Jenny Beth Murdock

Jenny Beth Murdock passed away on January 17, 2024 at the age of 90 and returned to the presence of a loving Heavenly Father. She was a beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt and friend.

Jenny was born on April 25, 1933 in Greenville, Utah to Grant and Ora Murdock. She was the third of six children with an older sister and four brothers.

Jenny’s father worked for the railroad and the family moved often. She spent her elementary school days in Milford and Salt Lake City. When she was young, she had a paper route on The Avenues in Salt Lake where the family lived. Her junior high and high school years were spent in Montpelier, Idaho where she participated in band, choir and anything musical. She graduated from Montpelier High School in 1951 and was determined to join the army, however her parents felt she was too young and would not sign her enlistment papers. She moved to Salt Lake and lived with her cousin while taking classes at the University of Utah and worked as a soda jerk at Duffins Ice Cream Parlor.

After a year of waiting until she turned 19, she convinced her parents to sign her enlistment papers. Jenny joined the WACs (Women’s Army Corps) and was assigned to Ft. Lee, Virginia for basic training. She was then transferred to Ft. McClellan Army Base in Anniston, Alabama and was selected to be part of the WACs 14th Army Band. A documentary was filmed there after it was dedicated as the permanent home for the WACs and Jenny can be seen in several shots marching and playing her saxophone. She toured with the band, marching in parades throughout the southern states and was honored to march and play at President Eisenhower’s 1953 inauguration in Washington, DC. She was asked to participate on the Arlene Francis Radio Show in New York City with the “Soldiers on Parade”, and did live shows over the radio. After nearly three years in the states, Jenny was transferred to the 3rd Army Base in Heidelberg, Germany and assigned to work in G-2 Intelligence as a secretary and at night sang with the band and the USO to entertain at the base. There she met Charles from North Carolina who had been drafted after college and assigned to the same base in Germany. He was the leader of a 16-piece jazz band that played at the officer’s club and for the USO. They dated and were married in Heidelberg and remained there for another year until Charles’ service ended. They returned back to the states and settled in North Carolina where they started their family. Their first four children, Keri, Ken, Koni and Kristi were born there, then they relocated to Denver, Colorado where their fifth child, Keli was born.

While raising her five kids, Jenny attended college and earned her bachelor’s degree in music performance from the University of Denver and later earned her master’s degree there also. She worked many jobs and had many careers during her lifetime. She started working in the oil business first with Hershey Oil and then twelve years with Texaco Oil Co. where she retired in 1995. After retiring and living in Colorado for 30 years, she moved to Utah to be closer to her family. Not able to sit still for long, she continued her education at the University of Utah even doing a semester abroad in her 60s. She got her real estate license and worked for her son and daughter-in-law for another 14 years.

Jenny loved music and playing the piano. She sang in many choirs through the years and was always involved with her kids’ school choirs, church choirs and was honored to sing at special events. Some of her kids’ favorite memories are of her playing Christmas songs and show tunes on the piano as they all gathered around and sang. She also played the flute, clarinet and saxophone and passed on her love of music to her kids and grandkids.

Jenny loved the outdoors. She loved to hike all over Colorado and climbed several of the 14ers there. She especially loved Rocky Mountain National Park and it was quite common for her and her kids to get caught in an afternoon rain or hailstorm because they hiked too far to get back in time. She loved skiing when her kids were young and wore a bright yellow ski suit that stood out on the white slopes like a big, bright bumble bee. She loved to travel and went back to Europe multiple times where she hiked the alps and even did a 14-day bike tour through Switzerland, France and Germany in her 60s.

One of her greatest joys in life were her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She enjoyed watching their sports, ballet recitals and choir concerts. They loved her and looked up to her. She was incredibly strong, independent, adventurous and brave and taught her kids to be the same. She will be greatly missed.

Jenny is survived by her five children: Keri Kroneberger, Ken (Ann) Murdock, Koni Warnecke, Kristi (Bob) Baumgartner and Keli Gogarty; 19 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren; her brother, Kent and sisters-in-law, Gayle and Barbara; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers Bud, Boyd, Clark and sister Faye, sisters-in-law Marilyn and Linda, brother-in-law Devere and beloved grandson, Kacey.

Funeral Services will be held on Friday January 26, 2024 at 10:30 a.m at Larkin Sunset Gardens, located at 1950 E Dimple Dell Road in Sandy. A viewing will be held one hour prior to the service.

Interment will take place at Memorial Mountain View Cemetery, 3115 E Bengal Boulevard, Cottonwood Heights, Utah.