Obituary: Pauline Murphy

Pauline Leveta Murphy passed away at her home in Inspirations of Mesa senior living in Mesa, Arizona, on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.
Pauline was born on July 16, 1925, in Osage City, Kansas, to Joshua “Joker” and Merzetta (Fender) Hillebran. The family, including Pauline’s two older sisters, moved to Iowa, where the girls grew up in Ringgold County, first in Beaconsfield and later in Tingley. Pauline graduated from Tingley High School in 1942.
In 1945, she married George Clell Blunck, who was home on leave from the Navy, and they moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where their first child, Tedde, was born. Later, they returned to Marshalltown, Iowa, where Karen, Rand, and Kent were born.
In 1957, Pauline moved to Mount Ayr, where she met Charles William Stringham, who took her dancing and swept her off her feet. They married and had a daughter named Vicki.
After moving to Des Moines in 1970, Pauline met and married Herbert Laurence Murphy in 1975. The couple enjoyed many trips, both across the U.S. and abroad, with a vacation in Jamaica leaving especially fond memories.
After working for over 20 years as a secretary in various Iowa state departments, Pauline retired as an administrative assistant.
Pauline was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Ivan, who died at birth, her two sisters Marjorie and Opal, her husbands, and a grandson, Kenny Blunck Lininger.
Faith was a vital part of Pauline’s life. She remained a member of Tingley United Methodist Church and continued contributing even after moving away, until her death. Upon her return to Mount Ayr after her third husband’s death, Pauline stayed active with the Tingley United Methodist Women and the “T” Club. She took great pride in the craft projects the Methodist after-school children sent her each year.
Pauline grew up in a musical family. When she was six, she danced with The Hillebran Family Band, which included her father and sisters, performing at festivals and fairs, and even once on Shenandoah radio, just before the Everly Brothers. Her mother made costumes and applied makeup for the troupe. It was always a family affair.
Pauline spent many hours crocheting slippers, Afghans, doilies, and tablecloths for her children and grandchildren. Later, she made hats for cancer patients while watching the University of Iowa sports on TV. She particularly enjoyed their basketball—both men’s and women’s—and football games. She became a fan of the Chicago Cubs and followed them as her summer sport.
When she returned to Ringgold County in 2007 and settled in Mount Ayr, she often visited the Tingley Meal Site, where she enjoyed playing bingo. She was a regular member of the Tingley Kitchen Band, playing the bongos and singing. This band performed at the Iowa State Fair more than once, where she danced on stage with her sister, Opal. She also played bongos with The Echoes, a band that performed in nursing homes to entertain residents.
Dancing was Pauline’s favorite activity. The Eagles Nest in Ellston was a popular spot where she often danced with “the girls.”
When Pauline moved to Mesa, Arizona, in 2014, she bought the same mobile home that had previously belonged to her sister, Opal, in Silver Spur Village, a retirement community. There, she joined the Red Hat Society and took part in many other activities, including dances at their clubhouse.
In 2017, Pauline decided to slow down just a bit. She moved to Brookdale Springs, an independent senior living community, now Inspirations of Mesa, where she didn’t slow down that much. Her happy place became the Happy Hour on Fridays, especially when the entertainer played the Twist and the Electric Slide line dance.
Pauline was active in current affairs and supported both local and national Democratic candidates by contributing to their campaigns.
Pauline leaves behind, to mourn her passing, all five of her children and their spouses: Tedde Blunck and wife Paulette of Pittsburg, TX; Karen Payne of Arvada, CO; Rand Blunck and his wife Edie of Glendale, AZ; Kent Blunck and his wife Donna of Des Moines, IA; Vicki Sickel and her husband Tim of Mesa, AZ; along with six grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, three great-great-grandchildren, other nieces and nephews, as well as a host of friends and colleagues she touched throughout her life.
Visitation with the family will be held at Armstrong Funeral Home, 205 West Monroe St., Mount Ayr, IA 50854 from 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday, December 29, 2025. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. the following day at the Mount Ayr Methodist Church: 301 W. Madison St. Mount Ayr, IA 50854. Graveside services will be held following the church services at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Mount Ayr. A lunch with the family will be held for all attendees in the basement of the church after. In place of flowers, the family requests donations to the Tingley Methodist Church: Mailing Address: 202 South Monroe St. Tingley, Iowa 50863 Phone: 641-772-4757