Ruth E. Murphy, 96, of Overland Park, KS, passed away peacefully Friday, January 8, 2021.  Graveside Services will be 10:30 AM Saturday, January 16, at Pleasant Hill Cemetery, near Leroy, KS.

Ruth was born April 9, 1924, on the family farm near Burlington, KS.  She married Junior Moore and moved to Chanute, where she lived for over 60 years.  She was a bookkeeper for Sutcliffe Oil Pipe and Supply and later for MURCO, which she owned with her second husband, Charley Murphy.

Ruth called herself an outside girl.  She had a large garden, several grape vines and a variety of fruit trees.  She also loved to mow the grass on their five acres.  When Charley’s health began to fail, he taught her to change the oil & fix the flat tires on the mowers.  She also learned to handle many of the small maintenance jobs on the three duplexes they owned in town.  But above all, family was first in her thoughts and her heart.  She loved their visits to Chanute and to returning their visits in their homes.

She was preceded in death by her husbands Junior and Charley, siblings Lindsey, John, Wayde, Edward and Leland.  Ruth is survived by her daughters, Rita (Mel) Lavery, Gayle Williams, four grandchildren; Brian (Christina) Lavery, Matt (Courtney) Lavery, Kelli (Jesus) Zaragoza, Allison Williams, eight great grandchildren, one great great grandchild and many nieces and nephews. 

The family would like to express their gratitude to the staff at Ascend Hospice and The Heritage of Overland Park for their wonderful, tender care of "Grandma” as she was known.  The family was blessed knowing that when they were not there, she was still in loving, capable hands.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorial contributions to the Salvation Army, 3637 Broadway, KC, MO 64111 or The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 6811 SM Parkway Ste 202, Cloverleaf Bldg 1, SM, KS 66202.