Raymond O. McMurry

Raymond O. McMurry, 84, passed away Sunday, April 18, 2010. Memorial services will be held at 10:30 AM, Wednesday, April 21, at First United Methodist Church with Rev. John H. Sanders, pastor of the church officiating. Private family burial will be in Dumas Cemetery with flag detail by American Legion Post 224 of Dumas. Arrangements are by Morrison Funeral Directors. R.O. was born September 15, 1925 in Dumas to John Albert and Sallie Burnett McMurry at the home of his grandmother, Mrs. O.B. Burnett. R.O. was the grandson of T.M. and Vannie McMurry and O.B. and Lizzie Burnett of Memphis. Both families came to Texas from South Carolina and Georgia in the late 1800s and settled in Hall County where they were farmers and ranchers and raised large families. He attended Dumas public schools and grew up farming and raising cattle in a large family involved in early day Moore County agriculture. In his youth he worked for the Hagy, Weymouth, Taylor and Sneed Ranches until his enlistment in the US Army. He served in the 9th Army, 75th Division from 1943 through 1946 and was with the European Infantry in the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium. He attained the rank of Staff Sergeant and was awarded the Purple Heart. In 1947, at the family farm in Dumas he married Mary Lou Murphy. She preceded him in death in 1972. In 1974 he married Freda Beauchamp. R.O. farmed and ranched his entire life. He began irrigation farming in 1955 and was active in many organizations in the area. He was a charter stockholder for Dumas Cattle Feeders and went on to operate Dumas Cattle Service, a cattle feeding lender, with George Diedrichsen of Nebraska and local owner of Dumas Cattle Feeders. He was a former Director of the First National Bank of Dumas, coowner of W.D. Jones Drilling Co. and served on various levels of the Soil Conservation Service. He was a director of Dumas CoOp and a lifelong member of the First United Methodist Church, serving on the administrative board and the finance committee. He enjoyed supporting the youth in various ways and was a generous supporter of the Moore County Livestock Show and Moore County 4H where he received various awards for his involvement. R.O. was a member of Texas Cattle Feeders Association, had farms in Moore and Hartley counties, and stocked and owned a ranch in Roy, New Mexico. In 1995 he was named Farmer Rancher of the year by the Dumas Chamber of Commerce. R.O. will be remembered by those who knew him and worked with him as a well rounded American who remained faithful to his family, his community and his country. Survivors include his wife, Freda of the home son David McMurry and wife, Claudia of Amarillo daughter Carol White and husband, Steve of Amarillo grandchildren Andrew McMurry and wife, Brooke of Dumas, Sarah McMurry of Lubbock, John and Philip White of Amarillo greatgrandchild, Caroline of Lubbock stepchildren, Toni Jones and husband Bobby of Hereford, Mike Beauchamp of Texline sisters, Sue Lewis and husband Gordon, Vannie Beauchamp, all of Dumas, Doris Neie and husband, Durwood of Amarillo 3 stepgrandchildren, 4 stepgreatgrandchildren and numerous extended family. The family wishes to express their gratitude to the staff of Memorial Nursing Center and Memorial Hospice for the loving care R.O. received in his last days. We also want to thank the many friends and family who came by and sat with him and visited. The family suggests memorials be to First United Methodist Church, Scholarship Fund, PO Box 395, Dumas, TX 79029 or to Memorial Hospice, 224 E. 2nd, Dumas, TX 79029. The family will be at 210 Bailey in Dumas. The family will receive friends from 7:00 to 8:00 PM, Tuesday at Morrison Funeral Directors.