Wayne Murray

1913 - 2010

Wayne Murray passed away November 4 at the age of 97. He was the second child of six, born to Lucy and Clarence Murray on February 5, 1913 in Douglas County Missouri. Wayne came with his family to the Delano/Earlimart area during the Great Depression years of the 1930s. He worked in the oil fields in Bakersfield and began farming in Tulare County. Wayne met the love of his life Virginia Drake of Oklahoma City, when she was visiting relatives in Earlimart. A few years later he traveled to Oklahoma City married her and brought her to the Corcoran area where he was farming. Together they raised three children and spent 72 wonderful years together. Wayne continued to successfully farm and raise cattle on the Corcoran ranch and also farm the Tulare Lake bottom. He is one of the last of the old time Lake farmers and had much history to tell of that era. He was highly regarded for his innovative farming techniques and was recognized as outstanding farmer of the year in Kings and Tulare counties. In 1972 he left the ranch to his sons to farm and moved to Tulare where he began a second career in real estate appraisal. Owning and racing quarter horses was also a love of his and he had many winners at the track. He was a longtime member of the American Quarter Horse Association. He worked into his nineties, driving a tractor whenever he was needed to move dirt or smooth a road.

Wayne had many interests and was active in lots of organizations: he was an early member of the Kings County Sheriffs Posse, served on the Lower Tule River Irrigation District Board, the Westside Union School board, he was a Corcoran Little League coach and supporter, faithful member of the Methodist Church.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Virginia, sisters Jewel, Elaine, Ethel, Doris and a brother Donald.

He is survived by his sons, Michael Murray and wife Brenda, Bob Murray and wife Katie; daughter, Susan Ball and husband W. Clyde Ball, M.D.; grandchildren, Michelle Lewis and husband Tony, Kelly Reis and husband Troy, Melissa Schroder and husband Jim, Marty Murray, Rob Murray and wife Nancy, Erin Pittock and husband Troy, Maggie Murray, Christina Wadsworth and husband Chad, Caroline Avitia and husband Tyron. Great-grandchildren, Anthony Borges, Micaela Lewis, Travis, Tyler and Reilly Reis, Sydney, McKenna, Isabella and Maleigha Schroder, Jillian and Jordan Murray, Lauren Pittock, Sam and Luke Wadsworth, Trenton and Alexis Avitia.

A special thanks to the nurses and staff at Kings Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for their excellent care of our father.

Services will be private.