Turid Murray

Turid May Fjeld Cabada Murray, 75, of Uvalde, died July 6, 2016, at her residence.
She was born Aug. 28, 1940, in Oslo, Norway, to Ragnvald Andreas Andersen-Fjeld and Dagmar Fjeld, nee Hansen.
She was baptized into the Norwegian Church, Congregation of Ostre Aker, Oslo, Oct. 13, 1940.
She graduated from elementary school at Sagdalen Skole in Oslo, in 1947, and completed a 5-year accelerated course of high school at Foss Private School in Oslo, graduating in 1956.
A life-long learner who began reading and walking by herself to the library when she was four years old, she was fluent in eight languages: Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, German, French, Spanish, English and Japanese.
She began working at the age of 14 as a shipping-and-forwarding company clerk. Other jobs in her younger years included serving as an apprentice bookkeeper, assisting with payroll and working at Bé�rsom's Antiquariat & Publishers.
In January of 1960, she went to work at the American Embassy, Military Assistance Advisory Group, in Oslo, where her responsibilities included serving as a translator. It was there she met her future husband, George Michael Cabada, who was stationed in Oslo while serving in the United States Air Force.
They married on Sept. 13, 1960, in Oslo. Two daughters were born to this union, and the family was stationed both stateside and overseas during his time in the service.
Subsequent to her initial arrival in the United States, she was employed with Kelly Girls, Inc., in Washington, D.C., from 1960-1961. Her assignments included working for General Electric, Pepsi Cola Bottling Co., Carnegie Institution, National Wildlife Service, and American Engineers, where she assisted in the Recruiting Department with the writing of scripts for promotional movies.
She proudly became a naturalized United States citizen on May 1, 1964, in Honolulu, Hawaii.
In the ensuing years she took courses at various universities, beginning work on her bachelor's degree.
In June 1969, after learning to speak and write Japanese, she went to work as an administrative assistant at Pacific Architects & Engineers, Inc., in Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands.
After her husband's retirement from the military in 1970 and the family's return to the U.S., she attended Sul Ross State University in Alpine.

When a job for her husband took the family to Uvalde, she became instrumental in establishing the Sul Ross Center, now Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College. This allowed her to earn her bachelor's degree from Sul Ross and share her love of learning with others in the area.

She began her teaching career as a special education teacher with Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District at Dalton school.
While teaching, she earned a master's degree in counseling from Sul Ross State University. She established an Upward Bound program at Southwest Texas Junior College, and directed the program for several years.
After divorcing in 1980, she moved to DeKalb, Ill., to establish an Upward Bound program at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.
She returned to Texas in the mid-1980s and went to work in San Antonio, where she was employed as an educational diagnostician with various school districts, including San Antonio Independent School District.
She married Robert James "Bob" Murray Jr. on June 23, 1989, at their home in Lytle, Texas.
Mr. and Mrs. Murray enjoyed listening to jazz music, going for long walks, gardening, cooking and canning together, while spending time with family.
She was preceded in death by her husband on Aug. 1, 1995.
Shortly thereafter, she retired and began contracting as a diagnostician. She also raised miniature horses, miniature donkeys and miniature goats. After liquidating that business, she moved from Lytle to Ruidoso, N.M., where she taught English as a Second Language. She later relocated to Bandera, where she built a home and worked as a diagnostician for area school districts. Next stop was Ingram, where she spent her spare time working at Hastings Entertainment Bookstore.
In the late 1990s she returned to Uvalde to be closer to family. She volunteered with Uvalde Memorial Hospital Auxiliary and was a member of Uvalde Retired Teachers Association.
Murray was also preceded in death by her parents.
She is survived by two daughters, Carol Kothmann and husband, Roy, of Uvalde and Karen Kolinek of Bryan; one sister, Tove Thorsen of Oslo; one brother, Basse Fjeld and wife, Rigmor, of Oslo; six grandchildren, Katie Kothmann Haby and husband, Kason, of Hondo, Karla Kothmann Radicke and husband, Holden, of Uvalde, Adam Kolinek of Cypress, Erin Kolinek of College Station, Ben Kothmann of Kingsville and Linsey Beth Kolinek of Bryan; four great-grandchildren, Maddox Smith, Pierce Radicke, Kenedy Haby and Riley Radicke; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, July 9, 2016 at 2 p.m. at Rushing-Estes-Knowles Chapel with the Rev. Tony Gruben officiating.
The family suggests memorials to Humane Society of Uvalde, 127 S. Camp St., Uvalde, TX 78801; El Progreso Memorial Library, 301 W. Main St., Uvalde, TX 78801; or the charity of one's cho

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