Biography: Fayetta C. Murray, age 94, died on January 8, 2019. Born on July 15, 1924 in Twin Bridges, Montana she moved three months later with her family to Morrilton, Arkansas so that her parents could join in the formation of a new Christian school, Harding College. Ten years later they moved with the college to its current location in Searcy, Arkansas. She was the last survivor of the group that made the move with Harding and was the last living charter member of the College Church of Christ. After graduating from Harding Academy and Harding College, she began a 28-year teaching career during which she taught speech, drama, grammar and literature. The opportunity to teach her favorite subject ? history- alluded her. She had a wide range of interests, definite opinions and did not hesitate to share both. She had a phenomenal memory and as much as 30 or 40 years later could recognize her former students, call them by name, relate where they sat in her class room and during which class period. Her love of history and her sharp memory served her well during each day?s episode of ?Jeopardy.? Her family knew better than to call her during the show. In her 70s she fell in love with the works of Jane Austen and became well-versed in her works and the details of her life. While attending a weeklong seminar about Austen?s works she became self-conscious because, at the end of each session, the presenter would say ?Is there anything you would like to add, Fayetta?? When the week was over the other attendees remarked that she should have conducted the seminar. On returning from a six-week trip to Albania she was excited to report that while watching TV in a Tehrana hotel she happened to see the BBC movie version of ?Pride and Prejudice? in Italian. (Although she was familiar with every movie version, the BBC?s was the only one of which she approved.) After a trip to Jane Austen?s house in Bath, England she announced ?The tour guide was wrong about the number of books she wrote.? To many, she was the internet long before it was invented. She fielded questions ranging from famous quotations to sewing tips to Bible verses to Searcy?s history and for many years local children preparing leaf collections relied on her to give them the location of the only gingko tree in Searcy. She enjoyed walking and during her many years of teaching in Searcy she walked to school almost every day and after she retired she and her husband walked 6 or 7 miles a day. She hiked two parts of the Appalachian Trail and, at the age of 93, she still took daily walks and could climb the three flights of stairs to her apartment. She even walked to the hospital for gall bladder surgery. She loved to travel. After putting her life on hold for the seven years her husband suffered from Alzheimer?s, she hit the road after he died. By the end of that year she had visited Arizona, Alaska, and London, England. Wanting to share her love of travel with her grandchildren she took them to destinations of their choosing: the Grand Canyon, London, the Bahamas and Mexico. After having seen many cathedrals, museums and historical locations in 49 states and various foreign countries, she announced at the age of 85 ?I?ve seen all the manmade things I want to see so I?m going to the Bay of Fundy? and she went. She is survived by her children and their spouses: Kathy and Earnest Rambo of St. Louis, Missouri; Susan Barkley Murray and Ken Bonnaffons of Central Valley, New York; Cliff and Deborah Murray of Tulsa, Oklahoma and Peggy Matson of Little Rock, Arkansas. She also is survived by five grandchildren, Phillip Murray, Amanda Murray Hodges, Amy Bonnaffons, Caitlin Rambo and Blythe Bonnaffons, two great-grandchildren, Molly and Dylan Hodges and her brother Neil Coleman of Jonesboro, Georgia. She was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, Malcolm C. Murray, who died on January 7, 2001, her parents, O. Marion Coleman and Ermine Houchens Coleman and her siblings, Orville Coleman, Enid Alsobrook, and Keith Coleman. Although she instructed her family not to hold a memorial service, she relented when they promised it would include a unique eulogy and no more than one hymn, one prayer, one scripture reading and would last less than an hour. She appreciated personal funerals, enjoyed entertaining ones and always was impressed when there was ?a good crowd.? Yes, she would count the number of attendees. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 19 at 2:00 p.m. in Cone Chapel in the Burks American Heritage Building on the campus of Harding University. A private burial service was held at Oak Grove Cemetery in Searcy. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to Searcy Children?s Homes (www.searcychildrenshomes.org) or to the Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN) Foundation (www.aetnfoundation.org).