Bernard Murphy

Bernard (Bud) Murphy was born in Shelby County on the family homestead farm 4 miles north of Marne on October 27, 1908. He passed away, surrounded by all of his family, on February 12 in the Swedish Medical Center Hospital in Littleton, Colorado. Bud was the fourth of five children and the first son of Mike and Anna Murphy. Bud attended school near their home and finished 7th and 8th grade in Marne. He loved baseball and was a catcher for the local baseball team. From an early age it was clear that he had a gift for song and was always invited to sing at local events. At the age of about 20, he moved to Omaha to live with his aunt, study voice and worked in the local theaters. This gave him many additional opportunities including singing on the radio and studying under some of the best voice teachers in the region. Unfortunately, the depression, likeit has done to many, altered what appeared to be a promising career and he was forced to abandon his dream of going to New York and singing in the opera to move back to the family homestead in 1931. Accumulated debt and a sequence of bad years led to the farm being lost to the loan company and Bud had to make the tough decision to return and rent the farm, providing a place for his parents to live. In the late 1930s, he was given the opportunity to buy back the farm and through a series of good crop years, he succeeded in paying off the debt in 1949 only a year before the birth of his son.Bud met his wife, Elsie Grulke, daughter of Fred Grulke, at the home of his sister in Atlantic, shortly after returning from Omaha. Elsie was 17 at the time and working in a local grocery store. After an 11 year courtship where they pooled their financial resources to allow Elsie to Attend cosmetology school in Des Moines and to help his brother through aircraft mechanics school, they finally decided it was time to "tie the knot" and were married on September 7, 1944 in Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Atlantic. Bud and Elsie had one son, Gerald "Gerry&", in 1950 and farmed, together with Bud's brother, Tommy, on the homestead north of Marne until their retirement in 1971. After retirement, they moved to Atlantic and resided at 605 Elm Street in Atlantic until January of this year.Bud and Elsie only recently moved to Colorado into an assisted living facility to be near their son, daughter-in-law, Sandy, and granddaughters, Genah Murphy Burditt of Golden, CO and Sonja Kathleen Murphy of Fort Collins, CO. Bud is survived by his wife Elsie, his son Gerald (Gerry), daughter-in-law Sandy, their two granddaughters; two nieces, Marilyn Frette of Des Moines and Mardell Klingelhoet of Minneapolis, MN; and two nephews, Don Graham of Des Moines and Bill Baxter of Franklin, WI. Bud was preceded in death by his parents, Michael and Anna Murphy of Walnut, IA; and his three sisters, Mildred Baxter of Atlantic, Veronica Graham of Des Moines and Evelyn Murphy of Des Moines. His younger brother Tommy, of Omaha, died of lung cancer in 1993.Bud lived for 94 years and 3 months. his life saw a change from farming with horses to calling his grandkids on a cell phone. Over 94 years of contribution to his family, his community and his church make his life in example of what many wish they had the opportunity to do and to achieve. A survivor of accidents, depressions, wars, droughts, and all that life forces upon us, we celebrate his life and his legacy.His wife Elsie will continue her life at a senior retirement facility near her family in Littleton, Colorado. Friends are encouraged to send greetings and condolences to her at; Elsie Murphy, 5130 West Ken Cayrl Ave., Littleton, Colorado 80128.Funeral InformationThe funeral service will be held on Monday, February 17, 2003, at 10:30 a.m. at the Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church, with Msgr. Lawrence Beeson, celebrant. Interment will be in the St. Patrick Cemetery in Walnut, IA. A vigil will be held at the Roland Funeral Service on Sunday, February 16, 2003, at 6:00 p.m. and a visitation will follow from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.