Juanita Faye Murrill

JUANITA FAYE (NELSON) MURRILL WAS BORN, JUNE 17, 1929 IN MASON CITY, IOWA TO LUDA H. AND JOHN ALLEN NELSON. JUANITA GRADUATED FROM MASON CITY, HIGH SCHOOL IN 1947 AND ATTENDED GRACELAND COLLEGE, LAMONI, IOWA 1948-49 MAJORING IN MUSIC. IN 1949 SHE MARRIED, EDWARD B. MURRILL IN DENVER, COLORADO AND BOTH PRESIDED THERE UNTIL EDWARD'S RECALL TO THE MARINES AT WHICH TIME HE SPENT ONE YEAR AND HALF IN KOREA. HE WAS DISCHARGED, FEBRUARY 1952. (HE SERVED IN WORLD WAR II IN MANY MAJOR BATTLES). IN 1953 THEY MOVED TO SOUTH BEND, INDIANA. TWO CHILDREN WERE BORN OF THIS MARRIAGE JUANITA WAS WIDOWED IN 1954 AND MOVED BACK TO MASON CITY, IOWA LIVING WITH HER PARENTS UNTIL 1961, AT WHICH TIME JUANITA AND SONS' TOM AND NEAL MOVED TO FORT WAYNE, INDIANA. JUANITA RETIRED FROM FORT WAYNE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS IN 1994. HER SONS' WERE AN INTRICATE PART OF HER LIFE. JUANITA'S LOVE FOR MUSIC WAS NATURAL FROM HER CHILDHOOD ON. HER MOTHER WAS AN ACCOMPLISHED PIANIST; HOWEVER JUANITA WANTED TO BE A SINGER. SHE WAS INVOLVED IN MUSIC ALSO IN COLLEGE. SHE WAS SOLOIST AT PLYMOUTH CHURCH FOR 35 ALL THROUGH SCHOOL AND YEARS AND 30 YEARS AT THE JEWISH TEMPLE "ACHDUTH VESHOLOM". DURING THE YEARS AT PLYMOUTH CHURCH SHE STUDIED VOICE WITH VINCENT SLATER WHILE THERE SANG SOLOS IN MANY BIG ORATORIOS PRESENTED AT THE CHURCH, AND EXPECTED TO SING SOLOS FOR SERVICES. SHE WAS SOLOIST WITH THE PHILHARMONIC CHORUS AND ORCHESTRA. SHE WAS INVOLVED WITH THE OPERA GUILD AND PERFORMED IN SEVERAL OF THESE PRODUCTIONS. AFTER HER YEARS AT PLYMOUTH AND THE TEMPLE SHE SANG IN THE CHOIR AT THE CATHEDRAL OF IMMACULATE CONCEPTION FOR MANY YEARS. JUANITA WAS IN SEVERAL MUSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTIONS. SHE SANG THE NATIONAL ANTHEM AT MANY SPORT EVENTS AT WAYNE HIGH SCHOOL AND THE COLISEUM AND WAS VERY PROUD TO SING THIS WONDERFUL SONG. HER LOVE OF MUSIC SURROUNDED HER AS WELL AS HER FAMILY. HER GRANDMOTHER REMINDED HER AND HER SISTERS THAT THIS WAS A GIFT FROM GOD. JUANITA SANG IN MANY DIFFERENT CHURCHES AND IT WAS OFTEN MENTIONED BY FRIENDS, WHERE WILL WE FIND YOU UP THERE AND HER ANSWER WAS "JUST KEEP KNOCKING ON THE DOORS UNTIL I ANSWER" SHE FOUND SO MANY FRIENDS FROM ALL FAITHS AND FELT SHE LEARNED SOMETHING FROM ALL JUANITA LIVED A FULL LIFE AND FOUND LAUGHED AT THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO HER. JUANITA IS SURVIVED BY HER SON, TOM (MARTY) MURRILL; SISTER, ZELL COTTERELL, OF MASON CITY, IOWA. SHE WAS ALSO PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HER HUSBAND, EDWARD B MURRILL; AND SON, NEAL MURRILL. JUANITA WILL BE INURNED IN ELMWOOD ST JOSEPH CEMETERY, MASON CITY, IOWA. ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN ENTRUSTED TO D.O. McCOMB & SONS LAKESIDE PARK FUNERAL HOME, 1140 LAKE AVE, FORT WAYNE.