Muriel G. Gunn Havran

       She was the daughter of Julia Burrus Gunn and Charles Henry Gunn. She was born on October 17, 1921 in Cuthbert, Texas.

      Muriel was raised with three older sisters. Muriel was usually involved in all sorts of activities with her sisters. She and her sisters shared many life experiences over the years.

      Muriel attended Texas Tech with a major in music and a minor in Spanish. She also attended TWC (now TWU) in Denton.

At Texas Tech, she met Ed Havran, her devoted husband of 70 years.

      Muriel worked hard to be a good mother to her children and she did her best to fulfill their needs. Muriel was blessed with one daughter, Susan and two sons, bob and John. Another blessing for Muriel was the gift of five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, Jay, Whitney, Blake, Mark, Holly, Mariel, Charlotte, and AJ.

      Muriel enjoyed her leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. As her children left the nest, she also began to pursue her love of art, excelling in many mediums, including as a portrait painter under the tutelage of Dimitri Vail. She later moved on to tole and craft painting and became renowned for her Father Christmas pieces which were featured in many exhibits in the Grapevine and Colleyville area. She was proud that one of her ornaments was featured on the White House Christmas tree.

      Throughout her life, Muriel was a doer and was always actively involved in professional and community organizations. She was a member of the Trinity Arts Guild for many years and won numerous awards at juried shows and at the State Fair of Texas where she was a long time exhibitor. In her later years, Muriel and her husband Ed worked tirelessly for many local organizations including the Colleyville Chamber of Commerce, the Colleyville Senior Center, and Grapevine Historical Society among others.

      Muriel was a woman who took pride in upholding her beliefs. So it is little wonder that she took an active role in her community, active in all aspects of the community: leading troops of Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts, serving as PTA president as well as president of the “36” Club, Tuesday Study Club, Grapevine Musical Society and many other organizations.

      Muriel’s faith was important to her. She was a long-time member of the Colleyville Church of Christ.

      Though she never set out to gain individual recognition, Muriel was given accolades for her many and varied accomplishments throughout her life. She also received well-deserved recognition for her volunteer work including the 1997 Harriet Griffin Community Service Award presented by the Heritage Southwest Medical Group of Fort Worth and Senior Texas Publications of Dallas, the Colleyville Area Chamber of Commerce Senior Leadership Award in 2000 among others.

      Muriel passed away on October 8, 2016 in Bedford, Texas. She is survived by her children, Susan Havran Carter and husband Jim, Bob Havran and wife Joy Ann, John Havran and wife Susan; Grandchildren, Jay Carter, Whitney Carter Patella and husband Rob, Blake Havran, Mark Havran and Holly Havran; Great Grandchildren, Mariel and Charlotte Paces-Carter and AJ Patella. Services were held at Colleyville Church of Christ in Colleyville, Texas. Muriel was laid to rest in DFW National Cemetery in Dallas, texas.

      Simply stated, Muriel was an individual who will for all time be remembered by her family and friends as being a caring and giving person, someone who was a vital part of their lives. Muriel leaves behind her a legacy of life-long friendships and many cherished memories. Everyone whose life she touched will always remember Muriel G. Havran.

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Muriel Gunn Havran passed away on October 8, 2016, at the age of 94. Memorial Service: Saturday, October 15 at 1:00 p.m. at the Colleyville Church of Christ, 1008 Church Street, Colleyville, Texas 76034, followed by a reception in Fellowship Hall. Memorials: In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the Havran Foundation/ Grapevine Historical Society (P.O. Box 995, Grapevine, TX 76099-0995) or to the Havran Fund, Fort Worth Country Day School, 4200 Country Day Lane, Fort Worth, Texas 76109. Muriel Havran was born on October 17, 1921, in Cuthbert, Texas, a tiny oil town in west Texas, to parents, Julia Burrus Gunn and Charles Henry Gunn. Her father, a wild catter on oil rigs in the area, passed away in her early childhood. Her mother served as post-mistress in Cuthbert until it closed in the 1960s. Muriel had a great love of music and attended Texas Tech with a major in music and a minor in Spanish. At Texas Tech, she met Ed Havran, her devoted husband of 70 years. While Ed fought as an airman in WWII, she also attended TWC (now TWU) in Denton and on February 19, 1945, while Ed was on leave from the European Theater of Operations, they married. The Havrans moved to Grapevine in 1953 and Muriel was a stellar mom for Susan, Bob and John while active in all aspects of the community: leading troops of Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts, serving as PTA president as well as president of the “36” Club, Tuesday Study Club, Grapevine Musical Society and many other organizations. As her children left the nest, she also began to pursue her love of art, excelling in many mediums, including as a portrait painter under the tutelage of Dimitri Vail. She later moved on to tole and craft painting and became renowned for her Father Christmas pieces which were featured in many exhibits in the Grapevine and Colleyville area. She was proud that one of her ornaments was featured on the White House Christmas tree. She was a member of the Trinity Arts Guild for many years and won numerous awards at juried shows and at the State Fair of Texas where she was a long time exhibitor. In her later years, Muriel and her husband Ed worked tirelessly for many local organizations including the Colleyville Chamber of Commerce, the Colleyville Senior Center, and Grapevine Historical Society among others. She also received well-deserved recognition for her volunteer work including the 1997 Harriet Griffin Community Service Award presented by the Heritage Southwest Medical Group of Fort Worth and Senior Texas Publications of Dallas, the Colleyville Area Chamber of Commerce Senior Leadership Award in 2000 among others. She was a long-time member of the Colleyville Church of Christ. She shall be greatly missed. She was preceded in death by her parents, three older sisters, husband, Ed Havran and grandson, Barrett Havran. Survivors: Children, Susan Havran Carter and husband Jim, Bob Havran and wife Joy Ann, John Havran and wife Susan; Grandchildren, Jay Carter, Whitney Carter Patella and husband Rob, Blake Havran, Mark Havran and Holly Havran; Great Grandchildren, Mariel and Charlotte Paces-Carter and AJ Patella