Betty Mae (Sweeney) Murphy died at the age of 92 on November 14, 2015 in Lacy. She was born in Bellingham, WA October 4, 1923 to Alice (Hughey) and Leslie Sweeney. Shortly after she moved to Aberdeen WA to live with her Aunt and Uncle, Hazel and George Schueneman. In 1941 she graduated from St. Mary’s Academy in Toledo WA.
Betty grew up in Aberdeen and Central Park during the depression, raised by various members of the Hughey clan but most around town knew her as “Hazel’s little Betty Mae”.
She graduated from the Nursing School at St Peter’s Hospital in Olympia. After classes the students would take donuts down to the Fourth Avenue Bridge for the solders on duty. There she met a slender auburn haired Nebraska farmer, who was equally attracted to the blue-eyed blond student. After graduation from nursing school, Betty enlisted in the Navy where she continued her long distance romance with the soldier. At the end of WWII, Clarence Murphy and Betty were married in Geneva New York and later returned to Aberdeen, where they raised 3 children. Clarence died in 1992 and Betty continued to live at their home in Bay City.
Besides her Navy career, she was very proud of the work she did as an officer in the IWA union during the early 1960’s, where she fought for pensions and safety regulations for the workers in the plywood and veneer plants on the harbor. Later she spent 20 years working in the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Hoquiam.
After retirement, she enjoyed traveling all over the world to visit family and for adventure.
She is predeceased by her husband, grandson Rocky Seward Jr and great-grandson Andrew Sage. Survivors include her 3 children and spouses: Ronald (Elane) Murphy of Puyallup, Alicia (Richard) Bowen of Yelm, and Christine (Rocky) Seward of Hoquiam. She also had 5 grandchildren 13 great-grandchildren, and 5 great-great grandchildren.
Visitation will be Thursday, November 19th from 9am until 1pm with Funeral Services immediately following at the Fern Hill Funeral Home Chapel.
In lieu of Flowers, please donate to the Local Alzheimer’s Assoc. Thank you to the people of the Beehive Harmony House for their loving care of Betty.
A message of condolence or of a memory can be sent to Betty’s family at www.fernhillfuneral.com
Arrangements are entrusted to Twibell’s Fern Hill Funeral Home in Aberdeen.

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