Shirley Ann Murray

Shirley Ann Murray, age 90, of  Mankato, MN, formerly of Lawler, died Saturday, January 3, 2026,  at the Oak Terrace Senior Living facility in Mankato.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, January 7, 2026,  at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Lawler with Rev. Chris Podhajsky celebrating the Mass. Interment will be held at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Cemetery, Lawler.

Friends may greet the family two hours prior to the service (9-11am) Wednesday at the church.

Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory in New Hampton have been entrusted with Shirley’s arrangements.

Shirley Ann Griffin was born March 20,1935, in  New Hampton, the daughter of Frank and Mae (Mitchell) Griffin.  She was raised in Lawler and attended Mt. Carmel Catholic School and graduated from Lawler High School in 1953.

She attended St. Joseph Mercy School of Nursing in Sioux City and Mason City graduating in 1956, and after passing her boards, became a registered nurse.

Shirley was united in marriage to Joseph Murray on October 27, 1956, at Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Lawler where the couple made their home.  To this union three children were born.

She was employed as an R.N. in Obstetrics at St. Joseph’s Hospital in New Hampton until 1966 before she took a job as the school nurse at Turkey Valley Community Schools.  She retired in 1997.

Shirley was a member of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, Mt. Carmel Rosary Society, an Alumni of St. Joseph Mercy School of Nursing in Mason City, and Mercy Hospital Auxiliary of New Hampton.

Shirley and Joe were always very proud of their Irish heritage. They loved to celebrate every St. Patrick’s Day, and traveled to Ireland to visit their country of heritage. Shirley participated and volunteered in the Lawler Irish Festival for many years. Their son, Tim, built several creative Irish floats for the Irish Festival parades, and won several first prize awards—with Shirley at the helm. Shirley was also a special honoree at the 2018 Irish Festival Parade.

After her husband Jody’s death in 2004, Shirley moved to New Hampton and lived the majority of her life there. She participated in many volunteer opportunities at the New Hampton hospital, voter polls, and the Chickasaw Event Center, where she also served as a board member. She loved being with people and wanted great purpose in her life.

Shirley was inducted into the Turkey Valley Hall of Fame in 2024 in honor of her 40 years as a school nurse. She was incredibly humbled and honored by this induction.

And finally, and most importantly, one of Shirley’s greatest attributes was the role of caregiver. She took care of her husband, mother, sister, brother, and sister-in-law when they became ill towards the end of their lives. No task was too difficult for her, whether it be moving them to a different home/care facility, managing their health and finances, to most importantly, caring. nursing, and loving them. Her children are in awe of her strength and love.

She is survived by three children, David Murray of Chesapeake, VA; Tim (Margie) Murray of Mankato, MN; and Julie (John) Rondeau of Austin, TX; seven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Joe; two brothers, Gene Griffin and Joe Stupka; and two sisters, Mary Murray and Marion Manders.