Clara Smith Murphy's Obituary
Murphy, Clara Smith, Born June 19, 1912 in Blanket ,TX to Fred Harvey Smith and Mary Ada Moore Smith. Clara Smith Murphy died on October 14, 2010. Clara was preceded in death by her husband of fifty-four years, B.H. Murphy, in 1986. They were longtime residents of Dalhart, TX, and in 2009, Clara moved to Dallas to be near her family. She is survived by her son, Michael Murphy, his wife Doreen Murphy of Bryan, TX; grandson, Brendan Murphy, his wife Rachel; great granddaughters, Whitney and Violet Murphy of Ft. Wayne, IN; daughter, Marilyn Halla, her husband Ward B. Halla of Dallas; granddaughters, Mary Halla of Dallas, Leslie Grayson, her husband Kent Grayson; great granddaughter, Eliza Grayson of Evanston, IL; nephew, Fred Cozby , his wife Katherine and son Bennett of Ponte Vedra, FL; daughter in law, Carole Murphy of St. Louis, MO; and numerous nieces and nephews. Clara and B.H. came to Dalhart in 1951. They loved their community and were happy to raise their family in its nurturing environment. For many years Clara was a social worker with the Texas Department of Human Resources. For 58 years she was a faithful and loyal member and volunteer in her church, Central United Methodist , who awarded her the Cross and Flame Award in 1992. She was a member of Laureate Gamma Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi for over fifty years. She was deeply committed to many community organizations and volunteer projects. She served as Patient Services Chairman for the American Cancer Society; delivered Meals on Wheels; worked with the HOST Program (Helping One Student Succeed) for 10 years; was a member of the Petal Pushers Garden Club, maintaining flowers in the park; served as a Pink Lady at Coon Hospital Auxiliary; and was a waitress and active participant in the Dalhart Senior Citizens Center. In 2004, she received the Citizen of Year Award by the Dalhart Chamber of Commerce. She will be well remembered by all who knew her as a loving mother, aunt, grandmother and great grandmother, a true and caring friend, and a devoted Christian. Funeral services will be held at Schreiber United Methodist Church in Dallas on Friday, October 22 at 3:00 p.m., followed by burial in Greenleaf Cemetery in Brownwood, TX. A memorial service will be held in her honor on Friday, October 29, 2010 at 5:00 PM at Central United Methodist Church in Dalhart. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to her church or a favorite charity.
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