Margaret Mary “Mickey” Murray, 93, passed away just 17 days short of her 94th birthday in the early morning hours of December 28, 2023, at Ascension Via Christi St. Teresa, Wichita, Kansas. She was born on January 13, 1930, in Great Bend, Kansas, to William and Vernie (Banks) Murphy. Mickey met the love of her life during her senior year of high school, and married Walter Lyle “Walt” Murray on September 2, 1952, in Las Cruces, New Mexico, while Walt was stationed at Ft. Bliss, El Paso, Texas, serving in the U.S. Army.
The couple then moved back to Great Bend later that year and bought a house on 21st Street, surrounded by great neighbors who became family. During those early years of marriage, Mickey and Walt spent lots of weekends at area lakes fishing and water skiing. 18 years later, they welcomed their only daughter, Merry.
Mickey worked at Petroleum Inc. and as a home health aide for S.R.S. She was a Camp Fire Girl’s leader and Sunday School volunteer for First United Methodist Church. Mickey moved to Wichita in February 2015 to live with Merry and her husband, Gordon Wayne Rogers, selling her home of over 60 years in Great Bend.
Survivors include her daughter, Merry, and son-in-law Wayne, of Wichita; granddog, Gus; sister-in-law, Mildred Marston of Lindsborg; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband in 2009; her parents; parents-in-law, Walter T. and Esther Murray; six siblings, Earl, George, Jack, Jimmy, Verna Krom, and Pat Breitkreutz; sisters-in-law, Betty Murphy and Willadean Murphy; brother-in-law, Melvin Murray; and several nieces.
Visitation will be held from noon to 8:00 p.m., Thursday, January 4, 2024, at Bryant Funeral Home, with family to receive friends from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Friday, January 5, 2024, at Bryant Funeral Home, with Pastor Tim Bever presiding. Interment will take place at Great Bend Cemetery. Memorials have been designated to the Kansas Humane Society, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.