Winifred Lilly Murphey

Winnie Murphey PRINCETON – Winifred ”Winnie” Lily Coward Murphey, 90, passed away Friday, April 4, 2014. Winnie was born May 7, 1923, in Portland, Ore., to Horace and Freida Coward. She spent her early years in Portland, Ore., and San Diego, Calif., with her brother, Bob Coward and many close neighborhood friends. Winnie graduated from Grant High School and continued her education to become a dietician. She met Joseph Allen Murphey Jr. in 1944, and they married in July of that year. The couple’s plans for a life on the West Coast changed when Allen’s mother called and asked them to move to Princeton and help run Hoffman’s Patterns of the Past. Winnie and Alan worked hand-in-hand at Hofffman’s until 2004, when Allen passed away. The couple celebrated 60 years of marriage shortly before he passed. Winnie continued to work at Hoffman’s until 2012. Winnie and Allen were loving parents to five children and their spouses, Judy Murphey, now deceased, Patrick (Julie) Murphey of Metamora, Scott (Meg) Murphey of Princeton, Jelinda (Richard) Morse of Malden and Jane (Claude) Rasmussen of Elizabeth, Colo.; and one grandson, Bryan Lorenzana of Chicago. Winnie was an avid reader and enjoyed cooking and trying new recipes. She was a former board member for Freedom House, a Girl Scout leader and a room mother for all of her children’s school classes. She was involved in Beta Sigma Phi sorority and several Princeton charities. She loved to play bridge and cards with friends and enjoyed her last six years at Greenfield Retirement Home in Princeton, where she met many dear new friends and became involved in many of the activities at Greenfield. Winnie was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Allen; her daughter, Judy Murphey; an infant sister; and her brother, Bob Coward. The family of Winnie Murphey wishes to thank everyone who touched their mother’s and father’s lives. Their children feel truly grateful to have had Winnie and Allen as their parents, and while they will continue to miss them every day, they thank God for the time he gave them with their parents. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Condolences may be emailed to hoffmansinfo@patternsofthepast.com or to Hoffman’s Patterns of the Past, 513 S. Main St., Princeton, IL 61356. A memorial has been set up for VITAS Hospice of Peru. The Norberg Memorial Home, Princeton, is in charge of arrangements.

Winifred Lilly Murphey

May 7, 1923 - April 4, 2014