V. Charlene Murrell (Hartville)'s Obituary
Veleeta Charlene Stigall Murrell was born August 8, 1928 in Hartville, Missouri to H.K. (Ned) Stigall and Leota Helen Garner. Her sisters are: Winnolene Stigall Cloud, who died in 1984, and Paulene Stigall Loney.
Charlene graduated from Hartville High School in 1945 at the age of sixteen. She was the Salutatorian of her class. She was awarded a partial scholarship to Drury College, but could not afford the tuition. She took the State Teacher’s Exam and passed it. She taught grades 1-8 at Coon Creek School.
She married Cecil Rhodes Murrell, Jr., on June, 1946 after he returned from serving four years in the Army. After Kathy was born, they moved to Idaho where Junior worked on the Anderson Ranch Dam at Mountain Home. Also working on the ranch and dam were Doyle and Eulis Stigall, Cliff and Edna Stigall, Buck and Ethyl Garner, and Monroe and Marie Garner.
They later moved back to Hartville and lived in the family’s beloved “Rock House.” Cliff and Edna loaned them two hundred and fifty dollars to buy it. Junior trucked and farmed. Margie and David were born there.
They later moved to Granddad Murrell’s farm at Norwood. The farm was known as the Cottengim Farm. Vicki was born while they lived there. She was the second baby born in the then new Mansfield Hospital. They left this farm with next to nothing. The family moved to a house in Mountain Grove for six months and then moved to the Graber place outside Norwood. This was a large, pretty rock house, but it had no bathroom or running water. The bathroom was an outhouse, and water was carried from the spring for drinking, baths, etc. Bill and Kenny were born there.
In 1959 they moved back to the Rock House at Hartville. Lisa was born there. Charlene worked at Tobin Hamilton Shoe Factory in Mansfield, and Junior drove Grade A and Grade C milk trucks for Kraft. The kids attended Manes School. It was always a thrill for the kids to get to go with their dad on the milk routes. He would stop at Jerk Tail for chocolate milk and candy; Junior did many things on the route. He bought clothes and groceries for people and delivered them the next day. A sweet old black couple, John A. and his wife, would send money for Junior to buy their long johns every fall. John A. gave the kids some duck eggs one time and they put them under a banty hen. About six hatched and headed off to the pond. That poor little hen about died when the ducklings jumped into the pond.
In 1968 Junior and Charlene sold the Rock House and moved to the river house. Junior trucked and farmed and Charlene worked for Dr. R.E. Mitchem in Mountain Grove. The conservation department later bought the place and tore down the house and barn and named it Buzzard’s Bluff.
In 1973, they moved to Mountain Grove. Bill, Kenny, and Lisa were still at home. In 1976, the family lost their wonderful father and grandfather, Ned Stigall. Junior trucked with Hirschback Trucking and Sitton Motor Lines. Charlene worked as a bookkeeper at M&G Motor Supply.
In the early 1990’s Charlene and Junior sold the house in Mountain Grove and bought a little ten acre farm about eight miles north of Mountain Grove. While the kids mourned the loss of the big, pretty house in Mountain Grove, Junior and Charlene were very happy with their calves, gardens, birds, and Junior’s beloved dog, Lady. Junior died on August 25, 2001 and is buried in Coon Creek Cemetery. Charlene lived there until 2007 when she sold it and moved to a little house across from the Mountain Grove Vo-Tech School. After some health problems, Charlene sold it in 2013 and moved to the new Country Living Assisted Living just outside Mountain Grove. Charlene lived there until more health problems forced her to move to Hartville Care Center in March 2015. Charlene is survived by one sister, Paulene Loney of Mountain Grove, Missouri; seven children, Kathy and Carlos Levy of St. Mary’s, Georgia, Margie and Randy Matthiesen of Arcadia, Missouri, David and Karen Murrell of Tallahassee, Florida, Vicki and Jim Stewart of Hartville, Missouri, Bill Murrell of Georgia, Ken Murrell of Mountain Grove, Missouri, and Lisa and Terry Sparks, of Mountain Grove, Missouri. Fourteen grandchildren, Gabe and Abbey Levy, Julia and Joe Granieri, Patrick and Ashley Levy, Jaime and Mike Cheaney, Brian Matthiesen, Adam Murrell, Kurt and Ashley Murrell, Jennifer and Chris Stewart, Jason Stewart, Diana and Adam Nelson, Shannon Murrell, Tim and Markie Sparks, and Derek and Kirby Sparks; twenty-four great-grandchildren, Garrett and Griffin Levy, Erica, Kelsey, Drake, Blaise, Britta, Joel, Maren, Heath, and Brooks Cheaney, Haley and Taylor Matthiesen, Abby, Brittany, Courtney, Brandon, and Lauren Stewart, Asher, Levi, and Judah Nelson, Ragen and Bailey Murrell, Owen and Stella Sparks; four more great-grandchildren are due this year.
Memorials may be made to Coon Creek Cemetery and sent to the funeral home at PO ox 236, Hartville, Mo. 65667
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