Ray Murray

MURRAY, WISE, HUNZELMAN, REGIS, CARMAN

Posted By: Sharyl Ferrall (email)
Date: 3/23/2008 at 23:14:21

Ray Murray, Buffalo Center
Secretary of Agriculture, was born on a farm in Iroquois county, near Cissna Park, Illinois, on April 27, 1892. He moved with his parents to a farm near Buffalo Center, Winnebago county, Iowa, in 1895, and was educated in the local schools, graduating from Buffalo Center high school in 1909. Married January 9th, 1918, to Miss Viola Wise. Entered U.S. army as a private in battery "F," 337th field artillery. Served with A.E.F. in 1918 and 1919. Organized the legion post in his home town and has served as post, county, district and state vice-commander of that organization. Member of the State Historical Society. Father of two children, Jack and Marjorie. A Methodist. Elected secretary of agriculture, November, 1932. A democrat.

~source: Iowa Official Register, Thirty-Fifth Number, 1933-1934, pg 54

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Along the Way
by Herb Owens

Ray Murray, 72, former Iowa secretary of agriculture, intermittently continues a poetry-writing hobby started more than 40 years ago. Some years back, Murray wrote a poem a day - six days a week - for more than eight years. Many of them are included in six volumes that have been published.

Murray retired three years ago as a columnist for the Buffalo Center Tribune and Lakota Review, but continues to write a weekly editorial for the papers. He was employed by the late George A. Carman, publisher of Buffalo Center Tribune and Lakota Review for over 11 years.

In 1930, Murray started writing an annual Christmas Seal promotion poem for the Farmers Trust & Savings Bank here. After 31 years, the annual poems were published by the Iowa Tuberculosis and Health Association under a title "Christmas Seals in Rhyme."

In publishing his early works, Murray used alliterative titles - "Barnyard Ballads," "Corncrib Carols," "Meadow Melodies" and "Rustic Rhythm." His fifth volume became "Murray-Go-Round," with illustrations by his son. But Mrs. Murray, the former Viola Wise, insists that his latest book, "This Land I Love," is best.

Born at Cissna Park, Illinois, Murray was 3 when his family moved to a farm near Buffalo Center. Graduated from Buffalo Center High School in 1909, Murray farmed until his service in World War I with Battery F, 337th Field Artillery. for more than 30 years, since its inception, he has been president of the 337th Association, which meets once a year.

Murray also has been active in the American Legion. He has been a department vice-commander, a district commander and now is commander of past county commanders of Iowa.

Elected secretary of agriculture in 1931, Murray served from 1932 through 1936 under the late Democratic Governor Clyde L. Herring. After he was defeated for a third term, Murray served 18 years in federal service with the Works Progress Administration, the Office of Price Stabilization and the hot lunch program, among others. Then for four years Murray was a bean buyer for the Iowa Soya Co. at Redfield. He became a columnist for the Buffalo Center Tribune about 10 years ago.

The Murrays have a son, John, in Denver, Colorado, and two daughters, Mrs. W.J. (Marjorie) Hunzelman of Storm Lake and Mrs. Andrew J. (Madeline) Regis of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. There are seven grandchildren.

Besides his American Legion membership, Murray is a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Iowa State Historical Society and the North Central Iowa Historical Society, a new organization of which he is a board member.

~source: Des Moines Tribune, December 1964

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~Photo credits: The photo on the left is from the Iowa Official Register, 1935-1936. The photo on the right is from the 1964 Des Moines Tribune article.

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