Bessie Murphy

 

Bessie Murphy of Jefferson, formerly of the Rippey and Cooper area turned 96 on August 22. Bessie celebrated her birthday throughout the week with many family members and long time friends stopping for a visit.Here Bessie is pictured with a diploma from the Franklin Consolidated School, class of 1928. Bessie had been a student with nearly perfect grades and attendance, when due to circumstances within her family and totally out of her control she was unable to complete her senior year of high school. One of her lifelong wishes was to obtain a high school diploma.Bessie has long recognized the importance of education for her siblings and her nieces and nephews, helping many of them complete high school and higher education degrees with encouragement, determination, and sometimes loans for college assistance.A smart business woman she helped her family by being a hard worker; she also had a strong sense of how to handle money making investing decisions deliberately and wisely. She also displays a very enjoyable dry wit, sometimes so dry it takes a while for the humor to sink in.She states, “I had a wonderful birthday!”, and expresses thanks to the many who celebrated it with her.