Elaine Murphy

MADISON- Elaine Eleanora Murphy (Sis), age 68, passed away peacefully on Thursday, December 11, 2014. She was born on August 17, 1946 in Stratton, Nebraska the 6th of 7 children born to Charles and Eleanora Sis. She grew up on a wheat farm in Rawlins County, Kansas which her grandparents homesteaded in the late 1800's. One room of the farmhouse still had an original sod wall. Elaine attended elementary and high school in McDonald, Kansas. She was awarded an AK-SAR-BEN Scholarship to attend Creighton-Memorial, St. Joseph's Hospital School of Nursing in Omaha, Nebraska. Elaine graduated in June of 1967.
Elaine met M. John Murphy, a medical student, as they worked on the wards of "St. Joe's" Hospital. They were married on September 23, 1967 at St. John Nepomuk Catholic Church in rural Kansas. Their daughter, Teresa Eleanor, was born on November 21, 1969 and their son, Christopher Charles, was born on August 4, 1971.
Elaine had various part-time nursing jobs in Omaha, Hanover, New Hampshire, and Madison, but her final career in nursing was 13 years at the American Red Cross in the Blood Collection Department. While Teresa and Chris were growing up, family was her main focus. They enjoyed many car trips and train rides visiting relatives in Kansas and Nebraska and up-state New York.
When the "empty nest" arrived, she and John became involved with Madison Friends of International Students which they cherished and received so much enrichment from. The students were truly their "adopted children" and they the "adopted parents". Believing that "we are all God's children, and we are put on Earth to help each other out" was the impetus. They felt that providing friendship and temporary housing to young people from China, South Korea, Iran, Turkey, Germany, Israel, Tanzania, and Kenya was their contribution to world peace, and hopefully, this gave some relief to their parents "back home".
After retirement, she and John enjoyed tours to Egypt, China, Israel, Jordan, Germany, Czech Republic, Ireland, India, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. They also enjoyed trips to Alaska with Teresa's family and to New York City in the summer of 2013, and regular visits to Chris in Colorado where they enjoyed skiing and mountain hiking.
Elaine loved the outdoors all her life and maintaining physical fitness. She felt God's presence in all of nature. Gardening, biking, hiking, walking, and downhill skiing to name a few. Quilting became an indoor passion in the past few years.
Elaine felt she had a blessed life, and this quote from St. Teresa of Avila became her credo:
"Christ has no body now on Earth, but yours No hands but yours No feet but yours Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion is to look out to the world Yours are the feet with which Christ is to go about doing good Yours are the hands with which Christ is to bless all people now"
Elaine will be greatly missed by her husband, John; daughter Teresa (John) Dickert of Racine; son Christopher (Heather) of Colorado Springs, Colorado; and grandchildren Riley John Dickert and Eleanor Lee Dickert. She is further survived by her siblings Leo (Margaret) Sis of Omaha, Nebraska, Charles (Pat) Sis of Grand Junction, Colorado, Freda (Don) Menze of Hutchinson, Kansas, and Michael (Diane) Sis of rural Atwood, Kansas.
Elaine is preceded in death by her parents Charles and Eleanora Sis, parents-in-law Reginald and Kathleen Murphy, and sisters Virginia Cox and Verna Dame.
A Mass of Christian Burial for Elaine will be at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, December 17, 2014 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 601 Everglade Drive in Madison with Fr. Bart Timmerman presiding. Visitation will be 9:00-10:45 AM on Wednesday, December 17, 2014 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. A private burial will take place at Resurrection Catholic Cemetery.
Memorials are appreciated to Elaine Sis Murphy Cholangiocarcinoma Fund, MD Anderson Cancer Center, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, Texas 77030, or to the Dane County St. Vincent de Paul Society.

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