Grant D. Murie

Grant D. Murie, age 78, died at 1:25 p.m, on Jan. 11, 2019, following a long battle with COPD.

Grant was born June 24, 1940, in Billings, Mont. to the late George David and Lydia Agnes Bowen Murie. He attended Livingston Elementary School and graduated from Park County High School in 1959. Grant was a member of the Boy Scouts, Explorer Post and the Ground Observer Corps.

On March 16, 1968, he was united in marriage to his wonderful wife Sheila Maureen Mason in Livingston, Mont. They were blessed with two sons. Grant worked for Glenn Blakeslee at the Arc Second Hand Store and for the June McCracken Department store. In 1957, he started work at the Livingston Enterprise, starting out as the mail clerk and janitor, in the advertising department, and as cashier.

In 1962 he joined the United States Air Force and was honorably discharged in 1966. He graduated from the University of Montana in 1972 with a degree in business administration, majoring in accounting and finance. He returned to Livingston in 1972 and went to work for the state of Montana, Office of Examiners. In 1975, the family moved to Bozeman where he worked for the City of Bozeman as finance director.

He was a member of and served as president of the Montana Clerks, Treasurers and Finance Officers Association. In 1981 he went to work for the city of Cheney as the chief financial officer where he worked until his retirement in 2005.

Grant was a member of Emmanuel Lutheran Church where he served on the Church Council and several committees. He was a member of the Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association, Washington State Railway Historical Association, the Inland Empire Railway Historical Association, the National Railway Historical Association, the Railway and Locomotive Historical Association, the Minnesota Historical Society, the Eastern Washington Historical Society, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the National Genealogical Society.

Grant enjoyed reading history, genealogy research, writing journals and love notes to Sheila, and had a great passion for music which was born in the 1950s and 1960s, country western and classical.

Grant and his wife Sheila, were always at each other’s side in their many endeavors, not only as each other’s supporters, but as loving friends and companions. He will be remembered for many things, most especially his strong devotion to his family and his children and grandchildren.

He wholeheartedly supported his sons and grandchildren in all their activities in whatever they were involved in. It was his love for his family that made him the man he was. All of his strengths and shortcomings grew out of his desire to grow a family that cherished and respected each other.

Grant is survived by his wife Sheila of 50 years, two sons and their families, David and Cindy Murie and grandchildren Ashley, Zachary and Karissa of Wenatchee, Wash., Scott Murie, Brandie Weimer, and grandsons Clinton, James and Joseph of Livingston, and one sister, Marlene Agnes of Marysville, Wash. He is further survived by nieces, nephews, and other relatives and many friends.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his siblings Lorraine Shaeffer, Lloyd Murie, and Sharon Fisher.

A funeral service was held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019, at the Cheney Funeral Chapel, 1632 W. First St. Internment will be at Mountain View Cemetery in Livingston, Mont. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children, or the American Diabetes Association.

We would like to thank the nurses and doctors at Deaconess and Cheney Rockwood Clinic, the staff at Deaconess Health and Wellness Therapy, the Hospice of Spokane, the Spokane County Fire and Cheney Fire Departments, and the wonderful friends that provided transportation to appointments and hospital visits. An online guest book is available at cheneyfuneral.com