John Ivan Murray 1894-1968

MURRAY, RUHNKE, MCDONALD

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 12/4/2011 at 02:33:40

Final Rites Scheduled for John Murray
Funeral services for John [Ivan] Murray, 73, of Estherville, who died Saturday [May 18, 1968] at 8:35 p.m. in Holy Family Hospital, are to be held Wednesday at 10 a.m. in St. Patrick’s Catholic Church with Msgr. James Duhigg officiating at the funeral mass.

Burial will be in St. Patrick’s Cemetery. A rosary will be said at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Reese-Henry Funeral chapel. Military rites will be held at the graveside.

Friends may call at the Funeral Home after 6 p.m. today until Wednesday at 9 a.m.

Mr. Murray’s death was attributed to a coronary heart attack. He had been failing in health since May 1.

John Ivan Murray was born Sept. 16, 1894, in Woodward [city of Woodward?] County, Iowa, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Murray.

He received his education in the Warren County schools and was married Sept. 27, 1921, to Freda Ruhnke at Jackson, Minn. After Mr. and Mrs. Murray moved to Estherville in 1943, he was employed by the Tobin Packing Co. and later by John Morrell & Company, until his retirement.

A member of St. Patrick’s Church, Mr. Murray was a veteran of World War I, was quartermaster of Emmet County Veterans WWI Barracks No. 1896; was junior commander of VFW Post 3388; and a member of Maurice Doyle Post of American Legion.

He is survived by his wife, Freda; five sons, Ralph and Charles of Estherville, John Jr. of San Antonio, Tex., Larry of San Diego, Calif., and LaVern of San Diego Naval Base; one daughter, Mrs. Gene (Aletha) McDonald of Manson; 10 grandchildren; and three brothers, Joseph of Compalia, Wash., Ralph of Early, and Frank of Black Duck, Minn.

He was preceded in death by an infant daughter, his parents, six brothers, and five sisters. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, May 20, 1968)