Betty Murray

Elizabeth (Betty) Lois Murray of Overland Park, KS (formerly of Sun City West, AZ and Dubuque, IA) died peacefully at her home on January 29, 2014. She was born March 13,1920 to Benjamin Franklin and Arminta Velmer Goldthorpe Klauer in Dubuque. Betty married S. Frank Murray on August 10, 1941. They were married 56 years until Frank’s death in 1997. They had four children: Ann Virginia Burns, Francis Roger Murray, Ted Joseph Murray, and Susan Murray Foley. Betty graduated from Dubuque Senior High School and attended Clarke College and Bayless Business College in Dubuque.

Betty was an active member of the Church of the Nativity, the Catholic Mother’s Study Club, the Mercy Hospital Auxiliary, and involved in other community activities in Dubuque. Betty and Frank were long time members of the Dubuque Golf and Country Club. She was an avid bridge player and loved playing golf. Betty worked side by side with Frank building a successful business, Telafax Communications Systems, Inc. Over the years they enjoyed traveling throughout the world.

For many years Betty and Frank spent a great deal of time in Arizona, living in Scottsdale and moving to Sun City West in 1980. There she was a member of Briarwood Country Club and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. She moved to the Kansas City area in 2002.

Betty was the fifth of six children: Eleanor (Ted) Buechele, Ruth (Erwin) Spahn, Virginia (Henry) Koester, Ben (Peg) Klauer, and Dr. Roger (Kathy) Klauer all of Dubuque. Roger Klauer survives her.

Surviving are her children: Ann V. Burns (Dennis) of Leawood, KS; Dr. F. Roger Murray of East Dubuque, IL; Dr. Ted J. Murray (Carol) of East Dubuque; and Susan Murray Foley (Kevin) of Nashville, TN.

Also surviving are twelve grandchildren: Mark Burns (Sara) of Dubuque; Dr. Ted Burns (Bonnie) of Charlottesville, VA; Dr. Jeff Burns (Jennifer) of Leawood; Ben (Allison) Murray of Dubuque; Kate Murray of Tampa, FL; Anna (Jim) Francois of Dubuque; Dr. Kristen (Tim) Berning of Dubuque; Jenny (Jef) Field of Carmel, CA; Dr. Alexia Murray of Kansas City, MO; Lucas Foley of Nashville; Alexandra (Ali) Foley of Nashville; and Samantha Foley of Santa Monica, CA.

Betty had 27 great grandchildren: Elizabeth, Margaret, Kathryn, Simon Burns of Dubuque; Charles, Elizabeth, Sarah Burns of Charlottesville; Sydney, Anna, Taylor, Ryan, Daniel, Matthew, Thomas, Andrew, Samantha, Mark Burns of Leawood; Brielle, John, Ted, Clara Berning; Charles and Cecilia Murray; Lauren and Peyton Francois all of Dubuque; Lorna (Lolly) Hunt of Tampa; Shyla Field of Carmel.

Internment will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Dubuque in March. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions are suggested to the S. Frank Murray and Betty Klauer Murray Scholarship at Loras College, 1450 Alta Vista, Dubuque, IA 52004 or Dr. Jeffrey Burns, M.D. at the KU Alzheimer’s Disease Center, 4350 Shawnee Mission Pkwy, MS 6002, Suite 1200, Fairway, KS 66205.

The family would like to express its appreciation for the wonderful caregivers at Sweet Life of Brookdale, Brookdale Hospice, and Aberdeen Village.