Thursday, January 14, 2021
Mr. McMurphy was lovely and a true sport. I had a Russian friend that came to visit me, and as we were driving by MRA, she saw his sign - Horace McMurphy - in his front yard. She pronounced his first name - Ho (like hooker 'ho') - Ra (like Rah Rah cheerleading Rah) - Ce (like che of cheeta). McMurphy - when she said it - had about 7 'r's that rolled across the tongue. I looked at her like she had 7 eyes and said - what are you talking about? She said that sign - Ho-Rah-Che McMurrrrrphy. I laughed so hard, I was crying and said that's not the way you pronounce Horace - although it does look like it should sound the way you just said it, but that's not how you pronounce it. When I pronounced it correctly, she looked at me like I had 7 eyes.
Anyway, a couple of months later, Mr. Horace came into First Presbyterian to vote, and I told him the story of how the Russians pronounce his first name. He got the biggest kick out of that.
A few hours later, Mrs. McMurphy came in to vote. Now she was listed as Mrs. Horace McMurphy on the voter roll. And when asked her name, she pronounced in the Russian manner - Ho-Rah-Che. So I knew then that they both really got a thrill with that story. And now, every time I see the name Horace, I pronounce it in the Russian manner, but I think of Mr. McMurphy.
May God bless Mr. and Mrs. Horace McMurphy.
Julia Hodges
