MURRAY, JO NEWTON (1921 ~ 2022). The following is an obituary for Jo Murray, spouse of former Texas Railroad Commission Chairman William "Bill" Murray. The obituary was provided by Weed, Corley, Fish Funeral Home of Austin.
Emma Jo (Newton) Murray, of Austin and Canyon Lake, died on September 1, 2022. She was 101.
Jo was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, adventurer and pioneer. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, William James Murray, Jr. (Bill), her daughter, Marsha Wilson and her son, William James Murray III. She is survived by her daughter, JoAnna Schultz Osterman and husband Dick, daughter Janice Stoley and husband John, and daughter-in-law Deborah Murray; grandchildren Ron and Courtney Schultz, Dr. Randall and Kimberly Schultz, Bennett and Helen McCarroll, Deidre Stoley, Dade Stoley and William James Murray IV (Jamie); and beloved great-grandchildren Will, Anna, and Hayley Schultz, Katherine and Maggie McCarroll, Audrey and Megan Schultz, and Bentley and Daegan Stoley.
Jo graduated from high school in 1938 as Valedictorian. She attended John Tarleton College, where she was elected freshman favorite. After marriage to Bill in 1939, she attended Kilgore Junior College and then transferred to and graduated from the University of Texas in 1949. In 2001, she received her fifty-year service pin from the American Red Cross. During those five decades, Jo served as Chairman, Secretary, and Public Information Chairman of the Travis County Red Cross Board of Directors. On the national level, she was the youngest woman elected to the National Red Cross Board of Governors, and she served as chairman of the first Texas Red Cross Conference held in 1956. She was president of Texas Radio Women in 1950 and was one of the first women to serve on a Travis County Grand Jury. From 1953-1957 she held several positions with the United Fund: Public Information Chairman and Executive Committee member. She served as a Delegate to the White House Conference on Children & Youth, Member on the Ladies Home Journal Forum on Higher Education, and Member on The National Probation & Parole Commission. She lobbied successfully for the institution of a statewide Juvenile Probation & Parole System and served as Vice-Chairman of the Texas Institute on Children & Youth.
Jo was an avid fly fisherman - and the only female certified fly-fishing guide in Summit County, Colorado on Medicare.
The Murray Family cannot begin to express their appreciation enough for the friendship of the late Mark J. Brannon, Jr., Bill Murray’s lifelong best friend and the continued love and support by his wife, Helen Brannon and their sons Richard (Dick) Brannon and wife Liz, Jack Brannon and wife Mara, Mark Brannon III and wife Ricki, along with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Also, a very special thank you to Debbie Womble whose caring assistance over the years has been invaluable.
The family also wishes to express profound thanks to those who cared for Jo: friends Al and Juanita Moreno; Meredith Clark and her wonderful Home Well personnel including Marcela (Marcy) Sierra, Cindy Rodriguez and Nicolette Murray; and Elara Hospice and their compassionate nurse Kayla Lee.
A graveside service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, September 16, 2022, at the Texas State Cemetery, 909 Navasota St., Austin, TX 78702. Pallbearers will be Jo's grandchildren.
Memorials may be sent to the University Presbyterian Church, 2203 San Antonio St., Austin, TX 78705 or to the University of Texas School of Engineering, William J. (Bill) Murray, Jr. Endowed Chair of Engineering, 301 E. Dean Keeton St., Austin, TX 78712. Arrangements by Weed Corley Fish Funeral Home, 5416 Parkcrest Dr., Austin, TX 78731.
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