Jane E. Murphy Wood

Jane Lucille Ehmann was born to George and Linda Ehmann of Chicago, IL on January 13th, 1932. She grew up in Evanston, IL and attended Haven Elementary School and Evanston Township High School. While attending DePauw University she was active in Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and graduated in 1953. She then worked in the trust department of the State Bank and Trust in Evanston, IL.

She married Donald Plankerton Murphy of Evanston, IL on July 16, 1954, living in Northbrook, IL and Indianapolis, IN until his death in 1970. She remarried on September 23, 1972 to James Covert Wood of Indianapolis, living in Indianapolis, IN and Lawrence, IN until his death in 2019.

She was active in many organizations over the years, but as a Christian woman of faith, church was highest among them, having been a member of First Presbyterian Church of Evanston, IL, Village Presbyterian Church of Northbrook, IL, Lawrence United Methodist Church of Lawrence, IN, and St. Luke's United Methodist Church of Indianapolis, IN.

She was also active in her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, in their Alumni Assn and DePauw University Chapter House Board. She was a PTA board member of Greenbriar Elementary in Northbrook, IL and a PFO board member at Belzer Junior High and Lawrence Central High Schools in Lawrence, IN.

She was a member or served in other organizations, among them Alpha Kappa Delta National Sociology Honorary, Beta Beta Latreian Service Sorority, Fall Creek Questers, PEO Chapter of Indianapolis, and North Suburban YMCA Women’s Board of Northbrook, IL.

Most special of all to her, though, are her four children: Mark Murphy (Marianne) of Fergus Falls, MN, Jim (deceased on Feb. 2024) Wood (Karen) of Westfield, IN, Linda Gilmore (Greg) of Carmel, IN and Dawn Jones (Bob) of Nevada, MO; her 10 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.

To all in the family, she became just “Grammy”…and Grammy, we will miss you!

Jane requested that in lieu of flowers, any remembrances be sent to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.