John Anderson McMurry

John Anderson McMurry, age 103, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Wednesday, February 4, 2026 at Aspirus Care and Rehab, and while under the care of Hope Hospice.  John was the last living WWII veteran in Taylor County.

He was born June 18, 1922 in Wilsall, Montana to Wallace and Hazel (Anderson) McMurry.  He graduated from high school in 1940, then continued his education at Montana State University in Bozeman, where he earned a BS in Agriculture.

John enlisted in the United States Army in 1943 during World War II. He was stationed in the Philippines and trained as an infantryman in preparation for deployment to Japan, but the war concluded before his reassignment. Subsequently, he served with the occupation forces in Japan and received an honorable discharge when the war ended in 1945.

While working in Minnesota, John met Eileen Barbeln on a blind date, and they married on May 1, 1955 in Minneapolis.  They resided in St. James, MN where they owned and operated an A&W Root Beer stand for many years, then moved to the Medford area in 1963.  John continued his entrepreneurial pursuits by building, owning, and operating the Holiday Station in town.  He retired in 1987 when he sold the business.

John was a lifetime member of the Medford VFW Post 5729.  In 2011, he had the privilege of traveling to Washington D.C. on the Never Forgotten Honor Flight, accompanied by his daughter.  He also was the Grand Marshall in several local parades. 

His hobbies included golfing, hunting, ice fishing and bowling.  He took daily walks on the River Walk, where he would call himself the “city pet” as campers and others would come to chat with him on his walks. He especially loved visiting “Flag Field” on the river and often referred to the soldier statue as his friend.

He will be dearly missed by his three children, Kathleen (Wayne) Schmidt of Boonville, MO, Karla (Mark) Ramsey of Chanhassen, MN, Scott (Kris) McMurry of Medford; grandchildren, Ryan Zirngibl, Katie (Nick) Meyer, John McMurry, Thomas and Rebecca Ramsey; and a great-grandson, Chandler Brandner.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Eileen in 2000; brother, Allen Hanks McMurry; and two grandsons, John Zirngibl in infancy and Jason Zirngibl.

A memorial mass will be held in August and will be announced in the Star News and the funeral home website.

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