Estel Murphy

Estel L. Murphy, 81, a resident of rural Churubusco, passed away at 4:10 p.m. on Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at the VA Northern Indiana Healthcare System in Fort Wayne. He had been in failing health for some time and had been a patient there for one day. Mr. Murphy was born on December 13, 1933 in Noble County near Cromwell. He spent his formative years in that area and graduated from Cromwell High School in 1951. As a young man he served with the U.S. Air Force and graduated from International Business College in Fort Wayne in 1959. On June 28, 1959 he was married in Hudson, Michigan to Mary Ann Terrill, and lived all of his adult life in Noble and Whitley Counties. He had owned and operated an accounting office in Churubusco for several years and also worked as the plant manager for Troy Textile Service Plus in Fort Wayne, retiring from there in 2002. Following his retirement he enjoyed working at the front gate of Chain-O-Lakes State Park for ten years. He was a member of the Gilbert Davis American Legion Post 157 in Churubusco and attended Green Center United Methodist Church. In his leisure time he enjoyed horseshoe pitching, fishing, hunting, and painting. The surviving relatives include his wife Mary Ann, to whom he was married for over 56 years; a son David (Sue) Murphy of Churubusco; a foster daughter Lori McNees of Mentone; two sisters Mary Anna Leitch of LaOtto and Linda Hontz of Kimmell; three brothers George (Wanda) Murphy of Fort Wayne, Floyd (Carol) Murphy of Syracuse, and LeRoy (Lana) Murphy of Fort Wayne; five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by a daughter Heather Murphy on September 3, 1989; and by a son Thomas L. Murphy on July 7, 1999. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 18, 2015, at the Sheets & Childs Funeral Home in Churubusco with Rev. John Schell, pastor of Green Center United Methodist Church, officiating. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Saturday from 2 to 6 p.m., or one hour prior to the service Sunday afternoon. Interment with military graveside rites will be in the Thorn Cemetery, Ormas. For those who wish, memorials may be directed to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675 ***************************************************