The mother of former U.S. Magistrate Robert P. Murrian has died.
Mary Eppes Murrian House, 93, of Farragut, passed away on April 25. She also is survived by children William E. House and Diane Rule and seven grandchildren. The full obituary is here.
Mrs. House attended the University of Tennessee and was a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority. She was a member of First Baptist Church Knoxville and First Baptist Church Concord. She is past president of the Akima Club and remained a sustaining member. She was a longtime member of the Village Green Garden Club, a volunteer in the Folk Life Museum in Farragut and she loved playing bridge.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, William M. House. Her first husband, Albert Kinzel Murrian, a Navy pilot, was lost in the Pacific area during World War II.
A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 1, at Rose Mann Heritage Chapel. Receiving of friends will precede at 2 p.m.
In researching the story of Mary House, we turned up a tribute Judge Murrian wrote about his father for the East Tennessee Veterans Memorial Association. It is also a tribute to his mother, who raised him as a single parent before remarrying.
Bob Murrian wrote: “My father, Albert Kinzel Murrian, died in the line of duty in World War II. I would like to offer this information in honor of his memory. My Dad was born Jan. 26, 1922, in Knoxville. His parents, John Hendry Murrian and Helen Ault Murrian, were living at 127 Jennings Street at the time.
“My Dad was known as ‘Al.’ His parents moved to North Knoxville when he was young and he graduated from Central High School. He was in the band and selected to be drum major. He was a gifted musician and played the trumpet and cornet. He played in several dance bands. He attended Maryville College where he was also in the band and drum major. His sport was wrestling.
“My Mom, Mary Gilbert Eppes, who was also raised in Knoxville, was visiting my Dad at Maryville College on Dec. 7, 1941. They heard the news about Pearl Harbor on the radio and immediately knew that their lives would never be the same.
“My Dad volunteered for Naval Aviation Cadet training and left Maryville College. He and my Mom were married in May 1944 while he was still in training at Pensacola Naval Air Station. He qualified to fly the PV1 Ventura and the PBY amphibious plane.
“I was born April 1, 1945, while my Dad was in the Pacific. He saw my picture before he died (on May 28, 1945), because it was returned with his personal belongings.”