8/5/2009
TIM UNRUH
SIMPSON — When Ken Murray ventures to downtown Simpson, he sees evidence that the loss of his son nearly two years ago in Iraq is felt by friends and neighbors. Through a volunteer effort, mostly donated materials and about $125 from the city of Simpson, a memorial to Army Sgt. Joel Lee Murray has taken shape this summer. Joel died in Baghdad Sept. 4, 2007, when a bomb detonated, destroying the Humvee that he was riding in, killing three others and seriously injuring a fifth soldier. Hundreds attended Joel’s funeral at Southern Baptist Church in Salina Sept. 14, 2007. Not long after his death, folks in Simpson, population 100, began talking about a memorial to Joel. He lived there and went to school in nearby Beloit. “This has been a long time coming,” said Tony Prochaska, owner of Trapper’s Bar & Grill and one of the project leaders. The memorial will be dedicated at 5 p.m. Aug. 22, as part of the Trappers 15th anniversary celebration and poker run.
Read more about the memorial in Thursday's Salina Journal.