KRAYE, BETTY FAMILY

by Betty Kraye

Entry F243 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Betty Kraye Murphy Evans Family. Front Nicki, Betty, Dori Evans.
Back - Kathy, Bert, and Kerry Murphy

Front Row - Savannah and Samantha Owen. Back - Kayla Wheelock

Betty Jean Kraye, daughter of Ernst and
Helen Kraye, was born 1936 on the
home ranch twelve miles southwest of Mul-
len. After graduating from Mullen High
School in 1954 she attended college at
Nebraska Wesleyn in Lincoln and Chadron
State in Chadron, where she majored in
Elementary Education.

Betty taught school for six years, three
years in Whitman Public School, two years
at the Lacky School north of Whitman and
one year at the Big Creek School north of
Mullen.

In 1961 she married Robert Murphy, an
auto salesman at Mathews Chevrolet in
Mullen, and they moved to al home 1 mile
west of Mullen where they lived for 14 years.

Betty has five children, the three older ones
Kathy Lou Murphy, Kerry Lee Murphy and
Bert Dwayne Murphy. Kathy was born
1962. She was very active in
4H, school and church activities. She held
State Office in FHA and had the privilege of
attending a meeting in Washington, D.C. She
also won a trip to the capitol in 4-H. She
attended many camps and when she got older
was a counselor at Camp Norwesea. After
graduation from Mullen High she attended
kearney State College for 4 years. During her
college years she was president of the Nebras-
ka State Nurse's Association. At present she
is a registered nurse at the hospital in
Tucumcare, New Mexico. In May, 1984,
kathy married Tom Owen from Arthur,
Nebraska. They have two daughters, Savan-
nah Grace, born 1986 and Samantha
Jean born 1987.

Kerry was born 1964. Kerry
was active in church, school and 4H. She won
several trophys showing her horses and
calves. Kerry graduated from Mullen High
School in 1982 and attended Kearney State
College until she married Ricky wheelock of
Hyannis in 1984. Rick joined the army and
took his training in Missouri where Kayla
Jean was born 1984. They were
stationed in Munic, Germany, Kerry and
Kayla spent three years there but now she is
back home where Kerry is starting college in
Chadron to major in Elementary Education.

Bert was born 1965. Bert
worked at the Big Creek Ranch and graduat-
ed from Mullen High in 1984. In the Fall after
graduation he went to Louisiana where he
attended a welding school and was a forman
of a welding shop in Mansfield. In May, 1987,
he married Kay Ireland and they moved to
Madisonville, Texas where Kay is employed
at the Bank and Bert is welding at the
Gooseneck Trailer factory in Bryan, Texas.

In 1976 Betty married Lloyd Evans of
Whitman and they moved. to an acreage six
miles north of Mullen. here Betty's two
younger daughters were born, Dori Dawn and
Nicki Kay. Dori was born 1977 and
Nicki was born 1978. They both are
attending the Mullen Public School.

Betty drove the Mullen School bus north
of Mullen for ten years and worked at the
Elsie Roth ranch for 8 years where she was
featured in the National Geographic maga-
zine in October, 1978. She also worked at the
Loup Valley Vetenary Clinic in Mullen for
two years and two years at the Spike Box
Ranch north of Mullen.

Betty is an active member of the United
Methodist Church and is a youth counselor
at Camp Norwesca by Chadron, Nebraska.

At present Betty and her two younger
daughters are operating a ranch eight miles
north of Mullen in Cherry county.