Constance Murray
Aka Conni or Momma Murray chooses not to allow her circumstances to define who she is. Instead, she likes to remember WHOSE she is – Grateful Servant of Christ and Daughter of The Most High King!
Her Life verse is Acts 20:24
But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
Conni loves God, her family, and she loves sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. She also loves a good joke and takes her joy very seriously. She is an author, an artist, a teacher, a gardener, a quilter and seamstress, a planner, a ministering friend, and a little bit crazy (in a fun way). She will sing along to almost any song and will gladly dance (even when people are watching). She loves Jesus and hopes she can share that love with everyone she meets.
She is so proud of her children and grandchildren and loves them with all her heart.
The oldest of three children born to (the late) William Hare, Jr and Carole Palmer Hare, she always had a mothering spirit. In school she always excelled academically and was involved in the church youth group, music programs, and art. In college she studied Art Therapy and Psychology earning her Bachelor’s in 1986. One week before she graduated she was married to her college sweetheart Robb (Robert J. Murray, Jr.).
Together they gut renovated two houses while raising three very active boys. When their youngest was in high school, they added a fourth boy to the family and forged forward with activity packed days. Conni’s home was always open to anyone who wanted to come. The refrigerator always had leftovers and the pantry was always full. Many young people came to call her ‘Momma’ and loved spending time at the Murray’s. Conni was a youth leader at the local church, a scout leader for both Boy Scouts (her sons) and Girl Scouts (her younger sister), a U9 boys soccer coach, team mom for various sports teams, and trusted adult for some at risk youth.
When her oldest was in high school, she returned to college and earned a degree to teach art. Graduating with high honors she taught in public school for only two years before returning to private lessons.
As time marched on, Conni’s faith deepened and she studied God’s word to find deeper meaning and greater relationship with her Creator. She didn’t have what the world would call the perfect life, but she had God and that’s all that mattered. God sustained her in the years of raising children, and when she helped care for ailing grandparents and parents. Then again when she cared for her husband until he passed into God’s glory after 33 years of marriage (37 years together).
God continued to sustain her in her grief and chose to give her someone more for the second leg of her journey. Not instead of, in addition to – more. Apparently God wants Conni to collect Robert’s because that’s her chapter two husband’s name also. Bobby, also widowed, was thrown into the Barrel of Murrays.
Now Conni spends her days studying God’s word, writing, ministering to others, quilting, and running a group of women who are aspiring artists. She loves to take drone pics of the sunset over the water, and to spend time enjoying God’s beautiful creation.
Conni’s first book was published in January 2025. It is the story of her faith journey as caregiver during her late husband’s battle with cancer. Here is a sneak peak from the book:
Wild Ride
According to dictionary.com a vow is a noun meaning a solemn promise, pledge, or personal commitment; an earnest declaration; a solemn promise made to a deity committing oneself to an act, service, or condition.
On May 10, 1986, we stood before our families and God and we recited our vows. I took a vow. I made a solemn promise and committed myself to the conditions in our vows. I meant those words, but I honestly had no idea just how those conditions would play out and how my commitment to my husband would be tested.
I Constance take you Robert to be my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, forsaking all others, until death do us part.
We knew there would be ‘worse’ and ‘poorer’. We never really planned on sickness. And I guess it just never occurred to me that death would eventually ‘do us part’. But it did.
We met in college, fell in love, and the week before I graduated with my first BA we were married. We bought a house, raised three boys, added one more, and made our way through the years. October 16, 2016, was the last day of our old life.
Our New Life
Early Monday morning, October 17, 2016, we made our way to the outpatient surgical center for Robb’s colonoscopy. Sure, he had been having a little trouble now and then, but the doctor believed he probably had some hemorrhoids or maybe some diverticulosis. The scope was completed, and we were waiting in the little curtained cubicle hoping the doc would come in soon so we could get the discharge paperwork and go grab something to eat. Finally, the doctor came in and said they had found something. What kind of something? A mass. What do you think it is? Cancer.
….gasp…..suddenly the air left the room….
I felt the kick to the stomach and had to steady myself so as not to fall backwards. I instinctively stepped closer to Robb and took his hand. I don’t know who was squeezing harder, Robb or me, but I thought our hands would break. The doctor explained what he found and sent us for blood work and scans. Yes, he sent us. Sure, Robb was the one with cancer, but let’s face it, we were going to fight this together.
And so the story began.
To learn more and to order your copy today, please click here to be redirected to the publisher’s website.