Orilla M. Murray

Orilla M. Murray, 80 years, 6 months, 4 days old, passed to Heaven on Dec. 15, 2016, at her home with her family by her side.
Orilla was born in Norwalk, Calif., on May 11, 1936, to Robert Milton and Bessie Jane (Shaw) Stoaks.
Orilla was a registered nurse and housewife. She graduated from Kansas City College and Bible School in 1955, and then entered nurses training at Trinity Lutheran Hospital where she graduated in 1957. Orilla was a nurses aid at Trinity Lutheran during her college years, and after obtaining her nursing degree she went to work for Swedish Hospital in Englewood, Colo. (Denver area) as an RN until 1960. She then worked at Baptist Memoral Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., until 1962.
Orilla moved to Ava, Mo., to teach at Mt. Zion Bible School.  It was there that she met the young man across the street named Delbert Murray and they were married Sept. 15, 1962. They moved to St. Louis where Cynthia was born. They later moved to Wichita, Kan., where Orilla worked as charge nurse at Wesley Medical Center and the rest of their children were born.
Later the family returned to Ava where she again taught in the Bible School, served as school nurse for Mt. Zion, and continued rearing her family.
With her husband, she joined the local camp of Gideons as a part of the Ladies Auxiliary. When her husband became chief of the Ava Rural Fire Department, she learned a new skill of dispatcher, a role she faithfully filled for many years as “Ava Rural Base 360.”  
She loved teaching Sunday School, VBS, telling stories in preschool and kindergarten and Bible School. The last few years before developing ALS, she would research the background of Christian songs and tell the stories in church. Throughout her life, she invested herself in telling younger generations that “Jesus Loves Them,” as her life’s theme song says, through interesting storytelling.
Above all, Orilla loved the Lord, and she enjoyed teaching children about Christ. She also liked flower gardening, crocheting, and sewing. Most of all she loved being with her family who will miss her love, prayers, and guidance.
Orilla was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, James and Charles Stoaks; a sister, Louise Blackburn; and her father and mother in-law, Chester A. and Iris M. Murray.
Orilla is survived by her husband, Delbert, of the home; two sons, Norman Lee Murray and wife Sheila, of Ashland, Mo., and Delbert Lynn Murray and wife Sherri, of Ava; two daughters, Cynthia Ann Murray, of Columbia, Mo., and Orilla Mae Crider and husband, Michael, of West Plains, Mo.; eight grandchildren, Dwight Murray and wife Audre, Nathaniel Murray, James Crider, Abigail Crider, Milton Crider, Calli Murray and Cooper Murray; as well as many other family and friends.
Funeral services for Orilla were Saturday, Dec. 17, at the Mt. Zion Church of God (Holiness) at 10 a.m. Visitation was Friday, Dec. 16 at Clinkingbeard Funeral Home from 6 to 8 p.m. Burial was in the Mt. Zion Cemetery with honors performed by the Ava Rural Fire Department. Officiating were Dr. Noel W. Scott and Rev. Bob Thompson Jr. Memorials may be made to Mt. Zion Bible School.
Online condolences may be made to www.clinkingbeardfuneral home.com.