Lois Faye Murphy, 80, of Custer, South Dakota, passed away on August 12, 2026. Born in 1946 in Sayre, Pennsylvania, she lived a life defined by courage, adaptability, and an unwavering commitment to family.

As a young woman, Lois left Pennsylvania with little more than a suitcase, drawn to South Dakota by a group of cowboys she had met at a children’s dude ranch in upstate New York and by the promise of an education. When she arrived and found there was no place for her at the school she had planned to attend, she did not turn back. She found another school, took a job to support herself, and built a life that let her stay. It was there that she met Owen Murphy, the man who would become her husband and partner in every adventure that followed. They married on August 26, 1967.

Together, Lois and Owen raised seven children across a map that stretched from California to South Dakota, Texas, Maine, and Minnesota, before finally returning to South Dakota to stay. Wherever they landed, Lois made it a home. She raised Shawn, Patrick, Kevin, Kimberlyn, Catherine, Ryan, and Michael to adulthood, meeting the demands of a growing family with the same grace and grit that carried her west as a young woman.

Her family was her first love, horses were second; which may have been what drew her out to cowboy county. As kids grew up and started their own lives, Lois filled some of her time riding and teaching a new generation of horse enthusiasts, as well as going back to school to get a degree in animal husbandry. When kids came home, a ride with mom was always the best catch-up.

In her later years, Lois opened a campground offering guided trail riding in the Black Hills National Forest. It was a fitting turn for a woman whose love of horses and the outdoors started with nurturing and shared experiences with her dad, and an adult life had set in motion by a chance meeting with cowboys decades earlier. It was a return, in many ways, to where her story began.

Lois met every chapter of her life, the uncertain ones and the joyful ones alike, with love, grace, and bravery. She inspired multiple generations of family, friends, and students as a woman who never let fear decide her path.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Vivian, father Andy her brothers, Warren and Wayne granddaughter Christine and great-grandson Hamada. She is survived by her husband of 59 years, Owen, and her seven children, Shawn (Pat), Patrick (Robyn), Kevin (Tara), Kimberlyn (Peter), Catherine, Ryan (Nicole), and Michael (Julie), 33 Grandkids and their spouses, and 9 Great-Grandkids.

In lieu of flowers please make donations to Alzheimer’s research.

Rosary will be 5:00 p.m., Friday, August 28, 2026, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Custer, SD followed by Christian Funeral Vigil at 6:00 p.m.

Christian Funeral Mass will be held 10:00 a.m., Saturday, August 29, 2026, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.

Christian Funeral Committal will be held 3:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis, SD.