Helen (Stanton) Murphy, formerly of Curwensville and Clearfield, died following a lengthy illness on Friday, Aug. 7, 2015 at Christ the King Manor in DuBois.
Mrs. Murphy was born in Pottsville, the daughter Jack Stanton and Florence (Murphy) Stanton.
She graduated in 1940 from Cass Township High School in Pottsville. In 1944, she earned her registered nurse’s degree from the Philadelphia General Hospital School of Nursing.
She was a veteran of World War II, enlisting in the U.S. Army following her graduation from nursing school and attaining the rank of lieutenant.
She was stationed at Camp Pickett, Va., where she met her husband, Dr. James H. Murphy. The couple married on June 14, 1945 at Camp Pickett, Va. At the end of the war, they moved first to Philadelphia and then to Dr. Murphy’s hometown of Curwensville.
Mrs. Murphy enjoyed being a wife and mother; she also liked to play golf and to travel. She spent many summers at Chautauqua Lake, a place she loved.
She was a former member of St. Timothy’s Catholic Church, Curwensville and the Clearfield Curwensville Country Club.
She is survived by two daughters, Florence L’Estrange and her husband, John of San Diego, Calif., and Patricia Murphy and her husband, Blair Reese of Curwensville; two sons, James D. and his wife, Bernadette of Westmont, Ill., and Jamison L., a grandson whom Dr. and Mrs. Murphy adopted, and his wife, Maryeileen of Fort Mill, SC.
She is also survived by two grandchildren, Ellen L’Estrange Edwards of San Diego, Calif., and David L’Estrange and his wife, Aew of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia and five great-grandchildren, Ashley Gabrielson and Austin and Allison Edwards, all of San Diego, Calif., Alex Murphy of Fort Mill, SC and Dominic L’Estrange of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the St. Timothy Catholic Church, Curwensville, with Fr. Mark Mastrian as celebrant. Burial will be in the Crown Crest Memorial Park, Hyde.
Military honors will be accorded at the cemetery by the Clearfield VFW and American Legion Posts Honor Guard.
Friends will be received from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Wednesday and from 9:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. Thursday at the Kevin A. Beardsley Funeral Home, Curwensville.
The family suggests that memorial contributions be made to Christ the King Manor, P.O. Box 448, DuBois, PA 15801 or to the Penn Highlands-DuBois Hospice, P.O. Box 447, DuBois, PA 15801.
To sign the online guestbook, go to www.beardsleyfuneralhome.com.
