Merceda E. Druding
BELOIT — Merceda E. “Murph” Druding, 85, of Beloit, Wis., died suddenly on Good Friday, March 30, 2018, at Beloit Memorial Hospital. She was a devoted member of St. Jude Catholic Church.
Murph was born Dec. 10, 1932, in Escanaba, Mich., to John Kevill and Merceda (Middlebrook) Murphy. Murph was cherished and loved by her older brothers, Kevill and Norbert. She attended St. Joe’s High School. Murph met her husband, Donald Druding, in Gladstone. He proposed to her two years later in a letter while stationed in Okinawa, Japan. They married on July 12, 1952, in Escanaba.
She and Don moved to Beloit, Wis., in the late 1950s and put down roots reaching across the city. She took great pride in providing a loving home for her family and many of her children’s friends.
Murph knew how to love people and she understood what was important. She had boundless energy and she gave generously of her time and resources. She especially loved her grandchildren and pets. Her example of how life should be lived was a priceless gift to all who knew her. Despite the distance she remained friends with her St. Joe’s schoolmates and looked forward to reuniting with them every time she made the trip to Esky.
Survivors include her children, Mary Kay Druding, Michael (Michelle) Druding, Diane (Gene) Cummins, all of Beloit, Wis., and John (Angela) Druding of Lynchburg, Va.; grandchildren, Joshua (Sarah) Druding, Jarett Druding, Hillary (Ben) Fleming, Zachary Smith, Katherine Druding, Mark Druding, Emily (Mary Horan) Cummins, and Michael (Jennifer) Cummins; sisters-in-law, Iona (Wallace) Brunette and Edie Druding; treasured nephew Scotty Brunette and many other dear nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her husband on April 16, 1999, and her parents and brothers, Kevill and Norbert.
Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, April 5, in St. Jude Catholic Church, 737 Hackett Street, Beloit, Wis.
Burial will be in Floral Lawn Cemetery, South Beloit, Ill. Visitation of remembrance will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Daley Murphy Wisch & Associates Funeral Home and Crematorium, 2355 Cranston Road, Beloit, Wis., with a scripture service beginning at 4:45 p.m.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.daleymurphywisch.com