Margaret “Ma” Murray

Over the 114 years the British Columbia Women's Institute has existed, there have been many leaders and followers, each with their own story and achievements.

In this column I wish to remember one of the more colourful of those members – one who served her community through her writing abilities, and who also called a spade a spade. Who fits that description? – Margret “Ma” Murray. She was born Margaret Lally, 03 August 1888 at Windy Ridge, Kansas. With one of her sisters she moved to Canada in 1912 – the plan? To meet some cowboys!

The first mention of Mrs. Murray as a Women's Institute member comes to light in the mid to late 1920's when she served a short term as Provincial Secretary. I have never read any accounts of her minutes, but from what I have heard and read about her command of written English, I am sure they were “entertaining”. But in looking for material for this column, I came across an account of an occasion when Lady Tweedsmuir, wife of the Governor General, was to address a provincial Convention group in 1936 but was a little late in arriving. As the members waited they became more tense and Mrs. Murray asked:  “would you like me to tell you some of my experiences campaigning for my husband?” Her husband George had recently been elected as a Member of Parliament. Everyone applauded vigorously. From then on it was one laugh after another as she recounted episodes of her travels. By the time Lady Tweedsmuir arrived they were a relaxed and very responsive audience.

Mrs. Murray developed and promoted the idea of the Women's Institutes making wool comforters. Originally, the comforters were intended to be a cottage industry and a project to earn cash for the branches, with the comforters selling between $12.50 and $15.00. But with the advent of World War 2 and the desperate need for bedding in Great Britain, the project was re-vamped and resulted in 8,284 comforters bring sent to Great Britain between 1939 and 1945.

One last story about “Ma” Murray: during the time we lived at Dawson Creek, the Premier of British Columbia was W.A.C. Bennett. I believe it had been a called election that brought the Premier to the Peace River area, and this one particular day he was visiting Fort St. John. He was being driven around the city, through crowds of residents, standing in the back seat of a convertible car, holding on tightly with one hand as he smiled his huge smile and waved to the crowd with the other hand. The car immediately behind the Premier's was another convertible with Ma Murray, wearing a smile similar to the Premier's as she tossed slices of bologna to the crowd!

Ruth Fenner, Provincial Historian, British Columbia Women's Institute