Dorothy Alice Murphy

Dorothy Alice Murphy, age 93, of Royal City, Wash., passed away of age-related causes on Jan. 26, 2015.

Dorothy Alice Cearns was born on February 17, 1921 in South Bend, Washington, to loving parents Frank and Ethel (Clark) Cearns. She enjoyed growing up with her six siblings in South Bend, where her family owned the local hardware store. She had an enjoyable childhood, even through the difficult depression years of the 1930s.

At the age of 20, she found her job as a bank clerk uninspiring. Longing to seek the mysteries of life, she perceived a call to serve the Lord, and entered the Dominican Sisters convent in 1942. After three years of teaching young children, it came time to take her final vows of service for life, but Dorothy decided to leave the convent. These early years molded Dorothy into the sweet, kind and gentle-natured person that everyone came to know.

A young man named Kenneth Murphy from North Dakota arrived in South Bend following his military service in World War II. Dorothy indicated that at first she wasn't much impressed with this unrefined country boy who smelled of shoe polish. However, she apparently was impressed with his appearance in his military uniform. They were married on Aug. 30, 1947 in South Bend.

Shortly following their wedding, Ken was hired as a foreman on a large farm in Brooks, Ore., where John and Maureen were born. In 1951, they moved to Moses Lake where Ken was a foreman on a large farm. With the introduction of irrigation water to the Columbia Basin Project in 1952, they found land to rent near Quincy, and began farming on their own. In 1956, they purchased undeveloped land on the Royal Slope near Royal City. Ken traveled between the Slope and Quincy to clear the new land of sagebrush and leveled it for irrigation. They purchased two old surplus military housing units and moved them from Moses Lake to the new farm - one becoming the "new" house and the other the community Catholic Church. By the time they moved to the new farm in the winter of 1960, additional sons Michael, Robert, Gerald, James, Patrick, Lawrence, and Mark had been born.

After five years Ken constructed a new three-story house for the family, which by then included two more sons, William and Kevin. In 1968 the couple adopted two young girls, Theresa and Rebecca.

After they reached retirement age, Dorothy and Ken thoroughly enjoyed travelling in their pickup and camper throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Dorothy is survived by her younger sister, Esther Smith (Russ) of Federal Way, Washington, as well as children John (Linda), Maureen Saucedo (Pedro), Michael, Robert (Debra), Gerald (Marlene), Patrick (Kris), Lawrence, Mark (Kalleen), Theresa, William, Rebecca, and Kevin (Laura). Dorothy also leaves 27 grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren, and a great-great grandchild.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband Ken, her son James (Kat), and five of her siblings. She lived on the family farm east of Royal City until 2014, where she was lovingly cared for by her oldest daughter, Maureen.

The Murphy family would like to express their gratitude to the staff and residents of Coventry House assisted living in Othello, Washington, for the fine care and companionship they provided our mother in recent months.