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The Homegoing Celebration
for
Voncill Lavern Murphy
Sunrise Sunset
Apr. 25, 1941 Aug. 24, 2018
SERVICES
Saturday, September 01, 2018
11:00am
Pine Hill CME Church
Emerson, AR
INTERMENT
Anderson Cemetery
Emerson, AR
VISITATION
Friday, August 31, 2018 between the hours of 11:30am until 4:30pm
Marks Funeral Home in Magnolia, AR
Obituary
Voncill Lavern Murphy — born the third of seven children to the late Curtis and Dorothy Baker in Emerson, Arkansas — has been called from labor to reward. We commend her for her unusual strength of will as she lingered surrounded by her loved ones these past couple months!
Von attended elementary school at Forest Grove which later became McMittress Elementary and McMittress High Schools. She had fond memories of being one of the students in Emerson to be part of an evolution through three school systems and locations to get to the place where McMittress stood until total integration in 1969 into Emerson Schools.
Von married Thomas Murphy, Jr. in 1958. To this union three boys were born (Arthur, Charles, and James). They resided in Emerson, Arkansas until Junior’s death in the late 60’s. Very seldom did you see the couple without the three boys with them. Years later, Voncill gave birth to another son, Christopher. Chris was the Family “baby” and earned his role as the ‘grandchild conversationlist, talking the ears off’ his Mom and Granddaddy Curtis!” Von loved her children, hard and unconditionally—each in a special way. She poured her ’whole’ body and soul into raising her sons to the best of her ability!
Von joined Pine Hill CME Church at an early age, and had fun walking to Sunday School every Sunday with her siblings and cousins (‘Uncle Charlie’s kids’). She might have been in and out of Church physically, but she never lost her faith! Not too many years ago, she rededicated her life to Christ by coming back to Pine Hill CME Church. Her life was not the easiest one nor the most kind. However, through it all, she did love the Lord. She always eluded to the fact that God is in control and her name for Him was the “Good Lord.”
Voncill was a very private person, kind and gentle, and very seldom did you hear her say a harsh word about anyone. She led a quiet life and mostly kept to herself. She welcomed family and friends visits, but did little visiting herself. She didn’t stay anywhere too long.
She worked at McMittress Cafeteria and later Emerson Schools Cafeteria until she retired in 2003.
Voncill was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Murphy, Jr.; her parents, Curtis and Dorothy Baker, one brother, Alvin Baker; two sons—Arthur Ray Murphy and Ray Charles Murphy all of Emerson, Arkansas; one sister, Ruthie Carson and one brother, Calvin Baker, both of Texarkana, TX.
Remaining to cherish her memories are two sons—James Harold Murphy (Peggy Ann) of Emerson and Chris Murphy (Sharon) of Arkadelphia, AR; seven grandchildren: Gwendoyn Reed (Steve), Thomas Murphy (Nakia); RoDerick Murphy (Whitney); Benjamin Murphy (Adora), all of Emerson; Britanny Murphy of Texar-kana, TX; Tiffany Murphy and Shaquille Murphy of Arkadelphia; one brother, Lawrence Baker (Patsy) of Em-erson; two sisters, Marva Morgan and Barbara Cooper of Wichita, Kansas; eight great-grandchildren, a host of nieces, nephews, first-cousins and several other relatives and friends.
Voncill will be surely missed by those of us who knew and loved her. We salute her for enduring the many forces of stress without being destroyed and for holding on to God’s unchanging hand!
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