Joanne Murray - 1962
BIO & Pictures

Joanne Murray McBryer
2008-08-01 update 
Before Thanksgiving of ’06 I found out my husband, Jerry, had liver cancer stage four. He started his Chemo treatments the first part of December. After going through all he went through he was no better. In June of ’07 he started another six months round. He got so sick after the first treatment he ended up in the hospital. In the ten days on July 11, 2008 he gave up his fight and went home to the Lord. This past year has been a very difficult year. We were married almost 30 years. I still wake up thinking he’s here.

There have been other changes also. My oldest son, Rick & Debbie divorced. Last year he remarried. Her name is Misty (Jackson) and she has two children, Alissa 15 and Carter 11. His oldest daughter Tiffany, 20 gradutate in ’07 and joined the Army. During her basic training she received a stress fracture and started attending college. She has to go back to complete her basic training. (I’m not sure when) Joshua, 14, his son will be a freshman this year. Rick still works at the prison. She doesn’t work. They live in Lake Saint Louis, Missouri. He commutes daily.

My middle son Rodney and family moved back to Bowling Green. He has been my help. I’m so glad he moved back. His oldest daughter, Kayla 20, will be in her third year of college. His son Jamie, 18 graduated in ’08 and works for Clancy Bayer in Louisiana, Missouri. His step-son, Marty 24, moved to Florida. He is expecting a baby with his girlfriend, Christie and she already had a 3 year old son, Jason. His second step-son, Patrick 18, is in the home. He has autism and attends Ruth Jensen Village School. His youngest daughter, Tori 14, will be a freshman and is “madly in love” with her boyfriend. Rodney is employed at True Manufacturing here in Bowling Green. His wife, Carol, does child care.

At the time of the last reunion my son Randy (my baby) was home to meet his son. He was on leave from Bagdad. In April of ’04 he got to come home. When his reenlistment time came up he didn’t reenlist. His son Reno is almost 5 now and his daughter Chloe is 12. They live in Bowling Green now. They just moved back from St. Roberts, Missouri. At the current time he is working at George’s ATV while he’s waiting to resume a position at the prison. His wife, Christina is teaching primary school in Louisiana, Missouri.

My oldest step-daughter, Cindy and family live in Suffolk, Virginia now. Her son, Marcus is 13 and a national honor student. Her husband Danny is still in the Navy and she works out of the home on a government job.

My middle step-daughter, Joyce lives in Cocoa, Florida. She still is single, an LPN and doing private cases. Jessica 24, her daughter is planning on getting married next June. She’s been engaged about six years and for the last 2 or 3 planning on getting married the following June. I guess when it happens I’ll believe it.

The youngest step-daughter, Debbie is still in LaGrange, Kentucky. She married a man named Ray McNear. Debbie still does private care cases and Ray is a manager at Wal-Mart. Justin (20) graduated in ’06 and works at a Wal-Mart store. Nathan (18) graduated in ’08 and will be seeking employment soon.

So that’s the changes in my life. My family just keeps growing and it’s so hard to get them all together anytime. The girls were all home for the 4th of July but Rick’s family was in Alabama. I guess the last time we were all together was Jerry’s funeral. Nope, Marty wasn’t there. Oh well!

As for me, I’m retired. I have two companions, Blackie, my cat and Simon, my guinea pig. They keep me busy.

God Bless!
Joanne McBryer

2003-10-12 @ 40th Reunion
My name in school was Joanne Murry. I lived with my mother, Ruth Murry. I never remembered my father because he died before I was two. Mom passed away in 1998. I had three brothers and two sisters. My oldest brother [Gene] died in 1991, my middle brother [George] died in 1983, my youngest brother [Bob] lives in Louisiana, MO., my oldest sister [Pat Wallace] lives in Houston, Texas, and my youngest sister [Janet Bufford] lives in Hannibal, MO. I am the baby of the bunch and I live in Bowling Green, MO.

I was born March 21, 1945. [old as dirt aren’t we?] Inside I still feel like a teenager but my body deceives me. I went to Bond School first through third. Then we moved to town where I went to Merriweather, Field, and Louisiana High School. My all time favorite teacher was Mrs. Schapher. I had a great respect for that lady. She didn’t take no sass, like they say, she was a tough old bird. If we had teachers like her today our kids would be better off. Also I liked Mrs. O’Conner, Mr. Dorsey, and Mrs. Norvel. Actually I liked them all. I tried to get along with all of them. After all they graded my grade cards.

I married Jim Hays over the holidays in my senior year of school. I continued school until the first semester ended. That way I could pick up from there if I decided to go back to school. [Which never happened.] So that is where my edcuation ended and my new life began. Together we were blessed with three sons. Rick is 40 years old and lives in Bowling Green where he works at the prison as a guard. Rodney is 38 years old and lives in Red Lodge, Montana where he works as a janitor of the school and side lines with his own lawn service. Randy is 28 and is stationed in Bagdad where he is a MP with the National Guard. Rick has a daughter [Tiffany age 14] and a son [Joshua age 9] by a previous marriage, and two step daughters [Ann age 21] and [Amanada age 19] by his present marriage, plus two granddaughters [Elizabeth age 4] and McKenna [age 8 months]. Rodney has a daughter [Kayla age 15] and a son [Jamie age 13] by a previous marriage and a daughter [Tori age 9] by his present marriage, plus two step sons [Marty age 22 and Patrick age 13]. Randy has a daughter [Chloe age 7] by a previous marriage, and a son [Reno age 1 1/2 months] by his present marriage. He had never seen him until this past Saturday when he come home on leave from Bagdad, he will have to return there the 19 th of the month.

During that period of my life I worked some as a car hop and also a nurses aide. Later on I became bookkeeper-secretary-whatever I needed to be as Jim operated his garage. Also I was chief cook-bottle washer-home maker and all the other jobs of being wife and mother. Then [sadly] after 13 years of marriage my husband died.

After some time I met and married Jerry McBryer. With this began a different life for me. All of a sudden I became Mother to 3 girls ages 15, 13, and 10. My husband had custody of them so they became part of my family. All of a sudden we were the mixed -up “Brady Bunch” with no Alice. Help!!!!!!! at this point in my life I really became busy, twice as much of everything to do . We had a bunch to feed and it seemed like I was cooking for an army. They were all big eaters and still are. What a change and adjustment for all of us. We were determined to create one family out of two. We had our problems, but by the grace of God, we did it. So here’s the info on the rest of my kids. Cindy H Pruitt is 41 and lives in Lexington Park, Maryland where she works in supplies [on the Naval Base where her husband is stationed]. She has a son [Marcus age 8]. Joyce Mc Bryer lived in Cape Canaveral, Flordia where she [a RN] does private care. She has a daughter [Jessica age 20]. Debbie Martin is 34 and lives in LaGrange, Kentucky where she does private care. She has 2 sons [Justin age 16 and Nathan age 13] Our house was always over-flowing with kids, Never knew who they’d drag in next. Always had to Sit an extra plate or two at the table. Now that it’s just Jerry and me, I can’t seem to cook the right amount. We have left-overs all week long.

So here you go, were you keeping tract? I have 6 kids, 3 daughter-inlaws, 1 son-in-law, 8 grandsons, 7 granddaughters, and 2 great-granddaughters. Boy when we have a get together its a houseful. When we run out of room we just stack them up like cordwood.

I didn’t attend the 15th reunion, I didn’t know they were having one. I’d probably like to attend another one. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone. I guess we’ve all changed. I know I have. I look in the mirror and see Mom.

I liked all the songs that were popular during high school , anything you could dance to. Give me that good old Rock and Roll. We used to hang around a Zooks after school and dance. It was great being young and carefree.