Debra A. (Moriarty) Murphy

Debra Murphy, age 64 of Glenwood, died unexpectedly on Friday, March 1, 2019 at home. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, March 8, 2019 at Fron Lutheran Church in Starbuck with Pastor Paul Johnson officiating. Visitation will be Thursday from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the Hoplin-Hitchcock Funeral Home in Glenwood and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Inurnment will be in the spring at St. John Nepomuk Cemetery in rural Lowry.

Debra Ann Murphy, daughter of Bernard and Darlene (Flynn) Moriarty, was born on September 7, 1954 in Glenwood, MN. When Deb was four years old, her mother married Unker Christofferson, and he became “dad”. Deb and her younger sister, Dianne, moved with their mother to Unker’s farm near Donnelly, and it was there that they were raised. Deb attended Morris Public Schools before graduating from Starbuck High School with the Class of 1972. After high school she attended vocational school in Detroit Lakes, where she earned a nursing degree.  In August of 1976, she was united in marriage to Steve Gorder at Fron Lutheran Church in Starbuck. They made their home in Starbuck and were blessed with two daughters, Tara and Shannon. 

During this time, Deb worked for the Minnewaska District Hospital in Starbuck as a nurse and later she did telemedicine, before eventually returning to college to complete her bachelor’s degree in health care management from the University of Minnesota - Crookston.  Deb and Steve eventually divorced and Deb was later married to Kevin Murphy. They made their home in Burnsville before settling in Fort Meyers, Florida in January 2013. Deb spent the past several years working as a project manager for different hospitals across the United States. She was self-employed and had just recently moved back to Glenwood from Florida to be closer to her family. Deb enjoyed reading, attending Twins, Vikings and Gopher games, but most of all she enjoyed time spent with her grandchildren.

Deb died unexpectedly at her home in Glenwood on the morning of March, 1, 2019. She will be remembered as someone who worked hard, loved to travel, and as a wonderful, caring grandma.

She is survived by her mother, Darlene Christofferson of Starbuck; her daughters, Tara (Chris) Nelson of Glenwood, and Shannon Horton of Plymouth; three grandchildren, Taylor Horton of Plymouth and Emily and Autumn Nelson of Glenwood; along with her three sisters, Dianne (David) Baukol of Glenwood, Darla Thorson of Coon Rapids, and Darnell Whittemore of Glenwood; as well as many nieces and nephews. 

Deb was preceded in death by her father, Unker Christofferson, and grandparents, Edward and Francis Flynn and Charles and Charlotte Moriarty.

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