Hester Virginia Murphy

Hester Virginia Murphy, 94, of Raytown Missouri, passed away Thursday, July 28, 2016.  On Monday

August 1, 2016, there will be a visitation at 10:00 AM followed by a memorial service at 11:00 AM at Heartland Funeral Home — 6113 Blue Ridge Blvd in Raytown, Missouri. Any and all are welcome to attend. She will be interred in Unity Cemetery in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

Virginia was born August 26, 1921 in Monette, Arkansas and attended Monette High School. She married her husband Mart Augustus Murphy on March 30, 1939 and had 3 children – Michael, Pamela and Tamara. She was very well-traveled and lived in several different countries – Italy, Morocco, Cuba and the Philippines, and several states – California, Wyoming Illinois, and Michigan before finally settling in Raytown Missouri.  And in her travels she has literally gone to every state in our country, and traveled in many other countries.

Virginia, with her husband and their children lived overseas from 1952 to 1978 while Mart worked for the Department of Defense as Superintendent of Schools in: Naples, Italy; Port Lyautey, Morocco; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and the Philippines.  While living overseas, they traveled with their children all over Europe, crossed the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans by air and by ship numerous times.  They traveled all through Europe and Morocco, visited Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, Hong Kong, Russia, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Burma (Myanmar), all over the Philippines, and spent time in Hawaii. Also while living overseas, her husband Mart started the first American dependent schools in Morocco, Rota Spain and Burma (Myanmar).  Virginia herself taught school while they lived in Morocco.

In her ‘retirement’ Virginia decided to start driving a school bus at age 70, and drove a bus for 15 years until age 86.  She was a dedicated employee, and a daily regular at the ‘Bus Barn’ in Raytown, MO.  She was a very reliable and excellent driver, and even won honorable mention at the state School Bus Safety ‘Road-e-o’ her rookie year, which garnered her an article in the Kansas City Star newspaper.

Virginia is preceded in death by her husband, Mart Murphy and son Michael Murphy.  She is survived by her brother, Walter O’Steen, Milwaukee WI, two daughters, Pamela Ferguson, Raytown MO, and Tamara Newman, Raytown MO.  She also has 12 grandchildren, Devon Dallas, Littleton CO, Jennifer Powell, Vancouver WA, Patrick Ferguson, Raytown MO, Jason Ferguson, Raytown MO, Teddy Clawson, Raytown MO, Tim Clawson, Raytown MO, Tiffany Clawson, Raytown MO, Keri Murphy, Raytown MO, and Todd Murphy, Dallas TX, Ashley Newman, Raytown MO, Jessica Davis, Oklahoma City OK, and Emily Newman, Raytown MO, and 16 great grandchildren.

Memorial contributions can be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.