Helen Murphy

Helen Marie Morris Murphy, 79, died on Jan. 8, 2015, at a local hospital.

For the past few years, she was a dementia resident at Cedar Crest Assisted Living.

No services will be held in Mountain Home. Funeral services and burial will be held in Muncie, Ind., at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel.

She was born Nov. 5, 1935, in LaPorte, Ind., the only child of Merlin and Elsie Morris of Walkerton, Ind.. She was raised on the farm in rural St. Joseph County. She graduated from Walkerton High School in 1953 and from Purdue University in 1957 with a degree in nursery school and kindergarten teaching.

Helen married Joseph C. Murphy on Jan. 26, 1957, in Walkerton, Ind. Joe was in the U.S. Air Force and she followed him to Williams AFB in Arizona. Following completion of Joe's Air Force tour, they relocated to White Bear Lake, Minn., where her two sons, Joseph M. and Mark C., were born.

After the family was started, Helen's choice was to be a stay-at-home mom and raise her boys -- an excellent choice, which benefited her sons and the family.

During her adult life, she enjoyed her hobbies of cake decorating, embroidering, crocheting afghans, latch hook, reading, photography, watching the hummingbirds and butterflies, flower gardening and playing cards.

She loved to travel and went to Okinawa, Japan, and Alaska to visit her son, Mark, and his family.

Never was an unkind word spoken towards Helen, nor did she ever speak unkindly about anyone -- a kindly lady who enjoyed working with the church ladies in Minnesota and being with her family.

She had daughter-in-laws that were so grateful for her kindness and acceptance, never feeling as if they did not belong to the family.

In order to be nearer to her oldest son, Joe, Helen and Joe moved to Mountain Home in 1998, following Joe's retirement in Colorado.

Helen is survived by her husband of 57 years, Joseph C. Murphy, of Mountain Home, her sons, Joseph M. Murphy and his wife, Karen, of Mountain Home, Mark C. Murphy and his wife, Tania, of Virginia, eight grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, and four dear aunts Helen, Norma, Vera, and Bea.