Murra, Harold (1933-2013)
MURRA, PRESCHER, HENRICKSEN, PELLIN, LOVIK, SWALVE, STROMER
Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 3/12/2013 at 14:14:06
Harold Murra
(February 11, 1933 - January 24, 2013)Harold Murra, age 79, of Blue Earth, Minnesota, passed away on Thursday, January 24, 2013, at Oaklawn Healthcare Center in Mankato where he resided for nine days receiving hospice care. He remained courageous and hopeful in his three year battle with a muscle wasting disease which caused a progressive decline in his activity levels and his overall health.
Harold Murra was born on February 11, 1933, to Katie (Winter) and John Murra, Sr., at the family farm northwest of Thompson, Iowa. He grew up there and on the family homestead southwest of Buffalo Center, Iowa.
Harold received his education attending country school in Lincoln and Winnebago townships in rural Kossuth County, Iowa, through the 8th grade. He left school to work on the family farm until he was selected by his friends and neighbors to join the United States Army. He served his country from October 22, 1953, through October 6, 1955, including military assignments in Germany where he worked as a truck driver.
On May 23, 1954, Harold married Arline Prescher at the First Lutheran Church in Waldorf, Minnesota. Their union was blessed with two children.
Following his discharge from the US Army, Harold worked on the construction of the large cement elevator in Buffalo Center in 1956, and then at the Creameries in Wells, Minnesota, and Estherville, Iowa, as a butter maker and cream and milk tester. In 1966, he moved his family to Blue Earth, Minnesota, where he would live the rest of his life. There, he worked at Schwan’s Ice Cream as an ice cream maker, at Gerring Industries/Holly Park as a cabinet maker and supervisor, at Winnebago Manufacturing as an Industrial Painter, and at Seneca Foods and Green View as a custodian. He also enjoyed assisting local farmers with field work. Because of his muscle disease, he retired from his position at Green View in 2010.
Harold enjoyed spending time with his family including attending family gatherings with both his immediate and extended family. In addition, he liked tending his garden and growing flowers. Most of all, however, he enjoyed the informational sessions over coffee at the local “house of knowledge,” aka McDonald’s. He looked forward to his daily visits there with the coffee gang.
Harold will be greatly missed by his wife, Arline Murra, of Blue Earth; his children, Glen Murra, and his wife, Jennifer, of Elmore, Minnesota, and Gwen Henricksen, and her husband, Terry, of North Mankato, Minnesota; his granddaughter, Dr. MacKenzie Pellin, and her husband, Brian, of Madison, Wisconsin; five grand-cats; six grand-dogs; and four great grand-dogs; three sisters: Lydia Lovik, of Forest City, Iowa, Clara Swalve, of Princeton, Illinois, Mildred Stromer, and her husband, Byron, of Garner, Iowa; two brothers: Willis Murra, of Buffalo Center, Iowa, and Cecil Murra, and his wife, Virgie Ann, of Albert Lea, Minnesota; his brother-in-law, Arlen Prescher, and his wife, Jean, of Albert Lea, Minnesota; his sisters-in-law, Bernice Murra, of Blue Earth, Minnesota, and Mary and Ruth Murra, both of Buffalo Center, Iowa; as well as many nieces; nephews; other relatives; and friends.
Harold was preceded in death by his parents; his parents-in-law, Arlo and Adeline Prescher; and three brothers: Donald, John, Jr., and Raymond; as well as many aunts; uncles; cousins; and close friends.
Memorial services will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, February 9, 2013, at the Jacobsen & Winter Funeral Home in Blue Earth with Reverend Brent Walker officiating. A time for sharing memories of Harold will begin at 1:00 pm the day of the service.
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Winter Funeral Home and Cremation Service
Winnebago Obituaries maintained by Cheryl Siebrass.
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