Juanita J. "Nita" Murfin

Juanita J. “Nita” Murfin, 75, of Le Mars, formerly of Wakefield, passed away Saturday, February 19, 2022.  A memorial service will be 11:00 A.M. Friday, February 25, 2022 at Mohr & Becker-Hunt Funeral Home in South Sioux City.  To view the service online please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm7jq7Cu9kI  Visitation will be one hour prior to the service time at the funeral home.  Burial will be held at a later date at Silver Ridge Cemetery in rural Ponca, Nebraska.  Online condolences may be directed to meyerbroschapels.com.

Nita was born the daughter of James and Isola (Clift) Leedom on October 25, 1946 in Sioux City, Iowa.  She graduated from Allen High School in 1966.  Nita married Larry Murfin on October 25, 1968 in Allen, Nebraska.  After their marriage they made their home South of Martinsburg until moving to Wakefield in 1972.  Together Nita and Murf worked side by side in several businesses they owned and operated.  Among them was Uncle Smurf’s in Wakefield.  In that business she felt like a mother to all the teenagers that came in the door. It was at that time that she was affectionately given the nickname “Lou Bug” that stuck with her for the rest of her life. Decades later she would still share new stories about the young patrons and how proud she was about how many of them turned out and had become parents themselves. 

Nita enjoyed traveling and doing all kinds of crafts, NASCAR, music and games.  She will be fondly remembered as everyone’s friend and a stranger to no one.  Like her father, she truly had a gift of talking to people and bringing out the best in them.  Her grandchildren describe her as the “Professional Game Master”. 

Nita’s faith was very important to her.  Over the years she was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Martinsburg, St. John’s Lutheran Church in Wakefield, and Grace Lutheran Church in Le Mars where she was a member of the Evangelistic Committee.

Nita is survived by her husband, Larry Murfin of Le Mars; children, Jeremy Murfin and (Wendy Golladay), Dorenna (Chris) Blanchette, and Margo (Travis) Holverson; sister, Marge Dicus; grandchildren, MaRyka Murfin, Gavin Murfin, Joshua Blanchette, Layne Stewart, Karaha (Christopher) Chamberlin, Chance Holverson, and Tanith Holverson; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings, Fred, Cecil “Edna”, Wilbur “Willie”, Jim “Jimmie”, and Audrey.