Ruth Mcmurry

Ruth Ann McMurry (91) passed away on Oct 7, 2024, at Iowa Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa. She was born to James William Stocker Hockett and Delpha Lucille (King) Hockett on January 10, 1933, near Unionville, Missouri on the Bill Mathews farm south of the King school house. She was raised and educated in the area, graduating from Seymour Community High School with the class of 1950. After attending Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri for the next two years studying elementary education, she was then employed at Moulton-Udell Community School District as a third-grade teacher.

Later, on June 3, 1953, Ruth Ann married Bob McMurry at the Seymour United Methodist Church in her hometown. Together, they enjoyed a two-week honeymoon before Bob would return to his duties as a Navy corpsman aboard the USS Haven, a hospital ship, during the Korean conflict. After his term of service was complete in 1954, Ruth Ann and Bob settled on their farm north of Seymour to build their lives together. In 1974, they moved east of Seymour to take over the McMurry family farm. After retiring from farming in 2009, Ruth Ann and Bob moved into town on West Lee Street and enjoyed the remainder of their fifty-nine years together until Bob passed away in January of 2012.

Ruth Ann and Bob worked diligently together on the family farm raising cattle, hogs, and chickens, planting and harvesting row crops, baling hay, and enjoying the benefits of maintaining a garden. They were faithful longtime members of the Seymour United Methodist Church singing in the choir and always available to help others in need. Throughout the years, Ruth Ann continued to work with Bob farming and keeping busy with their kids’ activities in school. Ruth Ann enjoyed helping with the annual harvest home dinners at the church making meatballs and served as chairman of the Social Concerns committee. She also loved to play cards every Tuesday with friends, sew, crochet, watch Iowa State football and basketball and visit with family.

Ruth Ann is preceded in death by her loving husband Bob, her sister and brother in-law Lucille and Tom Alley, her brother and sister in-law Dwaine and Patricia Hockett, parents James and Delpha Hockett and son, Cliff McMurry. Left to cherish her memory are her daughters, June (Scott) Lewis of Seymour, and Joyce (Tom) Cortesio of Euless, Texas; grandchildren, Rachel Alvis, Amanda Kirkland, Megan Lewis, Trey McMurry, Hannah Trembath, Alaynah Penick, and Nolan McMurry; great-grandchildren, Quiency Hoskins, Zayden McMurry, Harrison Kirkland, Evalyn Kirkland, Marcus McMurry, Sullivan McMurry, Owen Penick, Sterling McMurry, and Aino Trembath, as well as a host of extended family and close personal friends.

A celebration of life is planned for a later date. Her remains were donated to the Body Donor Program at Des Moines University. Please visit: www.calwellparrish.com for updated service information.