IZIOLA MURPHY

October 29, 1942 - February 23, 2017

Iziola Murphy, 74, of Kankakee, IL, passed away Thursday, February 23, 2017 at her residence. Visitation will be Friday, March 3, 2017 from 4:00 P.M. until 6:00 P.M. at Lax Mortuary and again on Saturday, March 4, 2017 from 9:00 A.M. until time of funeral services at 10:00 A.M. at Gethsemane Gardens Missionary Baptist Church. Pastor Martha Crayton will officiate. Burial will be in Kankakee Memorial Gardens. Iziola Murphy was born October 29, 1942 in Somerville, TN to George Gildchrist and Viola Wilks. She was united in holy matrimony to Jesse Murphy on January 22, 1962. She was employed by Shapiro Developmental Center and retired after over 30 years of service. She was a member of Community Church of Holiness where she served as a Mother. She enjoyed cooking, playing on her tablet and spending time with her grandchildren. She leaves to cherish her memory, two sons and daughters-in-law, Leonard and Tawana Barner of Eads, TN and Eric and Tanja Murphy of Memphis, TN; three daughters and sons-in-law, Patricia and Robert Burtis, Dorothy and Mitchell Morris and Twana and Timothy Burtis, all of Kankakee, IL; her mother, Viola Wilks of Somerville, TN; three brothers and one sister-in-law, Chester and Lois Wilks of Nashville, TN, Roger Wilks and Karl Wilks, both of Somerville, TN; one sister and brother-in-law, Annette and Vince Gallop of Memphis, TN; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Della Carpenter, Doretha Harris, Linda Norment, and Onarine Williams, all of Memphis, TN, Maxine (Michael) Freeman of Arlington, TN, Trina Brooks-Dollison of Chicago, IL, Bobbie Simon (Terry Malone) of Bloomington, IL, Stacy Hess of San Diego, CA, Delsiree (Morris) Taylor of Green Bay, WI, Earlybe Murphy of Covington, TN, Hurburt (Jane) Bryant of Arlington, TN, Rev Cloyd (Juanita) Bryant Sr. and Davis (Cheryl) Brooks, all of Kankakee, IL, Ricky Bryant of Champaign, IL, Felicia Bryant, Alvin, Albert and Leon Bryant, all of Mississippi; 16 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; two aunts, Susana Lambert and Pearline Walker, both of St. Louis, MO; one uncle, Junius Puryear of Memphis, TN, and a host of other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jesse Murphy; her father, George Gildchrist; her stepfather, Revell Wilks and four sisters, Bonnie Newby, Maple Walker, Daisy Springfield and Dorsey Smith.