Granby native John R. Murphy celebrates 99th birthday
John R. Murphy of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., will celebrate his 99th birthday on Aug. 20.
John’s legacy began when he was born in 1915 in the old ranch house that still stands on the land his parents purchased in 1909 in Granby.
He raised cattle and hay until 1993 when he decided it was time to slow down and spend the winters in Arizona. After so many years of feeding cattle seven days a week in sub-zero temperatures, John joked that the mild Arizona winters spoiled him and he doubted he could go back to those cold Colorado winters.
In retirement John was able to fulfill his lifelong dream of travel by making a safari to Africa, cruising the Inside Passage to Alaska and taking a walking tour through Ireland, his country of ancestry, when he was 87.
On the walking tour of Ireland, John had a tour participant tell him, “I’m 40 years old and I thought I was over the hill until I met you. I’d like the privilege of buying you a drink in the pub tonight because you are such an inspiration to me.” He is still inspiring people, his family said.
This story is adapted from one that appeared recently in the Lake Havasu City News-Herald.
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