Tribute

Murl was born on January 11, 1934, in Fargo, N.D., and baptized at the Presbyterian Church in Casselton. He grew up and worked on his family’s and various neighbors’ farms near Chaffee. He attended Walburg Grade School, where class sizes were typically three or fewer students, and he graduated from Chaffee High School in 1951, along with nine other students in his class. Murl attended Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, for a year and met his future wife, Elaine Smith, in 1953 at a dance at the Crystal Ballroom on Main Avenue in Fargo. In January 1954 (during the Korean War), he volunteered for the Army, spending time in Fort Riley, KS; Fort Leonardwood, MO; Fort Lawton, Seattle, WA; and the Sixth Army Disciplinary Barracks, Lompoc, CA, where he managed the prison band. Murl was honorably discharged from the Army in January 1956 and had remained in communication with Elaine during his service. They were married in August 1956 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Portland, ND, near Elaine’s home. They lived in Fargo and had Curtis in 1957 and Gale in 1959, while Murl attended North Dakota Agricultural College (now North Dakota State University). Murl earned his degree in Agriculture Education in 1959 and moved the family to Rolla, ND, for a teaching position in Vocational Agriculture. The family moved back to Fargo in 1967. Murl became an agent for Northern Pacific Railroad (now Burlington Northern), eventually managing all of the property around the tracks. Son Steven was born in 1968. In 1994, Murl and Elaine bought a home in the Florence Gardens, AZ retirement community, where they started spending half the year as “snowbirds.” Eventually, they sold their home in Fargo and became full-time residents at Florence Gardens. In 2021, they moved into assisted living in Phoenix. Murl enjoyed playing the piano and organ, often with people gathered around singing the American standards. He also played a lot of tennis and golf well into his seventies. He was very skilled at woodworking and playing Bridge, although he would sometimes get ornery when consistently dealt bad “tickets” (cards). In retirement, Murl and Elaine also traveled the world—visiting 41 foreign countries. Murl was known for a variety of off-beat sayings, which the family came to know as “Murlisms.” One favorite that he used when he perceived somebody to be too lazy was, “He’s just a tin horn sport waiting for fat pork and sundown.”

Friends & Family

Murl is survived by his children, Curtis (Lynnell) Linke of Colorado Springs, CO, Gale (Dan) Haug of Phoenix, and Steven (Karen) Linke of Carlsbad, CA; grandchildren, Erik Haug of Mapleton, ND, Brenda (Mitchell) Splichal of Phoenix, and Nicholas Linke of Carlsbad; and great-grandchildren, Kaylee, Mia, and Emma Splichal of Phoenix. Murl was preceded in death by his wife Elaine (Smith) Linke, his brother James Linke, and his parents Gorden and Grace (O’Bleness) Linke.