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Bice Harber McMurry

© Holmes-Coffey-Murray Funeral Home

Submitted by: Becky Rodgers

Bice Harber McMurry was born on Tuesday, August 11, 1925 to W.B. (Webb) and Margaret Clive (Clive) McMurry in Ardmore, Oklahoma. He passed from this life to be with his savior Jesus Christ on November 10, 2017 at the age of 92 years and 3 months.

Bice was the 8th of 10 children born to Webb and Clive. He grew up in the midst of the great depression where money was in short supply. He was often forced to wear hand-me-down clothes from the older children. The bicycle he rode to school in Ardmore was missing one pedal for months because the family could not afford a new pedal. Like many of his generation, these experiences gave Bice an iron-willed work ethic and frugal nature which never left him.

After graduating from Ardmore High School in 1943, Bice got a job as a young teenager working as a welder building Liberty Ships in Richmond, California. The job didn't last long, as he entered active military service with the U.S. Army in January 1944. He received basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia and follow on training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. He was then shipped to France on board the Queen Elizabeth troop ship where the Allies were in a fierce fight with Nazi Germany. Bice was not a sailor as he was seasick for most of the journey. Back on dry land, he joined the 109th Infantry Regiment of the 28th Infantry Division and participated in two of the largest battles fought by the U.S. Army in World War II – the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest and the Battle of the Bulge where he was awarded the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. Bice was a light machine gun squad leader and attained the rank of Sergeant. Bice was a modest man and only reluctantly shared with family and close friends his at-times harrowing experiences in combat.

After the war ended, Bice was discharged and returned home to Ardmore in February 1946. There, he noticed a shortage of commercial candy in stores around Ardmore due to wartime rationing. He decided to become a businessman, and started Mac’s Candy Kitchen with help from his family. His mother Clive and some of the other children did the institutional cooking to established recipe information while Bice worked hard to sell the candy. Bice said there was an established work crew in place which worked for acceptable wages to help get the business off the ground.

Bice along with two brothers (William Henry McMurry and James Clive McMurry) grew, adapted and modified the business to become Mac's Wholesale Company which was headquartered in Ardmore with branch locations in Durant, Ada, Norman, and Anadarko. Mac's Wholesale thrived as a full service primary wholesale supplier of candy, tobacco, and grocery products to businesses throughout southern Oklahoma. Though Mac's Wholesale grew to employ well over one hundred people, the three brothers maintained it as a family business for over 50 years until it was eventually purchased by Indian Nation Wholesale in 1998.

Bice married the love of his life, Daisy Ann Norris, on June 28th 1956. Bice and Ann had two children, Mark Scott and Lisa Ann. Bice was devoted to Ann who was his steadfast partner in his personal, family and business life until her death in 1993. After Ann's passing, Bice never entertained getting remarried but wore his wedding ring for the rest of his life.

Though Bice was a businessman for most of his life, his real joy in life was cattle ranching. He started young by paying pennies for unwanted dairy calves at local dairies in Ardmore. Adults marveled at the young boy leading baby calves home on a leash to be bottle fed until he could sell them for a profit. Eventually he purchased land near Blue and Hugo and with his loyal ranch managers Jerry Russell and Ricky Hill marketed thousands of head of cattle over the years.

Bice is survived by his son Mark McMurry and Jerri Lynn Layton of Durant, Oklahoma; daughter Lisa Hobbs and John Hobbs of Edmond, Oklahoma; granddaughter Jeni Kyllingstad and Sam Kyllingstad of Edmond, Oklahoma; grandson Paul Hobbs of St. Louis, Missouri, and granddaughter Margaret (Meg) McMurry of Springfield, Virginia; step-grandchildren Jacob Layton of Bokchito, Oklahoma, Jessica Layton of 29 Palms, California, Julie Layton of Kenefic, Oklahoma; great-grandson Eli Kyllingstad of Edmond, Oklahoma; and special friend Jasmine Hurtado of Durant, Oklahoma.

A church service will be at 11:00 AM Wednesday November 15th at the 1st United Methodist Church with Rev. John Breon officiating. Burial will be at the Highland Cemetery in Durant. Mr. McMurry's family and close friends will serve as the pallbearers.

Family and friends may send online condolences and view tributes atwww.holmescoffeymurray.com.
Services are under the direction of Holmes~Coffey~Murray Funeral Home, Durant, Oklahoma. 

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