Life Story for David Lee Murphy
Mr. David Lee Murphy, age 82, of Nashville passed away peacefully Monday, January 28th, 2019 at his home. He was the beloved husband of Rosalie (Elliston) Murphy whom he married on June 29, 1956.
David was born in Woodland, MI on April 12, 1936, the son of the late Verlin and Jeanettte (Miller) Murphy.
He attended local schools Woodland High School. During his junior year Dave left school to embark on a life changing adventure. He headed west where his first job was with a grain harvesting crew moving north from Kansas as the grain ripened. The harvest season led him to South Dakota where he worked as a cowboy, herding and branding cattle from horseback. Dave had become a real life cowboy! In 1955 he returned home to visit his family at Thanksgiving and met his soon to be wife.
After couple married, Dave worked with his father hauling live chickens to Detroit, Chicago, Southern Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. In 1958 they moved to the Texas Gulf Coast where Dave worked on shrimp boats in the Gulf of Mexico. After one of the boats nearly sank, the family returned to Michigan where Dave joined the Industrial Painters Union. In 1965 Dave & Rosalie purchased their farm in Nashville where they raised beef cattle for over 40 years, often herding them by horse just as he’d done in South Dakota. During Dave's career as a painter he painted several local water towers, all of the Lansing Oldsmobile plants, and the exterior of the Capitol dome twice. Dave loved the peace and quiet of the farming lifestyle spending time with his wife and family. After retiring, the couple enjoyed visiting family in Louisiana and Texas.
David is survived by his beloved wife Rosalie, his son Jeff (Rae) Murphy of Vermontville, MI, Leslie (Garilee) Murphy of Lafayette, LA, daughter Cinda (Armando) Murphy de Palacios of Houston, TX, sister Juanita Ware of Bay City Texas, 5 grandchildren; Kathryn (Dan Rasey) Murphy, Cassady (Andy) Brege, Aubrey (Tyler) Vandemark, Annie (Gavin Alexander) Murphy and Alexandra (Frank ) Donnelly; and six great-grandchildren, Cormac Murphy Rasey, Padraig Brege, Ailish Brege, Madelynn Murphy Vandemark, Ruby Lee Donnelly, and Aiden Alexander. The family also wishes to acknowledge Dave’s brother-in-law James Elliston for the companionship and assistance he provided as Dave’s health and mobility declined.
He was preceded in death by his parents and sisters Shirley Studt and Susan Hinckley.
Services for Dave will be conducted on Saturday April 20, 2019.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Daniels Funeral Home in Nashville. For further details please visit our website at www.danielsfuneralhome.net
David was born in Woodland, MI on April 12, 1936, the son of the late Verlin and Jeanettte (Miller) Murphy.
He attended local schools Woodland High School. During his junior year Dave left school to embark on a life changing adventure. He headed west where his first job was with a grain harvesting crew moving north from Kansas as the grain ripened. The harvest season led him to South Dakota where he worked as a cowboy, herding and branding cattle from horseback. Dave had become a real life cowboy! In 1955 he returned home to visit his family at Thanksgiving and met his soon to be wife.
After couple married, Dave worked with his father hauling live chickens to Detroit, Chicago, Southern Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. In 1958 they moved to the Texas Gulf Coast where Dave worked on shrimp boats in the Gulf of Mexico. After one of the boats nearly sank, the family returned to Michigan where Dave joined the Industrial Painters Union. In 1965 Dave & Rosalie purchased their farm in Nashville where they raised beef cattle for over 40 years, often herding them by horse just as he’d done in South Dakota. During Dave's career as a painter he painted several local water towers, all of the Lansing Oldsmobile plants, and the exterior of the Capitol dome twice. Dave loved the peace and quiet of the farming lifestyle spending time with his wife and family. After retiring, the couple enjoyed visiting family in Louisiana and Texas.
David is survived by his beloved wife Rosalie, his son Jeff (Rae) Murphy of Vermontville, MI, Leslie (Garilee) Murphy of Lafayette, LA, daughter Cinda (Armando) Murphy de Palacios of Houston, TX, sister Juanita Ware of Bay City Texas, 5 grandchildren; Kathryn (Dan Rasey) Murphy, Cassady (Andy) Brege, Aubrey (Tyler) Vandemark, Annie (Gavin Alexander) Murphy and Alexandra (Frank ) Donnelly; and six great-grandchildren, Cormac Murphy Rasey, Padraig Brege, Ailish Brege, Madelynn Murphy Vandemark, Ruby Lee Donnelly, and Aiden Alexander. The family also wishes to acknowledge Dave’s brother-in-law James Elliston for the companionship and assistance he provided as Dave’s health and mobility declined.
He was preceded in death by his parents and sisters Shirley Studt and Susan Hinckley.
Services for Dave will be conducted on Saturday April 20, 2019.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Daniels Funeral Home in Nashville. For further details please visit our website at www.danielsfuneralhome.net