Murmur L. Calhoun, Ultimate Teacher and Supreme Humanitarian, passed away Monday evening, May 15, 2017 at Brethren Care of Ashland, after a short illness. She is survived by her daughter, Jennifer Minnock, and son-in-law, Steve Minnock, of Kentucky. Also surviving are sisters Rebecca L. Wickham of Bloomville, Kim E. Tanner of Ashland, Tara J. Calame of Medina, and one brother, John C. Calhoun, of Savannah and nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews.
Murmur was born in Ashland, Ohio, on January 28, 1946 to C. Raymond and Donna L. (Gray) Calhoun of Savannah. She was preceded in death by her parents and sister, April C. Lahm of Worthington, Ohio. Murmur was a life-long resident of Ashland County. She attended the Savannah School and graduated from Union High School (now Crestview Schools) in 1964.
Her lifetime ambition was to be the best teacher she could be and she truly was a consummate teacher. Students and parents both loved and appreciated her way with young pupils. She loved the kids and did everything she could to instill a love of learning in each of her charges. She believed love and kindness could destroy any obstacle to learning. She proved herself right time after time.
She would help anyone and everyone that she could. She often tutored for free if the student’s family couldn’t afford to pay. She donated items to the food bank regularly. She often donated money to folks who were injured and unable to work. She served the underserved in many ways, including providing school supplies. She had a special fondness for the Latino immigrants who worked at local farms, tutoring them in English and helping them find their way in our society. She was a Master at crochet and knitting and blessed many people with gifts of items that shared her warm, soft heart.
She received her Cadet Teaching license in 1966, during a teacher shortage, after only two years of schooling in Elementary Education at Ohio State University, Mansfield. Every summer she returned to college to work on completion of her Bachelor’s degree. She taught Second Grade at Savannah School for two years, then graduated from OSU in August of 1970, and went on to teach kindergarten first at Perrysville and then at Loudonville. She received her Masters of Education degree from Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Mount Vernon, Ohio. She was a teacher for over 45 years. Following her retirement in 2002, she enjoyed many years researching her family tree, exploring the lives of her ancestors and learning more about distant relatives.
There will be no funeral or calling hours. However, a Celebration of Life Memorial service will be held Saturday, May 20, at 11AM at McMullen School gymnasium. Interment will be in the Savannah Cemetery. Donations may be made in her name (for education majors) to the Murmur Calhoun Scholarship at the Ashland County Community Foundation, or to Loudonville Public Library or the Loudonville Fire Department.
For those not able to attend, expressions of sympathy may be made to the family by visiting denbowfh.com
Denbow-Gasche Funeral Home & Crematory are assisting the Calhoun family with the arrangements.