Michael C. Murphy

A memorial gathering to celebrate Mike's life will be held at Slo' Bones BBQ Smokehaus (175 E. Jefferson Street, Frankenmuth, MI 48734) from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 25, 2025.

Mike Murphy, age 71, passed on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at Wellspring Lutheran Home in Frankenmuth. Mike grew up on our 150-year-old heritage farm. Being the oldest of siblings, he lucked out by getting to milk cows before school in the mornings, after school evenings and had to stay home from vacations to do so. He also survived years of the scary silo crawl installing the silo chute. Growing through his teen years in the late 60s, early 70s, he and his best buddies (all in top 5 of their class) defied the school rules of short hair above the collar, grew long hair (wearing a short hair wig to job interviews) and didn’t tuck in their shirt tails to the wrath of the principal. Then, more drastically, he dropped out of school, to finish graduation by mail. After farming was left to others, Mike worked at Eaton Foundry, for a while. Then he took a test for employment with the then C&O Railroad (later CSX) and passed it with the highest score ever. Then began his 38-year career as a Journeyman Carman, repairing rail cars that came in on trains through the Flint Track Yard. He went on to also train other employees around the country in safety procedures on track yard work. During these years he was married to his high-school sweetheart, attending UM-Flint in philosophy. Later divorced and did not marry again for 13 years to Diana, who sadly passed 6 yrs before him, leaving him sad and lonely since for her company. During those years he continued college classes, this time in geology. He retired on his 60th birthday 2014 from the railroad, never looking back. He then turned to revitalizing Pheasant Conservation on our farm, planting food plots for deer and other wildlife around our property. He even negotiated having a small pond dug by selling the sand around it to a contractor for local cement companies and building contractors. He also took his nieces and nephews out to show them target and skeet shooting between turkey and deer hunting seasons.

He is survived by his mother Gayle, sister Amy, brother Steve (Brenda), Uncle/brother Terry (youngest brother of our mother who hung out on the farm like an older brother to Mike), nieces Meredith, Alana, and Erin, nephews Evan and Connor, step daughter Courtnie (Jeff) and her 3 daughters Madison, Eva, and Asia. He was preceded in death by his father Robert, and his wife Diana, and his special pups Tyson and Roxie.

Memorial donations may be directed to Pheasants Forever (1783 Buerkle Circle, St. Paul, MN 55110).

Kindly share a memory with Mike's family in the guestbook below.

Mike and his family are in the care of Hanlin Funeral Home - Millington. 4823 Main St., 48746.  Phone (989) 871 - 4591.

Hanlin Funeral Homes ~ Serving Since 1928

Millington & Vassar