Marilyn Olive Murphy (Delaney)

SIOUX CITY | Marilyn Murphy, 91, of Sioux City passed away Monday, May 28, 2012, at her residence, surrounded by her family and friends.
Memorial services will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Sioux City, with Monsignor Roger Augustine and the Rev. Michael Erpelding officiating. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. Visitation for all of Marilyn’s friends and family will be 4 to 8 p.m. today, with a St. Therese Study Club rosary at 4 p.m., the family present 6 to 8 p.m. and a prayer service at 7 p.m., at the Briar Cliff University-Our Lady of Grace Chapel. Arrangements are under the direction of Larkin Chapel, Christy-Smith Funeral Home.
Marilyn was born on April 24, 1921, in Ponca, Neb., the daughter of Raymond C. and Mary F. “Molly” (Davey) Delaney but was a lifelong resident of Sioux City. She was a child of the Great Depression. She attended and graduated midyear from Central High School in 1939. She served in the U.S. Navy in World War II (1943) as an air traffic control operator in Olathe, Kan. Upon her return to Sioux City after the war, she attended and graduated from Briar Cliff College in 1946. After college, Marilyn was employed as a probation officer for Woodbury County.
Marilyn married Raymond William “Murph” Murphy on Sept. 23, 1947, in Sioux City. They had three children, Tim, Molly and Maggie. Marilyn’s first priority was her family. Murph passed away on Oct. 24, 1976, in Sioux City.
Marilyn loved a good game of poker, rooting for the Detroit Tigers, listening to and attending Tina Turner concerts, watching Greta Garbo, Meryl Streep, Dame Judi Dench and Helen Mirren movies. She would always share good movies with friends and family who gathered around the kitchen table for enjoyment or “necessary conversations.” There was rarely a Sunday when Marilyn wasn’t cooking for family and friends who stopped by.
Throughout her life she loved her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren unconditionally and wanted to leave the world a better place. With that understanding, she volunteered on various committees and boards. In 1973, she began her career as the first diocesan Social Concerns Facilitator/Rural Life Contact for Catholic Charities in Sioux City. She held this full-time position until she was 88 years old. She continued to inspire, mentor and serve on boards until her death.
Marilyn was a voice for the voiceless. She struggled for equality and justice throughout her life and was an advocate for those who were in need. Marilyn stated in a Sioux City Journal article, “We must work to promote goodwill and understanding among the various racial, religious, and ethnic groups in the community. We have to remember what Martin Luther King said: "Unless we learn to live together ..., we shall all perish as fools.'" She was a leader and mentor whose generosity and wisdom inspired women and men. She served on local, area and state boards and committees for more than 60 years.
Marilyn was a leader and the first woman to hold various positions and receive numerous awards. Marilyn was the first laywoman on the Briar Cliff Board of Trustees from 1967 to 1976. She was the first woman to serve as chairperson of the Council of Community Services and the Iowa Commission of Substance Abuse. Marilyn was also the first president of the Woodbury County Community Action Agency and chaired the Sioux City Human Rights Commission for three years. Her efforts to advocate for women, children and people of diversity are many. She co-founded the Sioux City chapter of the Women’s Political Caucus and the Council on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence. Her community efforts have helped establish and maintain minority organizations including La Casa Latina. She was admitted to the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame Governor’s Award in 1988. Among the many community awards she received are the Briar Cliff College’s Community Service Alumni Award, Kiwanis Club Community Service Awards and the Sioux City BPW Community Service Award. She assisted in the formation of the Commission on Women in Church and Society.
Service on local boards and committees included Sioux City Art Center Board (1955-59), Siouxland Rehabilitation Center Board (1958-66), United Fund Budget committee (1960-67; chair 1967), Council of Community Services (1965-69; president 1966-68), Community Action Agency (1966–70, president; 1980 treasurer), Siouxland United Way Board (1968-71), Siouxland Health Planning Council (1968-75), Siouxland Crime Prevention Committee SIMPCO (1969-77), Siouxland Youth Needs Committee (1969-77; chair 1969-75), Sanford Center Board (1969-71), Council on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence (1978-82), Siouxland Senior Center Board (1977-80), Center for Women Advisory Council, Briar Cliff College (1975-78), Marian Health Center Long Range Planning (1981-83), Stella Sanford Day Care Center Board (1982), Siouxland Mental Health Center Board (1983), La Casa Latina (1989), The Center (2000), and Community Coalition Against Domestic Violence Board (2002-).
Marilyn served on area boards and committees which included the Northwest Iowa Area Crime Commission (1972-76), Siouxland Drug Abuse Council (1974-76), Sub-Area Advisory Board, Iowa Health Systems (1975-81), Northwest Iowa Regional Coordinating Committee on Mental Health (1976-78), Northwest Iowa Juvenile Justice Advisory Council (1977-79), Diocesan Coalition to Preserve Family Farms (1977- present), Northwest Iowa Ecumenical Rural Concerns Committee (1981-87) and the Missouri River Historical Development Board (through the present).
Marilyn’s service on state boards and committees included in her service to others were the Iowa Health Systems Agency Board (1979-80), Iowa Coordinating Committee for International Women’s Year (1977), Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence (1980-82), Iowa Juvenile Justice Advisory Council (1976-77), Iowa Advisory Committee to U.S. Civil Rights Commission (1981-85, 1998), and Iowa Commission on Substance Abuse (1977-85; chair 1981).
On the national level she served on the National Catholic Rural Life Conference (1982-85).
Her memberships to various organizations included NAACP, Junior League of Sioux City, League of Women Voters, Council of Catholic Women, Diocesan Coalition to Preserve Family Farms, Ecumenical Rural Concerns Committee, Siouxlanders Concerned About the Nuclear Arms Race, ACLU, Commission on Women in Church and Society: Diocese of Sioux City, Iowa Catholic Conference, and Siouxland Peace Coalition.
While Marilyn was involved in many memberships and committees she also donated her time and resources and received many awards. Some of these include Briar Cliff College Community Service Award 1958, Kiwanis Club Community Service Award 1976, Sioux City BPW Community Service Award 1977, Sioux City Human Rights Commission Community Service Award 1984, Junior League of Sioux City Dorothy Eaton Palmer Award 1985, Briar Cliff College Medal of Honor 1986, Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame, Governor’s Award 1988, U.S. Civil Rights Commission 1998, Sign of Hope, Catholic Charities 1997, Women of Excellence 1998, First Time Lifetime Achievement Award, henceforth known as the “Marilyn Murphy Lifetime Achievement Award,” and the Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice in 2007 from the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women.
Marilyn was involved in many projects including writing, directing and producing videos for the Catholic Diocese. These included “Love Shouldn’t Hurt,” “Healing the Wounded Spirit,” “Reclaiming our Rural Heritage,” “Trust Shouldn’t Betray,” "Women: A Wellspring of Faith,” and "Beyond Prison: Seeking Justice for All." She also authored the Globe Commentary columns.
Survivors include her children, Tim and Brenda Murphy of Rosalie, Neb., Molly and Joe Twohig of Dakota Dunes, S.D., and Margaret “Maggie’ Murphy of Sioux City; grandchildren, Catherine Moseman, Megan Murphy, Mark Charlson, Christine Walker, Casey Murphy, Katie Boyle and Annie Twohig; and great-grandchildren, Theo, Mark, Ava, Madison, Charlie, Jack, Jake, Ryan, Kate, Lauryn, and Lainey. She is also survived by her brother, Brian Delaney; her sister, Sally and Bob Earley; her sisters-in-law, Peggy Delaney and Tomiko Delaney; her special friends, Claire O’Brien and Bev Weseman; and her faithful dog, Tucker.
Her husband; parents; grandparents; brothers, Barry, and Davey; and an infant sister, Morna Joan Delaney, preceded Marilyn in death.
The family would like to extend special thanks to all of the caregivers, Hospice of Siouxland, and all those who donated their time and energy during the past three years. Memorials may be made to The Center, Council on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, Women Aware and Hospice of Siouxland.
Marilyn told us to “keep this simple,” however .…