Murray S. Pulver

Murray was born on March 21, 1919 on a homestead near Terry, Montana. His parents were Viola and Sidney Pulver. He had four siblings: an older brother, Thornton; a younger brother, George, an older sister, Jessie and a younger sister, Dorothy. He was raised in Montana until he was six and then his family went to visit Wayne County, New York. His mother loved all the fruit and berries and the family decided to make their home in Sodus, New York.

Murray was raised to be accepting of others and to implement a strong personal work ethic. He had a strong desire to be treated fairly and would readily offer others the same fairness in return. He participated in baseball and when he had time he liked hunting, fishing and trapping. His most memorable achievement from his childhood was “working hard on the farm”.

Known to others as a focused, logical and open-minded individual, Murray was able to utilize these qualities to succeed in high school. He preferred to learn through employing a hands-on approach. He was good with facts and had an excellent memory. He was a strong, tall young man which made him a perfect match for athletics. He was a track athlete and the star pitcher for the high school baseball team and earned the Athlete of the Year Award.

Friends and acquaintances found Murray an easy man to get to know and those close to him would often praise his open and practical style of communication. He was uncomplicated and straightforward in his relationships, which allowed him to accept people from all walks of life. In his adult life his close friends were Jay Silsby, Bob Lisle, and Vince Printup. After retiring in Arizona he became friends with members of The Congregational Church of Sun City, Hospice of the Valley volunteers, Legion of Valor members, residents at the Montecito and several friends of his son and grandson. After publishing his book and visiting Europe he made many friends and has kept in contact with several in France, Holland and Belgium.

Murray was a problem solver who worked hard to help accomplish group goals. This skill made him a wonderful asset to the various groups and organizations to which he belonged. Murray worked diligently to meet any organization’s goals. Throughout his adult life he was active as a member of the Volunteer Firemen, the Masonic Lodge, a life member of the VFW, a 66 year member of the American Legion, a member of The Legion of Valor and The Military Order of the World Wars. He held close traditional values and as a result faith was important to him. He was a member of the Orangeport United Church of Christ for over 60 years and The Congregational Church of Sun City for 27 years. Over those years he served on several committees and as a deacon and President of the Men’s Club. He also served as stage manager for the West Valley Symphony for several years.

On February 28, 1942 Murray exchanged weddings vows with Mabel Anne Schoen at the Church of the Wayfarer in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Murray and Mabel were blessed with two children, one son, Wayne and one daughter, Ellen. They were also blessed with 5 grandchildren, Albert, Tyson, Jonathan and Katherine Brower and Neil Pulver as well as 2 great grandchildren, Jack Tyson Brower and Aria Mabel Brower.

Murray was an Army veteran. He trained at various Army Posts in the U.S., was stationed in Maui in 1943 and then was sent to the European Front in 1944 until the end of World War II. He showed leadership qualities and could make tough decisions when he was called upon to do so. He achieved the rank of Captain and was a Company Commander. He was awarded several medals for his acts of valor including those during the Battle of the Bulge. These included a Distinguished Service Cross, a Silver Star, a Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster, and three Purple Hearts. He was inducted into The U.S. Army Infantry Hall of Fame in 2005 at Ft. Benning, Georgia.

His primary occupation was farming. He was a self-employed farmer then Farm Estate Manager for Wethersfield Farm in Dutchess County, New York.

In retirement, he decided to relocate to Sun City, Arizona to be close to family. He found pleasure in church activities and bowling. He loved baseball and watched baseball, baseball and more baseball!! He enjoyed all levels from Little League to the Majors in both softball and baseball. He and his wife, Mabel, enjoyed travelling. Favorite vacations included trips to Europe to visit towns liberated during WWII, an Alaskan cruise, as well as trips to Seattle, Costa Rica and Venezuela.

He was author of the book The Longest Year, a memoir of his service in Europe during WWII and was interviewed by Col. Oliver North and featured in episodes of War Stories on the History Channel.

Murray passed away on September 21, 2012 at Hospice of the Valley, Sun City, AZ. He is survived by his children, Wayne (Betsey) Pulver, Ellen (David) Brower, , grand children, Albert (Ann) Brower, Neil Pulver, Tyson (Christine) Brower, Jonathan Brower, Katherine Brower and great grand children Jack Brower and Aria Brower. Services will be held at the National Cemetery on November 14, 2012.

Murray was the kind of person who could win others over easily. He was a great communicator and relied on his humor to relate a seemingly endless supply of quips, anecdotes, jokes and stories to his friends. On his serious side, he enjoyed relating stories about his experiences growing up and describing events during World War II to everyone who would listen. He would want everyone to remember that “Freedom is not Free!” .