Gracia "Darlene" Stanley

Gracia "Darlene" Stanley was born March 19, 1922 at Enterprise, Oregon to parents Howard H. and Eva Marie (Simmons) Hudson. She died Thursday, July 10, 2003 at Good Samaritan Center in Hermiston, Oregon at the age of 81.

Darlene was born in Enterprise and raised in Union, Oregon. She married Sidney McMurphy at La Grande on September 26, 1937. They made their home in Union and had two sons, Ronald and Robert. They owned and operated the Union Wood Company. Darlene worked in various restaurants through 1955 when the family moved to the Oregon Coast. They later divorced and in 1956 she married Albert Stanley at Reedsport, Oregon. They continued to live on the coast until 1968 when they moved to Union and purchased the Knotty Pine Cafe which they ran for several years. Darlene was well known throughout Northeast Oregon for her home cooked American and Chinese food. They sold the cafe, returned to Florence and lived there for years. Darlene moved to Hermiston in 2000 due to poor health to be near family. Darlene was a member of the Elks Lodge #1858 in Florence. She loved to cook, play bingo, and she especially loved the Oregon Coast.

She is survived by sons, Ronald McMurphy of Richland, Washington, Robert McMurphy of Russell, Kansas and David Stanley of Fennville, Michigan; sister, Gwendolyn Baca of La Grande; nine grandchildren; twelve great grandchildren; three great great grandchildren; many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Howard and Eva Hudson; husbands, Sidney McMurphy and Albert Stanley; brothers, Oliver, Edward, Robert, Carl and William Hudson and sisters, Ruth Hall and Isabell Cooper.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 26th, 2003 at 11:00 a.m. at the V.F.W. Hall in Union. Disposition was by cremation.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriner's Hospital for Crippled Children, 3101 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, Oregon 97201, in honor of her brother, Billy, who was stricken with Polio and was helped by the Shriner's Hospital.