Meryl Lorraine Murphy

Meryl Lorraine Ethun Murphy- 91 years old
Meryl died peacefully, November 4, 2008 at Callahan Court which had been her home where she received kind, loving care for the past 5 years. Meryl battled with Alzheimers for the last 12 years. The funeral will be held Sunday, November 9 at 2:00 p.m. in St. John's Lutheran Church in Sutherlin, Oregon. In lieu of flowers the family suggests a donation may be made to the Meryl and LaVerne Murphy scholarship fund at Umpqua Community College Foundation, P.O.Box 967, Roseburg, OR 97470. Contact person, Dennis O'Neill, 541 440 7678. We would like to thank ALL of the staff at Callahan Court for their kind, loving care and concern for Meryl and LaVerne. They have become part of the family. Liz was a special friend who was always able to get a smile from Meryl and could talk her into putting forth extra effort to keep trying to walk or to cooperate in any task.
Meryl was born February 6,1917, in Leeds, ND to Albert and Clara Ethun. Albert and Clara had stopped in Leeds to visit Clara's cousin, Mary Olson at the same time a blizzard swept across North Dakota. While Albert and John Olson were in town getting some groceries, Meryl came into the world with no help but Mary Olson. When the men came home from town there was Meryl to greet them. It was a surprise to all as Meryl came about two months early. At this time, Albert and Clara Ethun lived in Wolford, ND. On August 9, 1918, her brother Lyle was born. About a year later Albert and family moved to Centerville, Minnesota where her brother Donald was born on January 6, 1920. Some time in that year Albert moved his family to a farm outside of New Brighton, Minnesota. It was here that Meryl's third brother Kenneth was born on August 6, 1921. It was in this area that Meryl started to a little country school. Then on June 26, 1924, Meryl got a little sister, Ileen. She was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. Meryl was in the third grade when the family moved into Sauk Centre, Minnesota. This was her first big school with just one grade to a class. Albert and family lived in two or three different rented houses before they bought a home on the North side of Sauk Centre. No more moving around for the family. Albert and Clara lived out the rest of their lives in this house. Meryl now joins the rest of her family who have passed on before her. Meryl graduated May 1935 from Sauk Centre High School. She had a part time job between her Junior and Senior years at the Creamery and worked there full time after graduation. About a year later she went to work for Unger's Furniture Store. She remained with Unger's until the summer of 1943. These were the war years. A friend of the family wanted Meryl to ride to Oregon with her to help with her small children as she was moving to Portland where her husband was working in the shipyards. When they got to Portland, Meryl caught a bus down to Roseburg to see Bill and Louise Miller who had been in Sauk Centre, MN the summer before. Meryl got to know Louise pretty well so she spent a few days with Louise and Bill. Louise and Meryl went into Roseburg and stopped at the Red & White Grocery Store, owned by Chester Morgan, where Meryl asked for a job. She got hired on right away. They then went down to the Northside Apartments where Louise's sister Irene was living. Meryl found an apartment and with the help of Louise and Louise's mother, Meryl was set up for housekeeping. Through Louise, Meryl met LaVerne Murphy, Louise Miller's brother. The following May 17, 1944 LaVerne and Meryl were married in St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Roseburg and started their life together on the Murphy Farm in Umpqua. LaVerne had been running the farm since 1937 along with his mother, Anna. Meryl and Mom Good became like mother and daughter. When Mom Good became a cancer patient, Meryl is the only one that she wanted to help her and take care of her. Mom Good lived 7 years with LaVerne and Meryl until the cancer took her life in 1951. Meryl had never been on a farm, but she learned the farm way of life in a hurry as LaVerne was sick the first year of their marriage. Meryl had to learn how to milk cows, take care of 750 laying hens, pick prunes and many, many other things like helping ewes at lambing time. The farm work didn't keep Meryl from being a Sunday School teacher for 45 years at St. John's Lutheran Church in Sutherlin, Oregon. Meryl also was very active in the LWML of the Lutheran Church, being president several times at St. John's. She served two years as president of the Mytlewood Zone and enjoyed going to National LWML Conventions. Meryl and LaVerne were the youth counselors at St. John's Lutheran Church for 12 years. Meryl had many parties for these young kids in her home. Meryl drove the Umpqua School Bus for 17 years from 1962 to 1969. She served one year as President of the Umpqua School Association, and three years as Chairman of the Umpqua Smorgasbord which was a big annual event to raise money for the school. She was a bean boss for four summers in a pole bean yard. LaVerne and Meryl put in a Farm Family booth in the Douglas County Fair for several years. She helped to put in and man the Douglas County Fair Booth at the State Fair for 16 years. Meryl worked in a prune dryer three different seasons. She served as Secretary and Treasure of the Coles Valley Cemetery Association for 30 years. Meryl was also a faithful blood donor and gave almost six gallons of blood Meryl had no children of her own, but always had children in her home. Billy Miller, a nephew, spent a third of his childhood years on the Murphy farm up to and part of his college years. Barbara Miller was here at times and then her daughter Melinda spent a day or two now and then. Jennifer, Jody, Bryce, Brent, Jordan and Blake Rogers each became a big part of Meryl's life as babies. During their school years they stopped before and after school. Dick Herd spent all of one summer here on the farm. Meryl always saw that these kids had plenty to eat and loved to cook big birthday, Christmas, and Thanksgiving dinners. She loved any excuse to have family and friends in for a big meal. Meryl enjoyed her yard and garden, putting up lots of canned fruit and vegetables. Meryl could drive a hay truck, pick prunes, drive a tractor, rake hay and then come in and have dinner on the table for two or three hay hands. Meryl and LaVerne made many trips to Minnesota to visit her family. Meryl made a few trips there by herself. She loved the trips they made to Houston, Texas to visit her sister Ileen and family. She enjoy going with LaVerne to State and National School Board and Rural Electric Conventions.
This is the poem I wrote for Meryl in 2004 and was printed on her Memorial Folder.
My Wife Meryl
She's still my wife, who's standing there. It's still her eyes, her face, but now white hair. It's still her body, but it's just a shell. Of the wife that I once knew so well. She's still my wife, who would look at me, Then ask me, "Where could LaVerne be?" Her memory's fleeting, her gait is weak. Loved ones long gone are those she seeks. She's still my wife, who shares our home. The one I dress, whose white hair I comb. She's still my wife... I know tis true. And so dear God, I turn to you. Please give me patience, wisdom, and love, Till the day that You take her to heaven above. Let me return... if even through tears, The love she gave me through all these years. In the evenings when the dark shadows begin to fall, Meryl says," My dad will come get me, give him a call." Though she often thinks that I'm someone other, I love her yet... she's still my wife and no other. Her daily care became too much for me, Callahan Court her new home will be, Where she receives all her needs and daily care, She's making new friends and her love to share. As she waits for her Jesus to call her home, To be with her family and no longer alone.
Written by LaVerne 2004