Cecil Ivy Murphy “COTTON” JUNE 1919 – DEC 2009
Cecil was born to William Emmett and Mattie Beatrice (Perminter) Murry in Idalou Texas on June 10, 1919, one of eleven children. His sister Lillie Bryant and brother John Murry survive him. He died of congestive heart failure on December 30, 2009. Cecil is preceded in death by his wife Lavena (Owens) Murry and survived by his children and their families including; Carl and Linda Murry of Tuolumne, their children Sean Murry, Kerry Bachtelle, Heather Cordero, Ben Murry, Andrea Fuentes and Krista Richardson; Donald and Peggy Murry of Groveland and their children Kelly Hawkins, Aimee Murry and Kyle Murry; Margaret and Gerald Coburn of Denair and their children Gerald Coburn, Todd Coburn and Cosetta DePalma; Kennith and Sue Murry of Denair and their children Jennifer Murry and Jacob Murry, and twenty-one great grand children.
Cotton and Lavena were married in 1938 while he was working as a farm laborer and was known as renowned pruner. After homesteading in New Mexico and share cropping apple farms in Soulsbyville they purchased a ten-acre farm in Denair. In 1948 they purchased the twenty-five-acre Quality Fruit Ranch. Over the years they farmed over one hundred acres in the Denair area Cecil was an outstanding farmer producing over forty-two tons of peaches per acre and was featured in several magazine articles.
He was a member of several agriculture organizations including Farm Bureau, Gratton Grange, and co-ops Cal-Can, Tri-Valley and Blue Diamond. He served on the school boards of Gratton Elementary and Hughson High Schools and was Scout Master of Troop 33.
His loves included baseball, softball and fishing. He loved playing baseball until he lost three fingers in a farm accident. He then became the coach/manager of the Hughson Merchants and several area softball teams. He was a long time member of The Church of Christ in Waterford and Hughson and a life-long Christian.
Visitation was held Monday January 4 from 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM at Allen Mortuary 247 N Broadway Turlock, California. Private graveside services will be held Tuesday at Denair Cemetery. In lieu of flowers remembrances may be made to Community Hospice, Inc. at 4368 Spyres Way, Modesto, CA 95356-9259.
