Sept. 1920 – Feb. 2018
Mary Alice Murray Griffith Warkentin, 97 of Turlock, died peacefully after a long and fruitful life on February 19, 2018. Born September 12, 1920 in Hughson, California to Harry J. and Alice E. (Griswold) Murray.
Mary Alice is preceded in death by her parents, three sisters Charline (Claude) Hamilton, Charlotte (Louis) Berry, and Ruth Murray; three brothers Charles (Victoria), Donald (Mary Rebecca) and Harry David Murray; one son, Roger A. Griffith; two husbands, Donald B Griffith and Harold H Warkentin; and two step-daughters, Shirley (Ed) Nelson and Beverly Warkentin.
She is survived by one son David L (Margaret E) Griffith of Anacortes, WA, one daughter Donna M Griffith Cummins (Terry E) Dellinger of Camino Island, WA, one step-daughter, Sandra (Nick) Gaff of Osceola, IN; five grandchildren: Tracy L Cummins of Whitefish, MT, John S (Desiree) Cummins of Ft. Eustis, VA, Ren E (Elizabeth) Cummins of Bothell, WA, Thad G (Safiyyah) Dellinger of Mountlake Terrace, WA, Oslo A Dellinger of Camino Island, WA, step-grandchildren: Terry (Kathy) Dellinger, Jr. of Manchester, PA, Kristy M Milligan of Buffalo, MO, Ray (Kelly) Dellinger of Logan, UT, Shannon Rose, Sara K (Leroy) Johnson of Gulf Breeze, FL, Josh (Lynn) Delahan of Brown Deer, WI and Sara Lodwick of Misawaka, IN; 15 great-grandchildren; 7 great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
Mary Alice lived on Service Road, Murray Ranch most of her life. Her father had helped survey and landscape much of the land in and around Hughson. She graduated from Hughson High School in 1938, married, 1st – Donald Griffith of Hughson in 1938 and married 2nd – Harold Warkentin, of Turlock. She was a homemaker, peach producer and almond grower in Hughson for many years. She went on jeep/camping/fishing/hunting adventures with Donald and children then after his death she adapted quite nicely to be a team-ropers’ wife with Harold.
Her face could be seen driving freshly picked peaches to the loading dock in Hughson (she was the first woman to this) or helping her family raise George the Alligator.
Her children and other family members are thankful that we had her in our lives for so long and will miss her. She was the glue that held the family together.
Graveside service will be held on Sat., Feb. 24 at 11:00am at Lakewood Memorial Park.
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