558 N. Main St., Prineville, OR 97754 | (541) 447-6205
Born to Omer Thurston Murphy and Florence Bowling Murphy on Oct. 10, 1918 in Hubbard, Ore., Robert Bowling Murphy passed away on Aug. 13, 2010. He was 91 years old.
His family moved to Forest Grove, Ore., when he was nine years old, and he worked in the hops field for his Dad. He did other farm work including hand-milking cows.
After graduating from Forest Grove High School in 1937, Robert worked in a restaurant in Gresham, Ore., and also in the shipyards before enlisting in the army in 1943.
He served overseas in Europe until discharged in 1946. He settled in Salem, Ore., where he worked in a restaurant before working in the garage at Mayflower Farms Dairy.
He married Frances Downing on Oct. 4, 1947. The next year, he moved to Beaverton, Ore., and operated his father-in-law’s farm. He and Frances operated the 300-acre farm, which included a u-pick produce business the last couple years — starting with strawberries in the spring to walnuts in the fall.
They bought a 400-acre farm in 1971 in Prineville on Grimes Road, which they operated until retirement in 2004. Since then they had traveled and lived in their RV and had been residing in Fort Mohave, Ariz., for the last two years.
Robert was a life member of VFW, past officer of the Farm Bureau, past Master of Lookout Mountain Grange.
He was actively involved in church throughout his life, and was a member of Valley Community Presbyterian Church in Raleigh Hills, Ore., for many years. He was a lay reader at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Prineville, charter member of Prineville Presbyterian Church, and attended Holy Spirit Episcopal Church in Bullhead City, Ariz., until the time of his death.
Robert was always helping people in need and he donated generously to many charities. Bob had many friends wherever he went and he loved life and lived it to the fullest.
Robert also loved to travel, with a trip to the Holy Land in 1973, travels of St. Paul in 1976, and Presbyterian Heritage tour in 1980.
He traveled extensively, visiting every state in the United States. He also traveled to Canada , New Zealand and Australia.
Robert is survived by his wife of 62 years, Frances, and his three children; Margaret Dean of Winston, Ore., John E Murphy of Prineville, and Eileen Fahlgren of Terrebonne, Ore., and his older sister Helen Glodt of Salem, Ore.
At his request there will be no memorial service.
