James Ralston MCMURRAY

MCMURRAY, FATKA, PRELIP, BEAVERS, STADTLANDER, RHODES

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 5/19/2007 at 10:52:44

August 7, 1997
Mason City (Iowa) Globe Gazette

BELMOND -- James Ralston McMurray, 83, of Belmond, passed away Tuesday (Aug. 5, 1997) at the Belmond Community Hospital. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the United Methodist Church, Belmond, with the Rev. Ken Fineran officiating. Interment will be at the Belmond Cemetery, Belmond. Visitation will be held from 2 to 9 p.m. today at the Dugger Ewing Funeral Home and one hour prior to services at the church.

Jim, the son of William J. and Anna C. Fatka McMurray, was born Sept. 11, 1913, in LaCrosse, Wis. At an early age he moved with his family to Des Moines, then later moved to South Dakota, where he attended country schools. In 1931, Jim moved to Kanawha. He was united in marriage with Berniece Prelip on Sept. 29, 1934, in Bethany, Mo. After living for a period of time in Mason City, Des Moines and Kanawha, the couple settled in Belmond in 1949. Jim was a life-long farmer. In 1966, he started driving for Winnebago, delivering recreational vehicles across the nation. This he did for over 20 years, but he really never retired from farming. J.R. was an avid card player, who also loved fishing and pitching horse shoes. He was a member of the United Methodist Church and the Odd Fellows Lodge in Belmond.

He is survived by two daughters, Patricia Beavers and her husband, Dwight, of Mason City; Karen Stadtlander and her husband, Tom, of Belmond; three sons, Richard and his wife, Marcia, of Belmond; Larry and his wife, Sharon, of Ackley; Michael and his wife, Vicki of Belmond; a daughter-in-law, Kathy McMurray of Des Moines; 20 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; one sister, Ruth Rhodes of Fertile; one brother, Bernard and his wife, Carol, of Mason City. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Berniece in 1987; a son, Jerry in 1985; a great-grandchild; and three brothers.