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COLUMBUS — Luella Annette Murch died peacefully of natural causes on August 20, 2020.

She was born on July 8 th , 1929, to Ernest C. and Louise Whitney in West Springfield,

Pennsylvania. She was the 7 th child of 10 siblings.

Luella attended Edinboro State College and Pennsylvania State University earning a Bachelor of

Science in Bacteriology. Later, at age 51 she completed a BS in Computer Science and MS in

Library Science at the University of Maryland.

At Penn State she met Robert Matthews Murch, and they were married on July 14, 1951. Luella

and Robert had 4 children whom she lovingly raised in Midland MI, Madison WI, and Ashton

1. In her professional life she rose to Director at a Nursery school, and Director of the

Computer Science Library at the University of Maryland. She and Bob retired to Columbus

North Carolina where they were active in Habitat for Humanity, and the Thermal Belt Unitarian

Universalist Fellowship. She loved hiking and camping with family and was a dedicated

member of the Carolina Ringers handbell choir. Her final years were blessed by the loving

community and staff of Tryon Estates Retirement Community.

Luella is survived by her beloved sister Jane Trollier, her children Donald Whitney Murch

(Sarah Hake), Margaret Ann Murch (Roger Burk), Bruce Prentiss Murch (Nancy), James

William Murch, 6 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.

Donations can be made to: Parkinson’s Foundation, https://www.parkinson.org/ways-to-give, or

Parkinson Foundation of the National Capital Area, 8830 Cameron St. #201, Silver Spring, MD

20910; Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Carolina Foothills, P.O. Box 653, Tryon, NC

28782; Habitat for Humanity, https://www.habitat.org/donate/, or Habitat for Humanity, 322

West Lamar Street, Americus, Georgia 31709-3543.

An online guest register is available at mcfarlandfuneralchapel.com

McFarland Funeral Chapel & Crematory

Tryon, North Carolina