murraydwyer
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Tomorrow Maura will have been missing one year. The following is part of a post I made last week it is posted on www.Mauramurray.com. I've never met Maura...I think her smile got me. I've put the last sentence as this was posted first. It is a very poignant sentiment:
"If you wanted to make a person, you would make her just like her." said Katie Jones another close friend of Mauras since grade school.
Twenty-one year old Maura Murray went missing on Monday, February 9th 2004. She has had an especially close relationship with her father, Fred Murray. Mauras immediate family also consists of her mother, Laurie Murray, and her siblings: Freddie, Kathleen, Julie and Kurtis. Maura had been dating William Joseph Rausch, a lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
Maura and Billy met at the United States Military Academy at West Point where she was a cadet from June 2000 through mid-January 2001. They started dating in the fall of 2001. Although Billy had not yet given Maura her diamond, they were openly making plans to be married after she graduated in 2005. Maura had made arrangements in January 2004 to be employed for the summer of 2004 at a hospital near where Billy is stationed.
Maura has been both an outstanding student and athlete. She had scored 1420 on her SAT (740 in Math) and had been majoring in Chemical Engineering at West Point when she transferred to UMass in late January 2002. Maura continued her pursuit of Chemical Engineering Degree through her first two semesters at UMass until she decided she would rather be in the medical field.
Maura had been recruited by many schools to run track and cross country. She competed in Track and Cross Country for both West Point and UMass Amherst until the fall of 2003. Weather was not a consideration for Maura and her love of running. She ran no less than 5-6 miles each day. She was dedicated to daily running in spite of hot or cold temps, rain or snow. Maura routinely ran 5 kilometers in just over 18minutes, and still holds competitive both Track and Cross Country records. Tom Zamagni, one of her soccer and basketball coaches when she was in elementary school,l said that when Maura Murray broke the girl's two-mile track record at Whitman-Hanson High School, she did so by 40 seconds. The record still stands.
As a freshman, she played point guard on the girls' varsity basketball team and was a good softball pitcher. Her father Fred, who coached her in youth sports, said that her best sport was soccer.
Although she later concentrated on track, she could have starred in other sports as well, Zamagni said. "She was incredible a great athlete," he said.
Maura also loved to camp and hike. Her favorite camping and vacation spot is in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Her father had been taking her there since she was a small child. Fred, Maura and Billy had spent a vacation together in the White Mountains in July of 2003.
In May, we celebrated Mauras 22nd birthday without her. A Circle of Hope was held by Fred Murrays family and friends in Weymouth, MA. Laurie Murrays brother, Ricky, family and friends met in their Circle of Hope in Yankton, SD. Mauras sister Julie and Mauras boyfriend Bill Rausch, both lieutenants in the army, joined in their Circle of Hope at their respective army posts. In Ohio, Bills parents Bill and Sharon Rausch invited their family along with friends of Maura for a Circle of Hope at their home. The UMass Track Team also met in a Circle of Hope while participating in The Atlantic 10 Track Meet in Richmond, VA. Mauras other family and friends met in their Circle of Hope at The Whitman-Hanson High School Track in Hanson, MA.
"We've known her so long; we could talk about her for hours. In our group, she was the funny one, the adventurous one, the athletic one. She took all the roles." said Liz Drewniak, a best friend since elementary school.
"She was incredible a great athlete," Tom Zamagni said.
"If you wanted to make a person, you would make her just like her." said Katie Jones another close friend of Mauras since grade school.
"If you wanted to make a person, you would make her just like her." said Katie Jones another close friend of Mauras since grade school.
Twenty-one year old Maura Murray went missing on Monday, February 9th 2004. She has had an especially close relationship with her father, Fred Murray. Mauras immediate family also consists of her mother, Laurie Murray, and her siblings: Freddie, Kathleen, Julie and Kurtis. Maura had been dating William Joseph Rausch, a lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
Maura and Billy met at the United States Military Academy at West Point where she was a cadet from June 2000 through mid-January 2001. They started dating in the fall of 2001. Although Billy had not yet given Maura her diamond, they were openly making plans to be married after she graduated in 2005. Maura had made arrangements in January 2004 to be employed for the summer of 2004 at a hospital near where Billy is stationed.
Maura has been both an outstanding student and athlete. She had scored 1420 on her SAT (740 in Math) and had been majoring in Chemical Engineering at West Point when she transferred to UMass in late January 2002. Maura continued her pursuit of Chemical Engineering Degree through her first two semesters at UMass until she decided she would rather be in the medical field.
Maura had been recruited by many schools to run track and cross country. She competed in Track and Cross Country for both West Point and UMass Amherst until the fall of 2003. Weather was not a consideration for Maura and her love of running. She ran no less than 5-6 miles each day. She was dedicated to daily running in spite of hot or cold temps, rain or snow. Maura routinely ran 5 kilometers in just over 18minutes, and still holds competitive both Track and Cross Country records. Tom Zamagni, one of her soccer and basketball coaches when she was in elementary school,l said that when Maura Murray broke the girl's two-mile track record at Whitman-Hanson High School, she did so by 40 seconds. The record still stands.
As a freshman, she played point guard on the girls' varsity basketball team and was a good softball pitcher. Her father Fred, who coached her in youth sports, said that her best sport was soccer.
Although she later concentrated on track, she could have starred in other sports as well, Zamagni said. "She was incredible a great athlete," he said.
Maura also loved to camp and hike. Her favorite camping and vacation spot is in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Her father had been taking her there since she was a small child. Fred, Maura and Billy had spent a vacation together in the White Mountains in July of 2003.
In May, we celebrated Mauras 22nd birthday without her. A Circle of Hope was held by Fred Murrays family and friends in Weymouth, MA. Laurie Murrays brother, Ricky, family and friends met in their Circle of Hope in Yankton, SD. Mauras sister Julie and Mauras boyfriend Bill Rausch, both lieutenants in the army, joined in their Circle of Hope at their respective army posts. In Ohio, Bills parents Bill and Sharon Rausch invited their family along with friends of Maura for a Circle of Hope at their home. The UMass Track Team also met in a Circle of Hope while participating in The Atlantic 10 Track Meet in Richmond, VA. Mauras other family and friends met in their Circle of Hope at The Whitman-Hanson High School Track in Hanson, MA.
"We've known her so long; we could talk about her for hours. In our group, she was the funny one, the adventurous one, the athletic one. She took all the roles." said Liz Drewniak, a best friend since elementary school.
"She was incredible a great athlete," Tom Zamagni said.
"If you wanted to make a person, you would make her just like her." said Katie Jones another close friend of Mauras since grade school.
