Jeanne Murrell

Jeanne Marie Murrell departed this life on February 3, 2026. She was born on January 8, 1949, in Fremont, Michigan, to Joe and Genevieve Feller, the third of eight children.

 

Although born in Michigan, she was raised in Mesa, Arizona, and attended schools there through her freshman year. The Feller family moved to West Plains, Missouri, in 1964. After graduating high school, Jeanne moved west again and lived in Flagstaff and Tucson, Arizona; Reno, Nevada;  Mtn. View and Santa Cruz, California.  She worked in title insurance and escrow at Transamerica Title and Penniman Title.

 

Jeanne married Noel Haubert, father of Chris Noel on March 6, 1971, in Carson City, Nevada.  On April 21, 1984, she married James Lynn Murrell at Oak Grove Church near Willow Springs, Missouri. In 1980, when Jeanne returned to West Plains, she was employed at Wiles Abstract. She later began her 18-year career in radio, first at KWPM, and later, many years at KUKU in Willow Springs.  She also held part-time positions at Southern Missouri Home Builders Association, and the Missouri Department of Conservation.

 

In Willow Springs, Jeanne was a volunteer, secretary, and board member for the Willow Springs Chamber of Commerce and was very active for many years in promoting Willow Springs.

 

Jeanne's love of the outdoors was a perfect match for her marriage to James. They enjoyed being together on the farm, whether in the hay field, gardening, hiking, or spending time with their friends. Jeanne loved to entertain, and the two of them met many interesting people from around the country who stayed at their cabin and the guest house on the farm.

 

Together they traveled West quite frequently, spending time with Chris and her husband Randy in Monterey, California, on the beach and in the Redwoods, at Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Park, in the California Gold Country and the Sierra Nevada mountains.  They also enjoyed spending time with their friends in Wyoming, touring Yellowstone National Park, the Rocky Mountains, the Black Hills of South Dakota, and northern Arizona, including Flagstaff and Sedona. One special trip was taking the Santa Fe Chief Amtrak across country to the West. Jeanne also traveled with her sister Mary to the Gulf of Mexico, Wisconsin's Door County, Michigan, and many places in the West.

 

Jeanne enjoyed writing, and compiled a family newsletter over the past 30+ years, detailing the family’s trips and special events. The newsletter was also full of history from her mother's diaries, old letters and her dad's letters from the World War II. She also enjoyed reading and quilting, and the flowers James grew for her.

 

Jeanne became a member of Pomona Christian Church in 1998 and was affiliated with Oak Grove Church in the neighborhood.

 

Jeanne was preceded in death by her beloved husband and friend, James Lynn Murrell; parents Joe and Genevieve Feller; and two older brothers Gary Wayne Bennett, John Feller and his wife, Bev Feller.

 

She is survived by her daughter, the joy of her life, Chris Noel Haubert and husband Randy Thayer of Marina, California; her stepdaughter, Maria Funk, husband Mike and grandson Evan Funk of Independence, Missouri; her brothers and sisters and their spouses: Mary Bennett, Mike and Dianna Feller, Mary and Randy Berner, Paul and Patty Feller, Patty and Jack Ford; and Nicole Layden; and many special cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.

 

A Life Celebration will be held at Jeanne’s home on Saturday, May 30. Cremains will be buried at Mount Zion Cemetery in Howell County, Missouri.