COLUMBIA — The memorial service for Josephine Martha "Jo" Nicholson Murphy, 96, of Columbia, will be held 11 o'clock Tuesday, January 23, 2007, at Eau Claire Baptist Church with the Rev. James A. Goudelock officiating. A private burial will precede the service in Crescent Hill Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends from 6 until 8 o'clock Monday evening in the living room at Laurel Crest Retirement Center, 100 Joseph Walker Drive, West Columbia, SC 29169. Friends are invited to pay their respects at other times at Shives Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to Eau Claire Baptist Church, 4427 Main St., Columbia, SC 29203.

Mrs. Murphy, widow of Truman "Pat" Murphy, died Saturday, January 20, 2007. Born in Edgefield, SC, she was a daughter of the late Shemuel W. and Sally Cartledge Nicholson. She had retired from American Time Data, a company owned by her son. Mrs. Murphy was a lifelong resident of Eau Claire until she moved to Laurel Crest in declining health. She was a member of Eau Claire Baptist Church and the Ella Cox-Dorcas Sunday School Class.

Survivors include her sons, Truman J. Murphy, Jr. of Laurel Crest, Thomas M. (Willa) Murphy of Fort Peck, MT, Phillip S. (Diane) Murphy of Florence, SC; daughter, the Rev. Llewellyn "Llyn" Ann Lantz of Phillipsburg, NJ; grandchildren, Terry Lynn Carson of West Columbia, Nancy Henchel of Houston, TX, Laura Sertich of Atlanta, GA, Truman J. Murphy, III of Columbia, Kathy Keys, Michelle Murphy, both of Columbus, OH, Leah Murphy of KY, Jennifer Bagwell of Charleston, SC, David Lantz of Charlotte, NC, Scott Murphy of Florence, SC, Tyler Murphy of Charlotte, NC; 16 great-grandchildren, two great-great-grandchildren; a sister, whom she raised, Betty Moore of New Castle, DE; and a devoted niece, Marie Callahan. She was preceded in death by a great-grandchild and three brothers, Llewellyn, Roath and Roy Nicholson.

Mrs. Murphy was lovingly cared for in the final months of her life by Terry Carson, the eldest grandchild, and her family.