Basil L. Murphy

Basil LeRoy Murphy was born at home on June 1, 1929, in the area of Sickles, Oklahoma, to William (Bill) Bryan and Bertha C. (McKee) Murphy.  Basil passed away on January 6, 2023, at the age of 93 in Weatherford, Oklahoma; he grew up in the Hinton area and graduated from Hinton High School in 1948.   Basil married his other half whom he lovingly called “Shorty,” Lena Eldon Douglas on January 14, 1950, in Hinton, Oklahoma,  where they raised their family and enjoyed friends until they were no longer able to stay at home.  

He worked his entire life in Hinton as a blacksmith/welder and was a respected and integral part of his community and church.  Farmers and community members from near and far benefited from his metal-working magic.  From sharpening plow shears to restoring a mangled tricycle, he could transform any metal job and “Basilize” it until it was more functional and usually better than new.   In the early days of the machine shop, Basil faced a hard choice of taking work outside of Hinton or buying the business; however, at that time he and Lena could not afford to do so.  Realizing the importance of his work for them, several farmers in the area guaranteed a loan for them to purchase the business so that it could remain in Hinton and it stayed in operation until his retirement.  Basil’s handiwork work can be seen at many places; just a few examples are repairs on the rides at the local Hinton Fair, the lockers at the Hinton dome in partnership with son Jimmy, as well as the merry-go-round that is now at the Hinton museum.  

Basil loved horses and mules and was a long-time member of the Hinton Roundup Club.  He hitched his Welsh ponies to a buggy that he fashioned himself to take to parades, and enjoyed trail rides with Danny and Jimmy; one memorable ride took them from Sickles to Elk City.  Most times, Lena and Debbie would go to the movies and then meet up with the boys or follow along.  

Basil had a warm, enthusiastic sense of humor and loved his family and friends.  He enjoyed games, pitching horseshoes, Wahoo, fixing bikes, snow sledding at age 88, and was always up for a good time and, of course, dessert!  He and Lena spent hundreds of hours swinging on the porch and holding hands.  They were the picture of God’s plan for marriage.  

Basil leaves a lifetime of memories for his family that he loved so much.  He will be missed immeasurably.  

Survivors include his wife, Lena, of Hinton, Oklahoma; his children,  Debbie Mosley and husband Jerry of Hinton, Oklahoma, and Danny Murphy and wife Cindy of Oney, Oklahoma; his grandchildren, Jennifer Nelson and husband Justin of Hinton, Oklahoma, Staci Pack and husband Shanon of Hinton, Oklahoma, Andrew Mosley and wife Amanda of Tuttle, Oklahoma, Crysti Adams and husband Jason of Choctaw, Oklahoma, Cole Murphy and wife MaKayla, of Hinton, Oklahoma, Jeremy Murphy of Hinton, Oklahoma, Brady Murphy and wife Robin of Hinton, Oklahoma, and Haley Murphy of Missouri; great-grandchildren Kaitlin, Brett, Gavin, Carson, Gillian, Josh, Hattie, Easton, Hudson, Ruger, and Blake, as well as great-great grandchildren and many other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Bertha Murphy; infant daughter Donna Murphy, infant son Bobby Murphy, son Jimmy Murphy; siblings Mildred Winn, Dan Murphy, Irene Mogg, and Cleta Thiessen.  

Services: First Christian Church, Tuesday, 2:00 pm, January 10, 2023, Hinton, OK

Officiating: Rev. Brandon Kittle

Burial: Hinton Cemetery, Hinton, OK services  under the direction of Turner Funeral Home, Hinton, Oklahoma. Condolences may be sent to the family at turnerfuneralhomes@gmail.com, or you can find us on facebook.com (Turner Funeral Homes).  

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