary Kate Neely Jurgens as well as five great-grandchildren. She had one younger sister Mary Ida McReynolds of Orange California with whom she was extremely close. All throughout their adult life they would communicate with a weekly letter and phone call on Sunday afternoon. After her husband retired in 1989, they moved to Tucson to be near their children. Carol spent her life caring and nurturing her family and her enduring legacies will be her gentle kindness and the children she leaves behind. Church was always an important part of Carol's life. While in Burlington Iowa she was an active member of the First Christian Church. During her years in Tucson, she was an active member of the Saguaro Christian Church. J. Carol Murphy 89 died peacefully on July 9, 2008, at Peppi's House after a very short battle with leukemia. Carol was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years Paul and her youngest son Rodney.