CHARLOTTE WOOD MURRAY

WOOD, MURRAY

Posted By: Marthann (email)
Date: 10/11/2006 at 20:07:44

Charlotte Wood Murray

Charlotte Wood Murray, age 79 of Ida Grove, Iowa, died Saturday, September 30, 2006, at Horn Memorial Hospital in Ida Grove.

Memorial services will be held 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, October 4, 2006, at the First United Methodist Church in Ida Grove, Iowa, under the direction of Christensen-Huffman Funeral Homes. Sharon Spotts will officiate the service, with inurnment to follow in the Ida Grove Cemetery. Visitation with the family present will be held on Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. At the Christensen-Huffman Funeral Home in Ida Grove Online condolences may be directed to www.christensenhuffman.com.

Charlotte O'Connor Wood Murray was born on December 18, 1926, in Castana, Iowa, to Alvin and Ethel (Fritz) O'Connor. She graduated from Castana High School in 1944.

On November 17, 1947, Charlotte was united in marriage to Everett Wood. The couple resided in Ida Grove until 1977, when they made their home in Denison. Charlotte and Everett were together for 37 years until Everett's death on January 5, 1983. Three children, Randy, Pamela, and Michael, were born to this union.

Charlotte began working at Central Phone Company in Ida Grove on July 29, 1958. She worked there for thirty years.

On August 7, 1985, she married Harry Murray at the Silver Queen Chapel in Virginia City, Nevada. The couple has resided in Denison, Iowa, all 21 years of their marriage.

Charlotte's joys in life included her gambling trips to various casinos, eating lobster, and spending time with her grandchildren. She was famous for her fried chicken and gravy. Charlotte enjoyed decorating for various holidays and making cotton candy at the annual Abu Bekr Shrine Circus. In her earlier years, Charlotte enjoyed packing a picnic lunch and spending the day at the lake with her family.

In addition to her first husband, Charlotte was preceded in death by her infant son, Randy; her parents; two sisters, Alma Ulven and Marjorie Rose; and a brother, Clarence (Bud) O'Connor.

Survivors include her husband, Harry; two children and their spouses, Pam and Ron Argull of Beckwurth, CA, and Mike and Deb Wood of Ida Grove; a step-daughter, Vicky Murray of Chicago, IL; four grandchildren, Chad Schwier and Aaron Schwier, both of Reno, NV, Jason (Amy) Wood of Cherokee, and Jarod (Amanda) Wood of Iowa Falls; seven great-grandchildren, Travis and Trenton Schwier, Macenzie, Jaron, and Cael Wood, and Elly and Lauren Wood; two sisters, Eva (Glenn) Schmidt of Ida Grove, and Catherine Holden of Lancaster, CA; two brothers, Darrell (Florence) O'Connor of Mapleton, and Ed (Cheryl) O'Connor of Omaha, NE; as well as nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.