Harold Eugene 'Hal' Murren
Wenatchee, Washington
September 5, 2007

Hal Murren, ‘a child of the Great Depression’, died at home of heart failure, September 5, 2007.  Born March 24, 1923 to Fern and Jessie (Scroggie) Murren in Blockton, Iowa, he spent early childhood years on the family farm with brothers Quentin and Vergil, and sisters Wanda and Marcelene.

As was the case for many families of the time, the Murrens lost their home and land to foreclosure, packed-up possessions, and moved west to initially live with Scroggie relatives on the Colockum when Hal was ten years-old.  They resided in Rock Island for a time before Fern, a brick mason by trade, built the family home on Fifth Street in Wenatchee with the help of his sons.  Hal graduated from Wenatchee High in 1941.

While at WHS, he dated Jean Courtney.  When war was declared, Hal enlisted in the Navy and became a combat medic assigned to the U.S. Marine Second Division in the South Pacific.  After being wounded and then recovering in New Zealand, he went back into service before incurring more severe wounds on Saipan.  Following recuperation in a hospital in Hawaii, he became a Navy-Marine recruiter in Hartford, Connecticut.  Hal was awarded the Bronze Star and received two Purple Hearts as a result of combat action.

Jean traveled cross-country by bus and married Hal in Chicopee, Massachusetts on Jan. 25, 1945.  They lived for a time on Long Island before returning to Wenatchee after he was discharged.

Hal joined his father and brother, Quentin, in the family business, F.E. Murren & Sons Masonry.  In 1947, he began building a home on North Princeton Street on land that his father-in-law had won in a poker game.  The home took about three years to complete and remains the family residence.

Hal took a great deal of pride in his craftsmanship as a brick and stonemason.  Homes and buildings throughout the area are monuments to the extremely high quality of work he and his brothers produced.

An avid sportsman, Hal enjoyed hunting and fishing trips, especially with son Ken.  He played city league softball and basketball, and umpired youth baseball games for several years.  Hal loved to spend time at the family cabin at Lake Wenatchee – he and Jean rarely missed weekends at the lake for many years.  He always seemed to be ‘on call’ to help family members with home maintenance or construction projects.  An inveterate tinkerer-inventor, Hal liked to salvage items and ‘return them to action’ in practical or creative ways.  Lessons learned during The Depression – especially “Waste Not, Want Not” – remained with him throughout his life. 

Hal is survived by his wife, Jean; sisters Wanda (Frank) Berdan of E. Wenatchee, and Marcelene (Marvin) Rowe of Wenatchee; brother Vergil (Gloria) Murren of Wenatchee; daughters Kathleen (Jeff) Mertes and Constance Murren, both of Wenatchee; grandsons David (Lisa) Murren of Renton and Chris Murren of Seattle; granddaughters Courtney (Juan) Garcia of West Seattle and Kelsey Mertes of Syracuse, NY; and grandson Hal Kimball of Wenatchee.  He also had three great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.  Hal was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Quentin, and son, Kenneth.

A memorial service will be held in November.