116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Murphy, Anita B.
Anita B. Murphy, 91, of Waukon, Iowa, died Sunday, April 11, 2010, at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon. Burial will be at St. Mary's Hanover Cemetery, rural Waukon. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon where there will be a 4 p.m. scripture service.
She worked at home until she was 19 and then spent a short time in Dubuque before moving to Chicago for two years where she worked as a governess. She then hitchhiked to California where she worked in a restaurant and met Charles Oliver Murphy who was then in the Navy. Anita and Charles were married September 10, 1941 in Port Deposit, Md. She moved with Charles during his second tour of duty and lived in Maryland and Florida before returning to Maryland for a time after his discharge. In 1947 they moved to Waukon and took up permanent residence. She worked as an Avon representative, did some catering in the '50s and '60s, and operated concession stands at the fairgrounds in Waukon during stock car races for five years. She was also a cook in the food service department at Waukon High School and catered many weddings and meetings.
Anita was an active member of St. Patrick Catholic Church and its Altar and Rosary Societies. She was a member of the local VFW Auxiliary, a member and past president of the local American Legion Auxiliary, a member of the Shamrock Club in La Crosse, Wis., and served as a Cub Scout leader for many years. Anita enjoyed playing softball as a young girl. Some of her favorite pastimes were getting together with friends, dancing, playing cards, and traveling with Charles.
Survivors include her husband Charles of Waukon; three sons, Charles (Virginia) of Cedar Rapids, Larry (Alice) of Belton, Mo., and Brian (Sue) of Rossville, Iowa; two daughters, Anita “Dolly” (Gary) Ward of Denver, Iowa, and Cindy (Rick) Reinhardt of Waukon; 12 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and a brother, Vic Byrnes of Waukon.
Online condolences may be left at
Daily Newsletters