murph j. marrow
PGM Murph J. Marrow
I.O.O.F. Grand Master of Texas in 1980
From Irving, Texas
I.O.O.F. Grand Master of Texas in 1980
From Irving, Texas
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In Loving Memory
Funeral services for Mr. Murph Jack Tennison Marrow, will be held Thursday, October 14th, at 2:00 P.M. at the Wise Funeral Home Chapel in Bonham, TX. with visitation one hour before the service at 1:00 P.M. Masonic and Odd Fellow graveside rites along with military honors will follow at Willow Wild Cemetery in Bonham. Mr. Marrow passed away peacefully in his sleep on October 3, 2021, at the age of 81, in his home in Sherman, TX. He fought multiple illnesses the last 5+ years which were a result of exposure to Agent Orange during combat in the Republic of Vietnam.
Murph was born on September 8, 1940, in Dallas County, Texas, in what is now Irving. He was the son of Annella Christine Burgett Marrow, and given the surname of her estranged husband, John Calvin Marrow. He attended schools in Irving & Grand Prairie, Texas and received his bachelor’s degree from Columbia College in Missouri while serving in the regular U.S. Army. He enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 16, stationed out of Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX. and Ft. Hood in Killeen, TX. During his career, he served as Military Police, Drill Sergeant, Recruiting Command, and earned his Combat Infantry Badge in the Republic of Vietnam as an ARVN Ranger Advisor to the South Vietnamese Army. He served almost 3 tours of duty (each one at least 12 months), being sent back to the States due to combat injuries during the last tour. He retired as a Master Sergeant, a proud NCO, in the United States Army after 23 years. He then served 9 more years in the Texas State Guard of the Republic of Texas. After retiring from the Army, he went to Baptist Theology School in Jacksonville, TX and became an ordained minister, sharing the gospel, and performing wedding and funeral services; he loved to sing the old gospel songs and play his guitar, and served as Music Minister in several churches. He then became the Western Regional Training Director for Realty World, using the skills he had learned in the Army, traveling all over the Western United States training new realtors. He then became an agent with Farmers Insurance Group in the DFW area and retired as the Arlington District Manager Farmers Ins. with 50+ agents he had trained. He retired from Farmers Ins. in 1994. He then established his own small corporation investing in property, buying and renovating older homes in the New Orleans, LA French Quarter area. The next “adventure” was a farm in Trenton, TX raising ostrich, emu, pygmy goats and drop calves. It became too much as he was starting to have physical problems. His attention then turned to wanting to “give back” to kids, especially young inner-city boys, and attempted to establish a Christian camp for less fortunate youth, as he had been, in Sasakwa, OK. Camp Soaring Eagle was established but had to be delayed as his health deteriorated. He was very proud of his life-time accomplishments, coming from his humble beginnings, and always strived to improve himself with no help from anyone but the Good Lord.
He was preceded in death by his biological father, John Murph Tennison Sr of Irving, TX (his namesake); his mother, Annella Christine Burgett Marrow of Grand Prairie, TX; his son, Murph Jack Marrow, Jr and his mother, Dora Marrow, of San Antonio, TX; siblings J. C. “Johnny” Marrow, Bobbie Joe Marrow, John Murph Tennison, Jr, and Sarah Alice Tennison. He is survived by his loving wife, Claudia, and step-daughter, Lisa Ann Hickey, husband Patrick, and granddaughter Jadyn Alayna Hickey; his daughter, Candy-Jo Marrow Hartley, former wife Lydia Marrow, and step-daughter, Susan Snowden; daughter Elizabeth (Lizzie) Marrow Jeffrey and husband, Ray, daughter Cynthia (Cyndi) Marrow Pollok; and son, William A. (Buddy) Marrow, and numerous grandchildren and great -grands, nieces and nephews.
Murph was the senior surviving Past Grand Master of the Independent Order of Oddfellows in the State of Texas, serving in 1980-81, and was the youngest installed Grand Master of the State of Texas at that time. He was initiated in San Antonio in 1967 and received his 50 year veteran jewel on February 21, 2017. He also served at Grand Patriarch, Department Commander Patriarchs Militant (twice) and Grand Representative to the Sovereign Grand Lodge in the fraternal organization, being the first member to hold all four of these offices in the State of Texas. He is also a member of the Grand Lodge of AF&AM of Texas, attaining a 32 degree. He is a member of the Gabe Allen/ Roy Stanley Masonic Lodge in Dallas, Scottish Rite, York Rite, and Hella Temple Shriners. He was not active in recent years, but in prior years he was the Sultan of the Hella Temple Shriner Oriental band, dancing and laughing down the streets in parades in his sultan costume and entertaining the crowd. He was a member of most of the veteran’s organizations—VFW, American Legion, DAV, VVA, TREA Enlisted—but he was most proud of being a member of the VUMS organization (Veterans of Underage Military Service). He was just one of many older veterans who “falsified” documents to enlist in military service at the tender age of 16, some even younger, before the computer age. He was an outstanding role model for many people throughout his life. He was a hard determined worker, but he also loved to laugh and play jokes on people and have a good time. He was a strong leader and very respected by many. He will be missed.
Murph was born on September 8, 1940, in Dallas County, Texas, in what is now Irving. He was the son of Annella Christine Burgett Marrow, and given the surname of her estranged husband, John Calvin Marrow. He attended schools in Irving & Grand Prairie, Texas and received his bachelor’s degree from Columbia College in Missouri while serving in the regular U.S. Army. He enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 16, stationed out of Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX. and Ft. Hood in Killeen, TX. During his career, he served as Military Police, Drill Sergeant, Recruiting Command, and earned his Combat Infantry Badge in the Republic of Vietnam as an ARVN Ranger Advisor to the South Vietnamese Army. He served almost 3 tours of duty (each one at least 12 months), being sent back to the States due to combat injuries during the last tour. He retired as a Master Sergeant, a proud NCO, in the United States Army after 23 years. He then served 9 more years in the Texas State Guard of the Republic of Texas. After retiring from the Army, he went to Baptist Theology School in Jacksonville, TX and became an ordained minister, sharing the gospel, and performing wedding and funeral services; he loved to sing the old gospel songs and play his guitar, and served as Music Minister in several churches. He then became the Western Regional Training Director for Realty World, using the skills he had learned in the Army, traveling all over the Western United States training new realtors. He then became an agent with Farmers Insurance Group in the DFW area and retired as the Arlington District Manager Farmers Ins. with 50+ agents he had trained. He retired from Farmers Ins. in 1994. He then established his own small corporation investing in property, buying and renovating older homes in the New Orleans, LA French Quarter area. The next “adventure” was a farm in Trenton, TX raising ostrich, emu, pygmy goats and drop calves. It became too much as he was starting to have physical problems. His attention then turned to wanting to “give back” to kids, especially young inner-city boys, and attempted to establish a Christian camp for less fortunate youth, as he had been, in Sasakwa, OK. Camp Soaring Eagle was established but had to be delayed as his health deteriorated. He was very proud of his life-time accomplishments, coming from his humble beginnings, and always strived to improve himself with no help from anyone but the Good Lord.
He was preceded in death by his biological father, John Murph Tennison Sr of Irving, TX (his namesake); his mother, Annella Christine Burgett Marrow of Grand Prairie, TX; his son, Murph Jack Marrow, Jr and his mother, Dora Marrow, of San Antonio, TX; siblings J. C. “Johnny” Marrow, Bobbie Joe Marrow, John Murph Tennison, Jr, and Sarah Alice Tennison. He is survived by his loving wife, Claudia, and step-daughter, Lisa Ann Hickey, husband Patrick, and granddaughter Jadyn Alayna Hickey; his daughter, Candy-Jo Marrow Hartley, former wife Lydia Marrow, and step-daughter, Susan Snowden; daughter Elizabeth (Lizzie) Marrow Jeffrey and husband, Ray, daughter Cynthia (Cyndi) Marrow Pollok; and son, William A. (Buddy) Marrow, and numerous grandchildren and great -grands, nieces and nephews.
Murph was the senior surviving Past Grand Master of the Independent Order of Oddfellows in the State of Texas, serving in 1980-81, and was the youngest installed Grand Master of the State of Texas at that time. He was initiated in San Antonio in 1967 and received his 50 year veteran jewel on February 21, 2017. He also served at Grand Patriarch, Department Commander Patriarchs Militant (twice) and Grand Representative to the Sovereign Grand Lodge in the fraternal organization, being the first member to hold all four of these offices in the State of Texas. He is also a member of the Grand Lodge of AF&AM of Texas, attaining a 32 degree. He is a member of the Gabe Allen/ Roy Stanley Masonic Lodge in Dallas, Scottish Rite, York Rite, and Hella Temple Shriners. He was not active in recent years, but in prior years he was the Sultan of the Hella Temple Shriner Oriental band, dancing and laughing down the streets in parades in his sultan costume and entertaining the crowd. He was a member of most of the veteran’s organizations—VFW, American Legion, DAV, VVA, TREA Enlisted—but he was most proud of being a member of the VUMS organization (Veterans of Underage Military Service). He was just one of many older veterans who “falsified” documents to enlist in military service at the tender age of 16, some even younger, before the computer age. He was an outstanding role model for many people throughout his life. He was a hard determined worker, but he also loved to laugh and play jokes on people and have a good time. He was a strong leader and very respected by many. He will be missed.