Frances Downing Murphy

Published 10:45 pm Thursday, December 10, 2015

August 26, 1921 – November 18, 2015

Frances Mary Downing was born to HIram Parker Downing and Manie Ayres Downing on August 26, 1921 in Beaverton, OR. Frances passed away on November 18 at her son’s home in Prineville, she was 94 years old.

Frances attended U of O and received her Bachelor’s from OSU. She served in the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve Battalion from 1944-1946 at Camp Pendleton in CA.

She married Robert Murphy on October 4, 1947. They ran the 300 acre family farm in Beaverton then moved to Prineville, OR in 1971 and farmed 400 acres until retirement in 2004. They lived in Fort Mohave, AZ, for several years and Frances moved to Redmond, Oregon in January 2011 after losing the love of her life, Bob, in August of 2010. They had enjoyed 62 years of an exciting and wonderful marriage.

Frances was an avid gardener and was involved in Garden Club, is a life member of the VFW, past officer of Lookout Mtn Grange, Eastern Star. Frances was actively involved in church all of her life, and attended St. Andrews Episcopal Church Prineville, Prineville Presbyterian Church, Holy Spirit Episcopal Church in Bullhead City and St. Albans Episcopal in Redmond, OR.

She will be dearly missed by her three surviving children, Margaret Dean of Winston, OR, John E. Murphy of Prineville, OR and Eileen Fahlgren of Terrebonne, OR. and her 11 grandchildren along with many great-grandchildren.

Frances lived a long and exciting life and loved well. Her wish was to be remembered together with her husband, Bob, who preceded her in death with a memorial at her family burial plot in Tigard, OR.

Her family invites all who knew and loved Frances and Bob to join them on July 23rd at 11:00am at Crescent Grove Cemetery in Tigard for a military funeral followed by a family dinner. Please contact Eileen 541-923-3925 for more information RSVP for the dinner.