Melissa June Murdock, age 87, formerly of Winnemucca passed away at her daughter’s home, Prairie, Idaho, on February 21, 2018. A graveside service will be held at 1:00 PM, on Saturday, March 3, 2018, at the Winnemucca Cemetery. Arrangements are under the care of Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel, in Mountain Home, Idaho.
She was raised in Umapine, Oregon on the family farm and ranch as the oldest daughter of 9 children.
June graduated high school in Umapine and then, at the age of 19 went with relatives to Nevada to help on family ranches, where she met and married Leslie Hummel in 1950. June and Leslie resided and worked at numerous mine sites in Humboldt County, Nevada, as well as family ranches until they moved to Winnemucca in 1956. They were later separated, and she continued to live in Winnemucca to raise her 6 children. In 1971, June married James R. Murdock, of Winnemucca, and returned to Winnemucca to reside until 1993, when they retired to Emmett, Idaho.
During their retirement years, they spent much time traveling the western states in their motor home, spending winters with friends and family in Southern Nevada and the Lake Havasu area so they could fish and poke around in the hills, their favorite pastime.
After Jim’s death in 1997, June moved back to Winnemucca to be with her family and friends. She resided in Winnemucca, being very active in the Rebekah Lodge and her church until 2014, when she moved to Prairie, Idaho to live with her daughter, Sharon.
She worked for many years in Winnemucca, primarily at the Star Broiler and the Sprouse Ritz store. Once retired, she was a great homemaker, loving her gardening and canning; and always sewing most of the clothes for the family. Friends and neighbors often came to June for advice on sewing projects because of her beautiful work.
She was very active in the Rebekah Lodge, and worked her way thru the Lodge “Chairs” 2 separate times to be President of the Lodge. June also was a great comfort to many seniors in the Winnemucca area. She would tirelessly go to visit and encourage seniors she met, and had a weekly routine of visiting and caring for her friends.
June Murdock was greatly loved and will be missed so much by all of the lives she touched with her care, her hard works and her great love of family.
June is survived by her children; Sharon Ream (Douglas Gross) of Prairie, Idaho, Melvin (Debbie) Hummel of Winnemucca, Judy (Dave) Quigley of Prairie, Idaho, Darren (Elaine) Hummel of Fallon, Nevada, Kenneth (Gloria) Hummel of Winnemucca, and Kevin Hummel of Winnemucca, her stepson James Murdock, Jr of Virginia and step daughter Kassy Elmer of Oklahoma. She is also survived by 15 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and her brothers Eugene, Donald and James Key of Oregon, her sisters Irene Ward of Idaho, Elnora “Noanie” Graham of Oregon and JoAnn Olson of Oregon. She was preceded in death by her husband James Murdock, her mother and father, brothers Richard Key and Robert “Bob” Key.
Donations in June’s memory can be made to the Winnemucca Library.
