Murrel Wesley Bland

1941 - 2025

Murrel Wesley Bland

June 5, 1941 - November 17, 2025

Kansas City, Kansas - Murrel Wesley Bland, a longtime Kansas City journalist and community leader, passed away peacefully on November 17, 2025, in Kansas City, Kansas. He was 84.

Murrel was born on June 5, 1941, on a farm near Enid, Oklahoma. In 1949, he moved with his family to another farm just north of Ottawa, Kansas. After graduating from Ottawa High School, he attended the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the William Allen White School of Journalism.

While at KU, Murrel met Carol Wilkinson. They were married in 1962 and chose to build their life together in Kansas City, Kansas, where Murrel began his career as a photojournalist, writer, and reporter for The Kansas City Star. In 1968, Murrel and Carol started a weekly newspaper, The Wyandotte West, which became a cornerstone for community reporting in western Wyandotte County and later expanded to include The Piper Press.

Throughout his career, Murrel was an active member of the Kansas Press Association and served a term as president. He was inducted into the Kansas Newspaper Hall of Fame in 2022 for his contributions to the profession. He also served in various community, business, and volunteer groups over the years, including the William Allen White Foundation, Business West, the Wyandotte County Historical Society, the Unified Government Landmarks Commission, the KCK Chamber of Commerce, and Cancer Action.

He was a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Kansas City, Kansas, since 1972 and served on the Vestry and as senior warden for multiple terms. He authored a book about the church's 150-year parish history published in 2007.

Murrel was preceded in death by his parents, Clyde and Tennyson Bland, and his sister, Marilyn Bland. He is survived by his wife, Carol; daughter, Kimberly Bland, and son-in-law, Chris Seidel; brother, Milton Bland, and sister-in-law, Joan Bland; sister-in-law, Betty Wilkinson; a niece; two nephews; two grandchildren; and other beloved family members.

Final arrangements are in the care of Porter Funeral Home, Kansas City, Kansas, with columbarium interment at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Kansas City, Kansas.

Murrel will be remembered for his dedication to community journalism and freedom of the press, his lifelong service to Wyandotte County and efforts to help build a more informed and connected community, and his devotion to his family, friends, church, and much-loved Kansas Jayhawks.