Margaret McMurry

Margaret G. McMurry, 99, of Cornwall Manor, died on March 14, 2015 at Good Samaritan Hospital in Lebanon.
She was born September 21, 1915 in Old Tappan, New Jersey, the daughter of the late May Mence Gifford and Clarence V. Gifford.  On September 16, 1939 she married Howard V. McMurry, who passed away in 1996.   She and Howard lived in many places throughout the U. S. South until 1947 when they moved to Walnutport, Pennsylvania, where she lived until she moved to Cornwall in 1998.  A graduate of Dumont High School in New Jersey, she worked in New York City before her marriage.  She volunteered for many years for the Palmerton Hospital, the Northampton County 4-H, Northampton School District Parent-Teacher associations, and others.  She was a member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Palmerton.  After moving to Cornwall she did volunteer work there and also sang in the chapel choir.  She was a talented artist.  Her favorite medium was the hooked rug and over the years she created dozens of pieces, mostly from her own designs.  A child of the Depression, she made every item from discarded materials, transforming cast offs into works of art.  Her aesthetic and improvisatory gifts extended to all her activities, from cooking to gardening to flower arranging.
Survived by daughters Nancy M. Cladel and her husband Charles Cladel, of Hummelstown, PA; Sally McMurry and her husband Barry Kernfeld, of State College, PA; sons Fred and his wife Doreen of Billings, Montana; Peter and his wife Pamela of Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Thomas and his wife Lynn of Winchester, Massachusetts; twelve grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at the Zerr Chapel at Cornwall Manor on Saturday, April 4 at 10 AM with reception to follow in the auditorium at Freeman Hall at the  Manor.
Interment will take place at the convenience of the family.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Good Shepherd Home, Good Shepherd Plaza, 850 South 5th Street, Allentown, PA 18103 or to a charity of your choice..
For more information, to order flowers, or to send messages of condolence, please visit www.christmansfuneralhome.com

---