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Joseph Muren Obituary
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Memories and Condolences
for Joseph Muren
Joel McIntyre
August 12, 2009
I learned some of my greatest life lessons in leadership under the tutelage of President Muren in Central America. On one occasion, a mission companion and I received the assignment to prepare a new city for the inception of missionary work. During the assignment, I had an accident while driving the mission van. I called President Muren to give him the news. I feared the worst in his response. There was a pause. Instead of the fiery response, there were gentle questions: "Is everyone OK? Is it still driveable? Can you complete the assignment?"
I have always remembered that lesson when presented with a similar situation by my own children.
Passion, sacrifice, and love of family and noble works. How I will miss this master teacher! God be with you till we meet again!
August 10, 2009
Dear Sister Gladys and Family:
I'm very sorry to hear about the death of President Muren. I was one of your missionaries at the Costa Rica, San Jose Mission on 1978-1978. President Muren influenced my life.
May the Lord bless you and hold you on his arms.
Raquel Velasquez de Muñoz - Panama City
Scott Peterson
August 8, 2009
He will always be President Muren to me. I received great inspiration and direction from his teachings and example. I served in the Costa Rica San Jose Mission with him in his first year there. His direction to me was succinct and bore into my soul. I am thankful that I had an opportunity to visit with him again only a few years ago. Sister Muren was always his calming force...such a very sweet lady. I am sorry for your temporary separation from your dear husband.
He is loved by many.
Kerry Steed
August 6, 2009
Joe Muren was my institute teacher at El Camino College. He got ahold of me at a critical time in 1965. He inspired me to learn and to serve. I dropped out of college and took only institute classes the semester before my mission. I have never had a greater spiritual feast. He brought my future wife, Shanna, and me together through carefully manipulated "assignments" at the institute. Shanna transfered to CSULB when Joe was director of that institute. We both attended many Know Your Religion and Education Week events where Brother Muren was the speaker. He taught with the spirit and supplied great insight and understanding in his gospel lessons. He was genuinely funny. He was one of the most influential men in my life. My wife and I loved him dearly.
Kerry & Shanna Steed
Linda Rich Hadley
August 3, 2009
Dear Muren family,
Your husband, father and grandfather changed many lives. I had the pleasure of knowing your loved one when he was at the Stanford institute most specifically at Foothill College. He had an infectious love of the gospel and taught from the heart.
Linda Rich Hadley
When he was teaching us the gospel he one year decided to teach about the Prophets of old and new. We each chose one from each of the four standard works of the church and learned about each of them for the whole class. The last day of class for the year he said now live as they would and treat people as they did. This turned my life around. I will never forget how it made me feel.
Being around him you could feel the Savior's love for him and those near him. He will be missed but he is only as far away as closing your eyes and thinking about him. My sorrow for now is great as it is for you, but we will see him in the Here After.
Barrie and Jan Smith
August 2, 2009
Muren Family,
We served as President and Vice President of the LDSSA at Long Beach State when Br. Muren was Institute Director. We remember him with fond memories. What a fireball he was. Always moving, playing basketball, teaching, encouraging, working to find you a date for the dance. We have enjoyed following his activities through the years. What a wonderful legacy your family has.
Barrie and Janet Lopossa Smith
Jim Whicker
July 31, 2009
Dear Sister Muren and Family:
I am so sorry to hear about the loss of such a great man. It's been almost 30 years since I served under him in Costa Rica.
While I still consider it the best 2 years of my life, my six months as Secretary in the mission office can easily be considered the best 6 months of my life!
I can honestly say there isn't a week that goes by that I don't think of you all and especially of President Muren as his life, teachings, wisdom and humor come back over and over. I quote him frequently as I teach my children, grand children, staff and educate folks around the country. His wisdom and teachings extend beyond religion and can be applied in all facets of life. His influence will live on and on.
I am so thankful for that time of my life - and that you all were a part of it. I enjoyed every minute of my time with President Muren and your family - and memories of those experiences are as fresh today as if they had happened only yesterday.
May you find comfort in this difficult time.
All my love to a great family.
Gerry Sanders
July 31, 2009
A great man, a great leader, a great teacher, a great mission president. His teaching educated us, his stories inspired us, and his humor lightened our loads. I was blessed to serve under him during the first year of his mission in CR, while he set about "waking the sleeping giant."
Steven Ostler
July 31, 2009
Elder Muren was and will be deeply missed by many of us in the Human Resource function. He taught us to love the Savior, to seek the stirrings of the spirit and to devote ourselves to holiness. His laugh and his insight were infectious. We love him and will miss him deeply.
GARTH AND KAY LYNN WAKEFIELD
July 31, 2009
Dearest Gladys and family,
We were so very sorry to hear of the passing of our dear friend Joe! We have loved him and you and your family ever since we had the great opportunity of serving with you in South America, first in Peru, then when we lived in Venezuela and finally in Bogota Colombia, when Joe was the DTA over the Andes Area. We will never forget the wonderful sense of humor that Joe had! We always knew we were in for a good time and a lot of great laughs whenever he was around. We learned so much from him and from the great example your family set for us and for so many, the closeness you have - it was and always will be very contagious. What an outstanding family - just like everyone who knows you would like to be like, the great love and respect you have for one another. Joe was a true patriarch!
We will be out of town and won't be able to attend the funeral but please know of our great love and admiration for Joe. He will be missed by so many people! He had such a great influence on students, missionaries, just too many people to mention.
We love you, Gladys, and we are praying for you and all of your family.
Steve Wood
July 30, 2009
President Muren was a great example of testimony and radiated his love for life. He provided each missionary with an expectation of obedience to missionary rules and to the Gospel. His influence is felt in the lives of many missionaries and I am grateful to have had his influence in my life. I will always remember the feelings I had at his last testimony in Zone Conference. He spoke of giving all he had to the Lord; he had even sold their washer and dryer before leaving to serve in Costa Rica. I pray that the peace and knowledge of eternal blessings can rest on each member of the Muren’s family.
Lee Donaldson
July 30, 2009
Gladys and children,
It was with great sorrow that I heard of Joe’s death. There will never be another like him. I read his talks and books for years. I was able to substitute for him a number of times for his Church Office Building class. I was blessed to work with at his side at the Church Office Building and tried to fill his shoes in the Human Resource Department after he retired (shoes that could never be filled).
I felt impressed on Sunday night to watch a talk that he gave at BYUI a couple of years ago. His brilliant intellect and sparkling sense of humor renewed my spirit for another week of missionary work. He has been one of the most influential people in my life.
May the Lord bless you during this time of loss,
Lee Donaldson
President California San Diego Mission
Brent & Debbie Buckner
July 30, 2009
Gladys and family,
It was always a joy to watch President Muren as the master teacher. He was always a bundle of energy. Very quick witted and often the center of any conversation. We loved our time with your family in France and the privilege of working with him. He will be missed but will be an active participant in preaching the gospel on the other side. Our love goes out to you.
Ed and Sherie Seegmiller
July 30, 2009
Sherie and I have such fond memories of Elder Muren. I remember so well he was working in the office when I arrived in Buenos Aires Argentina to begin my mission in January 1961. He smiled at me and handed me my first Spanish grammer book and said, "Elder Seegmiller good luck." Again our next experience with his wonderful sense of humor and more especially his great wisdom was while we served under his direction while in the Panama Panama City Mission 1995-1998. Gladys we remember so well the mission tours through the countryside of Panama. The teachings and testimony of Elder Muren and his vision of the Lords work in Central America. We will never forget his statement to us soon after arriving in Panama. "There are two General Authorities who go to sleep every night praying that the Kuna Islands will be opened up again to missionary work." It was inspiring and the blessings that came to that people as a result of Elder and Sister Muren are a testimony in and of itself of the greatness of this man. We will miss him but his testimony and his way of teaching have both inspired us and given us courage and confidence that we can climb every hill of challenge and continue in the faith. Goodbye for now to a faithful warrior in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Gladys again we will always remember your wisdom and faithful companionship to you husband. The example you were to all of us in the Central America area. Sherie loved your teachings of the textiles of Guatemala and she has become a student of the Indian dresses and quality of material since those wonderful experiences. God bless you in these difficult times.
Jolene Campbell
July 30, 2009
So sad to hear of the passing of Elder Muren. As next door neighbors for six years, we came to love the whole Muren family. Thank you Gladys for all your kindness and graciousness towards our family, especially the children. We will treasure the memory of Joseph in his Santa costume visiting our home and all the Sundays in his Gospel Doctrine class. Few people live the gospel to the extent they profess to the world like Joseph. We will certainly come to deliver our condolences in person, as well.
July 30, 2009
My mission president. What a breath of fresh air when they came down. My wife's mission president, too. Gladys, I was the Elder that asked you how to spell torpedo in a flippant letter I was writing to the President. Miguel Mitchell
Mona Tolman Thompson
July 30, 2009
As a member of the Grand Land Singers -- we would get to perform at the "Know Your Religion" events -- and what joy it was to go to some of the classes -- and especially Brother Muren's classes. I am so grateful for his testimony of Jesus Christ -- and the love he had for Him. He loved life -- and his humor made us laugh at ourselves -- and joy in the gospel. Thank you so much for adding to my testimony!!
Dorothy Hurst Haight
July 30, 2009
To Joe's family we send our deepest sympathy. Joe's boundless energy and infectious smile will be missed. He has given so very much to the world in and out of the church. His love, testimony and example of the things he believed in so deeply will always leave its mark. I have known him since his baptism and early days in the church in San Jose and will always remember those wonderful times. He was a joy to be around.
lisa sawchuk
July 30, 2009
I'm thinking of you at this sad time...my love goes out to all of your family....I loved your Dad.....Lisa Sawchuk (Edstrom)
Don Love
July 30, 2009
My condolences to the family and to the extended family. Elder Muren was a man who loved the scriptures, and taught in his personal witty way his personal deeper understandings of them during the lunch hour gospel study classes at the Church Office Building. He has been and will be missed by all of us.
May the Lord bless you in knowing how kind and gentle he was to everyone, including me and many others.
Dorothy Bramwell
July 29, 2009
Dear Gladys and family:
I send my deepest condolences to all of you. I have such cherished memories of our time in Panama when my husband served as one of Joe's counselors in the Costa Rican mission. It comforts me to think of the two of them working together again on the other side. We loved knowing the Muren family and my heart aches for all of you in your loss of Joe's presence at this time.
Tim Malone
July 29, 2009
Joseph C. Muren made a huge difference in my life. From his Know Your Religion lectures to his book, Into Your Heart Like Fire, to being my Mission President in Costa Rica 76-78, I have been deeply and positively influenced by this great man.
Tim Malone, Camarillo CA
Lexi Patterson
July 29, 2009
My thoughts and prayers are with Brother Muren's loved ones. He was an incredible man who will be missed. He made the Gospel come alive for so many. I always admired his infectious love for life and joyous attitude. And he had the greatest sense of humor. I met Brother Muren in Portugal when I was nine years old. He made a huge impression on me then. Over the years we kept in touch through my Father, Philip Brown, who worked at the LDS Church office building with him. Later on, I had the honor of having Brother Muren perform my marriage ceremony in the Salt Lake Temple. It was such a special experience. Everyone in attendance agreed that it was the best marriage ceremony they had ever heard. Brother Muren was one special man. I'll always remember him. I look forward to seeing him again in Heaven.
July 29, 2009
Our hearts are saddened, but joy in the knowledge we will meet again.
From two of his Sister missionary companions in Argentina, Yoly Espin Bain and Janie Johnson
Gerry and Lew Bastian
July 29, 2009
Our thoughts and prayers are with you, Gladys, and your family. The cherished memories of wonderful times spent with you and Joseph in the service of the Lord are so sweet.
May the Lord be with you at this time.
Joanne Hintze Rittenhouse
July 29, 2009
Pres. Muren was my mission president for a short time. I was called to the El Salvador mission, but towards the end, they had to close that mission and they sent me to the Costa Rica Mission. Pres. Muren made that transition as easily as it could be. He was very kind and very loving. thank you for the sacrifices this family has made for so many!
Debra Jones
July 29, 2009
Bro. Muren made the gospel come alive for me during institute classes taught at Weber State. My association with him continued at the Church Office Building. What a delightful man who glowed with the light of Christ. My love and appreciation go out to him and his family.
Lee Lewis
July 29, 2009
I knew Joe and watched him come into the Church in the late 1950s. An energetic and fun to be around person, he was always positive. Before his mission four of us young men shared a house together about 1958 for a little more than a year. He was an avid student of the Gospel with a certain conviction of its truthfulness and overcame great hardship to join the Church, go on a mission, and begin his married life. He had many admirers from all walks of life. In the past 50 years I've seen Joe only once and never met his family, but knowing him, they were just as wonderful as he was.
It's my loss that we didn't stay close as he set such a good example of all of us.
Sheila Shelton Gibson
July 29, 2009
Joe was my seminary teacher in San Jose, CA. Always a ray of the warmest, soothing sunshine one could ever be blessed to enjoy, Joe spread joy to all he met. He is loved & he will be missed by many.
Sam Broadhead
July 29, 2009
I will never forget an Institute class Joe Muren taught at the Glendale, California Stake Center one summer in 1969 on Tuesday evenings. Very large group, several hundred. He was one of the very best Institute Instructors the Church ever had. Outstanding. What a great husband and father you have.
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