Melvin Richard Murray

Melvin Richard Murray was born March 31, 1923 to Cecil Velmar and Anna Jane (Fielder) Murray where they lived in a farm house southwest of Paoli, just north of the Washita River. He passed from this life on Saturday, December 20, 2014 in Lexington, Oklahoma at the age of 91 years. He spent most of his life as a youth and adult farming in the Paoli, Wayne, Washington and Maysville areas. He was saved and baptized as an adult at the Maysville Story Baptist Church. Melvin started his adult career as a mechanic for John Deere in 1947 in Pauls Valley, OK where he rented a single room until he married his wife of 61 years, Marjorie Joan Jackson on December 28, 1948 in Purcell, OK. He and Joan spent most of their married life in the Maysville area. Melvin began farming full time “the first time” he liked to say in 1957. He’d spent enough time working on John Deeres that he realized International Harvester equipment was the best way for a man to make a living, and he stayed with red paint until he “retired” from farming in 1977. After retirement he liked to consider himself a voluntary farming consultant. That means since you’re not paying for his advice, he can give it to you whether you like it or not. That business plan worked well for him because he continued it all of his days. Retirement also brought an interest in fishing and gardening. He raised his grandkids to believe that it was never okay to lie unless it was about the size of your fish. His garden managed to grow in size each year. At the end he needed an “H” Farmall to maintain a garden of that size. All of his family and many in the community benefited from the sweet corn that he took great pride in. He claimed that the corn is what allowed him access to all of his favorite fishing ponds. He also enjoyed hunting. Melvin’s survivors include three sons, Collin Murray and wife Linda of Maysville; Ryan Murray and wife Analisa of Paoli; Leland Murray and wife Sandy of Elk City; and one daughter, Rhonda Brown and her husband Larry of Maysville; one sister, Naomi Murray Sharp of Maysville; eight grandchildren, Whitney Degering, Raquel Leach, Tyson Brown, Rana Davis, Jarrod Murray, Maegan Minton, Chance Murray, Clay Murray; thirteen great grandchildren; and two sisters-in-law, Lillian Murray and June Murray, both of Wayne. Melvin also leaves behind a few people he truly considered part of his immediate family--L. Dee Oliphant who was like a brother to him; Paul Arnold who was just like another son; Raymond Murray who was a cousin but as close as a brother; and Shalynn Self, who was a beloved friend and caregiver. He is preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Joan, his brothers, Sidney Murray and C.V. Murray, Jr., and an infant sister, Goldie. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 pm, Tuesday, December 23, 2014 at the Story Baptist Church with Tyson Brown and Tim Carr officiating. Burial will be in the Maysville Cemetery under the direction of John Williams of Winans Funeral Home, Maysville, OK. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.winansfuneralhome.com