Fanny Ameryllus (Amy) Murphy

Fanny Ameryllus (Amy) Murphy passed away in her sleep on the afternoon of January 4, 2025, at the age of 96. She led an adventurous and wonderful life filled with joy for her family and many friends worldwide.

Amy was born October 21, 1928, in her parent’s home in Stewart, TX. She was raised on a farm with her parents, Ted and Maureen Nelson. She married Virgil Rudolph Murphy on April 2, 1947, whom she had known since she was a teen and had corresponded with during WWII. They were married for almost 71 years.

For the first few years, they lived within walking distance of each other’s parents. She had a lot of family to help raise her three sons, Bill (1948), David (1951}, and Dan (1954), before moving to Venezuela in 1958. Virgil moved ahead of the family and Amy brought their three children during a coup and revolution in January of 1958. They lived in a Country Club Compound managed by Sinclair Oil Company. They explored much of Venezuela during their six years there and had their fourth son Tim in 1960. They visited every Central American country on several trips back and forth to the United States to visit family.

Amy and Virgil moved to Oklahoma in 1963. Their 5th son, Darin, was born in 1966. They later lived in New Mexico, Wyoming, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming again. During these years and many after Amy became an accomplished artist, receiving awards and recognition for mediums in oils, pastels, sculpture, photography, and ceramics.

Amy and Virgil moved to Jakarta, Indonesia in 1977. She loved exploring, Java, Bali, Sulawesi, the Thousand Islands, Singapore, and especially Jakarta itself. Amy traveled much of the world from Indonesia. She and Virgil visited parts of Asia, and much of Europe, often circling the world on their trips back and forth to visit family in the United States.

Amy and Virgil settled down and retired in Durango, Colorado, and eventually built a beautiful home in Grand Junction and then in Fruita, Colorado. They moved to Montage Creek, an assisted living community in Montrose, Colorado in 2015 where Virgil passed away in 2018. Amy maintained her residence in Montage Creek with her many friends for another 6 years. Amy greatly appreciated the care she was given by numerous staff members, and she was extremely fond of many of them. She was visited often by her sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren.

Amy and her family are deeply grateful for the compassionate care and assistance provided by the extraordinary staff at HopeWest Hospice, which brought peace and comfort to everyone during the final stages of life.

A celebration of life and burial of her ashes will occur sometime this coming summer.