Dorothy Murphy

Dorothy Mae (Erickson) Murphy died April 3, 2005, after a long illness. The memorial mass will be 1 p. m. , Wednesday, April 6, 2005 at St. Joseph?s Catholic Church, Killdeer, with Fr. Jerry Ruelle, O. S. B. celebrating. Dorothy Erickson was born July 30, 1921 in Sioux City, Iowa, the daughter of William Erickson and Alice (Wheeler) Erickson. She graduated with honors from Central High School in Sioux City, Iowa in 1940. She fell in love at first sight with John Redmond (Jack) Murphy during the time she worked as a secretary for Progressive Farmers at the Sioux City Stockyards, where Jack worked as a brand inspector. They were married May 15, 1941, six months after they met, at St. Boniface Catholic church in Sioux City. In 1946, they moved to North Dakota to help Jack?s brother Hugh Murphy operate the family cattle ranch at the Killdeer Mountains. Dorothy served on the Foundation for Dickinson State University for many years, was active in the Republican party, The Happy Club, and was a member of St. Joseph?s Catholic Church in Killdeer. She was also a charter member of the North Dakota Cowbelles. Dorothy?s greatest contributions to the world were the things for which there are no awards, but are the things that truly make life worth living. She was patient, kind, beautiful, optimistic, and happy. She loved her husband, her children, her grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren simply for who they were. She taught by example, with her dignity, intelligence, humor, romantic nature, how to appreciate the beauty to be found in every day. She had quiet strength. She truly was the ?wind beneath our wings?. She will be sorely missed. She is survived by her daughters Patricia Jean (Steve) Goodall of Dickinson, North Dakota, Joan Eleanor (Steve) Braun of Seattle, Washington, Leone Rae (Lynn) Linseth of Killdeer, North Dakota, Shirley Jane (Dean) Meyer of Dickinson, North Dakota, Rose Marie (Bob) Hansen of Dickinson, Donna Mae (Ed) Trotter of Vernal, Utah, Colleen Zane Murphy and Daryl Kling of Killdeer, North Dakota, and her son Thomas John Murphy of Killdeer, North Dakota. She is also survived by 23 grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Jack, her daughter Mary Kay Moe Curtis, her son Hugh Redmond Murphy, Uncle Hugh, three sisters, one brother, and her parents.


Burial Date: April 6, 2005
Funeral Home Killdeer, ND

Memorial Mass: Wednesday, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Killdee