Onie Murphy

Onie was born July 25, 1927, in Mounds, the daughter of Alvie and Helen Dixon. She married George J. Murphy on March 18, 1946, and their union lasted 70 years until his death in January 2016. They welcomed 11 children to their union.

Onie was baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness, dedicating her life to Jehovah in 1987. She absolutely loved sharing the good news of the loving provisions from God’s Word, the Bible. She was a member of the Springfield, IL – West Congregation.

Because of her desire to help people, Onie spent her entire career in the healthcare field, having retired from Meridian Manor Nursing Home as Activity Director, which was a job that she loved.

Onie had a love for the outdoors. When she was active, she enjoyed gardening, bird watching and making sure squirrels and rabbits finding refuge in her backyard had enough to eat. She never turned down a good game of Kings, which was her favorite card game. Additionally, she loved her cat, Patches!

In addition to her husband, Onie was preceded in death by her sons, George, Jr. (in 2019) and Daryl (in 2022).

She is survived by five sons, Donald (Jane) Murphy of Springfield, IL, Garry (Diana) Murphy of Wells, ME, Dennis (Nicole) Murphy of Cahokia, IL, Keith (Tawana) Murphy of Bloomington, IL, and Dirk Murphy of Phoenix, AZ; four daughters, Sandra (Carletos) Meeks of Carterville, IL, Janice (Lynn) Clark of Marion, IL, Lora Murphy of Tempe, AZ, and Kimberly Murphy of Queen Creek, AZ; her loving daughter-in-law, Ann (George, Jr) Murphy of Harker Heights, TX; as well as 13 grandchildren and a host of great-grandchildren. Additionally, surviving her are three beautiful sisters that she loved dearly, Ella Shelton, Deanna Edwards, and Bobbie Morris, as well as her loving sisters-in-law, Rose Murphy and Marcina Murphy. She is survived by a host of nieces and nephews that she loved dearly and many special friends.

Private family ceremonies were held. The family will host a Memorial honoring Onie on for March 9, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 4800 Old Jacksonville Road, Springfield, IL. The Memorial is also available via Zoom for those who may be ill or unable to attend in person (please contact family for the link).

The family is being served by Butler Funeral Home-Springfield, 900 S. 6th St., Springfield, IL.