Obituary of Lorena Faye Murphy

Lorena Faye Murphy, age 82, was welcomed into heaven by her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on September 16, 2016 after a seventeen-year battle with Alzheimer's disease. Lorena was born on December 13, 1933 in Bridgeport, Illinois, daughter of the late Scott and Gladys Smith. She is a graduate of Danville High School, Danville, Illinois and Asbury University, Wilmore, Kentucky. Lorena was a student at Taylor University, Upland, Indiana preparing to be a missionary when she met and married her husband, Mike Murphy, on August 21, 1954. Mike was also preparing to be a missionary. The couple moved to Wilmore, Kentucky where Mike entered Asbury Theological Seminary and Lorena took her senior year at Asbury University and graduated in 1956. On August 8, 1960, after completing their education and training, the couple traveled by ship with their two children, Scott age four and Valerie age two, to Brazil, South America where they served their Lord for over forty years with One Mission Society, formerly the Oriental Missionary Society. A third child, Jeffrey, was born in Brazil. Lorena was a dynamic, talented, caring missionary, teaching in the Bible Seminary, leading Bible study groups for women, doing personal counseling and discipleship, working by her husband's side as a pastor's wife, being a dedicated mother to their three children and all the time being greatly appreciated and loved by the Brazilian people. Upon their return from Brazil in April 2001 the couple established residence in Erie, PA. and Lorena became a member of the First Alliance Church where she was active in singing in the choir and in the discipleship program until she became incapacitated by Alzheimer's Disease. Lorena is survived by her loving husband of 62 years, Jesse “Mike” Murphy, her three children, Scott (Kathy) Murphy, Valerie (William) Hammerlee and Jeffrey (Ava) Murphy, her six grandchildren, Rebekah Thobaben, Adam Hammerlee, Laura Wilson, Sarah Banter, Lucas Murphy, Marcus Murphy and four greatgrandchildren, James and John Thobaben, Troy Wilson and Magnolia Jane Hammerlee. The family expresses their heartfelt appreciation to the staff of Fairview Manor nursing home for their excellent care of Lorena during the final year and ten months of her life. Friends may call at the Dusckas-Martin Funeral Home & Crematory Inc. 4216 Sterrettania Rd. Erie, 16506, on Thursday from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, additional calling hours will be held on Friday morning at First Alliance Church 2939 Zimmerly Rd. Erie, PA 16506; from 10:00 AM until the time of the funeral service at 11:00 AM. Interment will follow in Laurel Hill Cemetery.