James M. "Murph" Murray
May 18, 1948 — November 16, 2013
James "Murph" Michael Murray entered the spirit world on Saturday, November 16, 2013. A gathering of friends and family will be Wednesday, November 20, at 6:00 p.m. at the Red Rooster Coffee House in downtown Aberdeen.
Murph was born May 18, 1948, about 100 years too late. He loved wagon trains, mules, and the Native American way of life. The happiest two months of his life were spent on the Centennial Wagon Train in 1989, with his beloved Jeanie and two small Murrays in tow.
Born in Ellendale, North Dakota, to Marcus and Margaret Murray, Murph hoped to join his cousins and friends in the military after high school, but his lifelong battle with diabetes rendered him ineligible for service. Instead, he made his own adventures in Seattle, New York state (where he attended Woodstock), and all over his beloved South Dakota, including Rapid City and Mobridge, before settling down in Leola.
Over the years, Murph tended bar, rang bells, and drove a truck. But his greatest job was as father, husband, and friend. He married Jeanine Martian on May 19, 1983 and was a fiercely protective father to Marcus Leonard and Myrissa Marie. He was a gentle, patient grandpa to Zachary James and Dylan Thomas. There are many more who call him "Dad": the friends of his children, and the children of his friends.
Murph lived life at a slower pace. Barely able to operate a cell phone, he sewed clothes, blocked hats and crafted walking sticks by hand. Dozens of his friends still carry the horseshoe nail crosses he made, or have his beautiful dreamcatchers hanging over their beds. You might run into Murph and find that the person he was deep in conversation with was someone he had met only moments before. Opening the doors for shoppers while he rang the Salvation Army bell often resulted in new friendships.
Murph is survived by his wife, children, grandsons, brothers, Robert and Paul, sister, Mary Tooker, and his nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his parents and his beloved Uncle Leonard and Aunt Loretta White and Aunt Helena Murray.
He will be missed.