Jo Ann Murray

Jo Ann Petersen Murray

1929-2016

Jo Ann Petersen Murray returned home to her family in Heaven on July 17, 2016.

Jo Ann was born June 11, 1929 in Mar Vista, California to Orsen Erastus and Sylvia Nielsen Petersen.  She was the youngest of seven children.  She lived her young life in Mar Vista attending Venice High School.  Later she attended Brigham Young University and then served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  She served in the Northwestern States Mission which had special meaning for her since her father had also served in this mission.

She married Robert James Murray in 1955.  They had three children, James Robert, Melody and Steven Bruce.  Jo Ann had a wonderful life and loved raising her family in Lancaster, California.  She later divorced in 1976 and never remarried.

In 1960 Jo Ann started a job she loved for the Lancaster School District where she worked for 27 years.  She held various positions from School Secretary to Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent.

After retiring Jo Ann moved to Pryor, Oklahoma to be near her daughter.  There she lived for 14 years enjoying time with her grandchildren.  She loved serving in the Relief Society Program.  In 2011 she moved to Utah to live with her son, James and his family.  As her age progressed and she needed more care she was moved to Pheasant View Assisted Living and later to Rocky Mountain Care.

She is survived by her son James (Lori) Murray, daughter Melody (Clark) Ayres, son Steven (Libby) Murray, 19 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.  Preceded in death by her mother and daddy, Sylvia and O.E. Petersen; sisters, Elese Faulkner, Sally White, Lois Manwaring, Wanda May and Sylvia Ann; brother Rodney Petersen and granddaughter Brooke Hart.

The family would like to thank all her caregivers at both Pheasant View and Rocky Mountain for their outstanding love, compassion and care she was given.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am Tuesday, July 26, 2016 at Lindquist’s Bountiful Mortuary, 727 N. 400 E. where friends may visit family from 10:00-10:30 am prior to services.

Interment Bountiful City Cemetery.