Mabel E. Murphy

Mabel Elizabeth Murphy left her earthly home in Illinois City to join her Heavenly Father on August 24th, 2018. She was surrounded by friends and family. Services are Wednesday at 12:00 PM at Speer Funeral Home, Aledo. Visitation is from 10:00 AM until time of services. Burial will be in Coal Valley Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Mabel Murphy Memorial Fund.

Mabel was born December 22, 1916, in Coal Valley, Illinois, to Richard Ross and Sarah Elizabeth Woolley Petty, the younger sister of Harry and Margaret. She married Marvin Charles Murphy, son of William Solomon and Eunice “Cindy” Murphy March 7, 1936, in Rock Island, Illinois. They began their married life in Coal Valley and lived in Rock Island, Aledo, and New Boston, Illinois, and Donahue, Iowa, before purchasing their farm in rural Illinois City in 1960 and lived there the rest of their lives.

Mabel took several temporary jobs while raising and training their three children, and finally took a job at Eagle Food Warehouse in Milan, Illinois, where she worked in the non-foods department for twenty years before retiring in March of 1982. She loved gardening after her retirement and shared a love of goats and horses with her husband.

A woman small in stature, she had a heart the size of Texas. Her greatest gifts were her love for her family, her honesty, compassion, nurturing, and unending encouragement to her family and friends, being a major inspiration to her children and grandchildren.

Surviving Mabel are her two daughters, Joyce (John) Arendt, of Illinois City, and Marlene Mayers,(and friend, Clayton Madlung) of Cumberland, Wisconsin; 16 grandchildren, 52 great-grandchildren, 66 great-great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. Proceeding her in death were her husband, one daughter, Betty Jean, son James Raymond (“Murf”), her parents and her brother and her sister.

Condolences may be left at speerfuneralhome.com.