Donna Lee (Loeffler) Muir Obituary (1941

Donna Loeffler Murphy-Muir, 73, of Keosauqua died at 9:49 P.M. Tuesday December 2, 2014 at Good Samaritan Society, Ottumwa. She was born September 8, 1941 at Mt. Zion, Iowa to Darrell and Laura Reddick Loeffler. At age 2 1/2 her parents discovered she could play the piano by ear. Music throughout the rest of her life was her goal. She played in many dance bands, supper clubs, other entertainment fields and was pianist at the Congregational Church in Keosauqua for many years. Donna graduated in 1959 from the Keosauqua High School. In March of 1959 she married James Barney Murphy in Memphis, MO. They had two children, Daryl and Michael Murphy. After the death of her husband in 1995 she met and married Gary L. Muir in May of 2002 at Lake of the Ozarks, MO. Donna worked for the State of Iowa for 20 years, owned and operated Donna Lee's School of Dance for 30 years, published many dance books which were sold to dance teachers over the United States, worked in secretarial and bookkeeping jobs at Barker Wire in Keosauqua and Van Buren County Register in Keosauqua. Those remaining to cherish her memory are her two sons, Daryl Murphy of Omaha, NE and Michael Murphy of Ottumwa, four grandchildren, Ashley Araujo, Eric, Bailey and Taylor Murphy, three great-grandchildren, Angel and Anthony Araujo and Dominick James Murphy, her husband Gary Muir, a sister, Dixie (Darrell) Carruthers of Greensboro, NC, a sister-in-law, Shirley Ott of Midland, TX, a step-sister, Karol Chambers of Keosauqua and four step daughters. In addition to her parents and husband Barney Murphy she was preceded in death by a grandson, Sean Murphy, two sisters, Dianna Pech and Darlene Jemison, a brother-in-law, Marion (Punk) Jemison and many other relatives and friends. Funeral services will be at 2 P.M. Saturday December 6, 2014 at the Congregational Church, Keosauqua with Rev. Herb Shafer officiating. Visitation will open at 3 P.M. Friday at Pedrick Funeral Home, Keosauqua with family present from 5-7 P.M. Cremation will follow the service with burial of cremains in Purdom Cemetery at a later date. Memorials to the Keosauqua Congregational Church or Purdom Cemetery or may be left at the funeral home, church or mailed to the family at 1994 Chester Ave., Ottumwa, IA 52501.