Leona Elsie Moss Murphy

is honored with a Medium Paver from Dr. Barry L. and Jane P. Murphy.

Leona Elsie Moss was born on the cold morning of January 22, 1907, in a little rock house in rural Lincoln County, Kansas. Her parents owned and operated a threshing machine and the family moved frequently through Kansas and Colorado during the harvest season. Her mother, older sister, and Leona shared the responsibilities and chores of the cook shack for the harvest crew.

Leona attended grade school in Lincoln, Kansas, and parts of seventh and eighth grades in Greeley, Colorado, during the bean harvest season. Leona attended Lincoln High School where she enjoyed a large group of friends. Although she and her friends did not have much money, they took part in many activities. Leona was in a band, played a ukulele, and appeared in one-act plays. She took Normal Training Classes, sang in Glee Club, and served as a class officer. She was also a leader in Girl Reserves and attended their state conference in Topeka.

After Leona graduated from high school, she began to teach. At her first school in rural Lincoln County, she had 19 pupils in eight grades, and Leona was only a few years older than some of her students. During the school year she stayed in the home of a nearby family. Leona taught for several years in rural schools and attended summer school at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley.

Often Leona tells the story of her marriage to Victor Murphy. They were both taking summer school classes in Greeley. After summer school she was going to ride back to Kansas with Vic, but her mother would not let her unless they were married. She gives her mother credit for their marriage in Greeley on August 23, 1931. They then returned to Kansas--together!

Leona and Vic continued to teach in Lincoln County schools during the school year and farm during the summers. They each served as County Superintendent from 1938 until 1945 when they purchased and moved to their own farm in the Denmark community of Lincoln County. Their son, Barry Leon Murphy, was also born in 1945.

After the arrival of their child, Leona stayed at home for ten years and then returned to teaching. She and her son both graduated from college the same year. In 1967, he graduated from the University of Kansas and she graduated from Ft. Hays State University. Leona says she got her college "the hard way" with summer school, night classes, and correspondence.

Leona retired in 1973 with a total of 31 1/2 years of teaching--17 1/2 years in rural schools, 14 years in Lincoln, plus two years as County Superintendent. She also served as president and vice president of Lincoln County Teachers Association and belonged to KKI, a teachers sorority.

The Murphys also helped raise other children who needed homes. When their son was four years old, they read in the newspaper about a 14 year old homeless boy. They drove to Salina to meet him and he spent two years living with their family. Other children stayed with them for shorter periods of time. In 1956, they began raising a ten-year-old motherless nephew, Jere Miller, who lived with them through high school.

As parents, Leona and Vic supported their children's participation in 4-H Clubs, music lessons, summer baseball programs, and high school sports and activities. They also taught Sunday School classes at the Lincoln Presbyterian Church and at the Denmark Lutheran Church.

In the community, Leona became active in the Denmark Ladies Aid Society, the Denmark Hall Association, and farm organizations. She served as an officer and is a life member of the Eastern Star.

During retirement years, Leona and Vic traveled, moved from the Denmark farm to a house in Lincoln, and enjoyed time with friends and family. They observed their 50th, 60th and finally their 64th wedding anniversary.

Leona's husband entered Mid-America Nursing Home in Lincoln in 1991 at 85 years of age. During the four and one-half years he lived there, Leona visited him daily, took him home for afternoon visits, and was his companion and advocate. The nursing home became the center of her life. She visited with other residents and staff, many of whom had been her former students. She also attended church services and social events there.

After Vic's death, Leona continued to live in her own home until she was 91 years old. At that time, she also entered Mid-America Nursing, Home. There she enjoys the residents, staff, visitors, and social activities. She feels fortunate that she does "not have an ache or pain in her body." Leona often shares her memories of a happy childhood, her love of teaching, her long and happy marriage, and how she and Vic loved to dance.

Leona is proud to be the mother of Barry Murphy, M.D., a cardiologist in Wichita. The nephew she and Vic raised, Jere Miller, lives in Russell, Kansas, and keeps in touch with her. As the grandmother of college students, Leona loves to hear about their classes and activities. Patti and Janette Miller are students at Ft. Hays State University. John Murphy, graduate of St. Olaf College, is a student at Kansas University Medical Center. Mark David Murphy is a student at Wichita State University and is the WSU connection to Leona Murphy's honor in the Plaza of Heroines.

Submitted with love by Jane Porter Murphy, daughter-in-law

September 12, 1998