Margaret Lally "Ma" Murray

Ma Murray, OC ( Margaret Theresa Lally; 1888 – September 25, 1982, age 94) was an American-Canadian newspaper editor, publisher, and columnist, an officer of the Order of Canada, and the wife of publisher and British Columbia MLA George Murray. The Murrays' publications were The Chinook (Vancouver, British Columbia) the Bridge River-Lillooet News (Lillooet, British Columbia) and the Alaska Highway News (Fort St. John, British Columbia).

She was co-founder and editor (with her husband George) of the Bridge River-Lillooet News, the Alaska Highway News and other publications. Her editorials were famously signed off with the catchphrase "And that's fer damshur!"

Early years Born Margaret Theresa Lally in Kansas City, Missouri to Irish immigrants, Margaret was raised on rural Kansas farmland in the United States, largely in poverty. She was the seventh of nine children.

She came to Vancouver, British Columbia en route to Calgary, Alberta, where she hoped to find herself a cowboy to wed (she and her sister, Bess, had corresponded with cowboys who had written in response to the notes they had tucked into the most expensive saddles being shipped north).

"Ye Ed" and her publisher-husband

She arrived in Vancouver in 1912 and found work as a secretary and bookkeeper for The Chinook, which was published by George Murray.

George in and out of Parliament

In 1949, George ran successfully for Member of Parliament for the Cariboo riding, which included Lillooet, but lost in 1953. She had already had a high-profile political career as an editorialist, and was often a social embarrassment to her husband (who still loved her deeply nonetheless). Ma withdrew from the race, but the damage was done. George was shamed out of politics and, by now an outsider in revolt from the Liberal-Conservative Coalition and unwilling to join league with Bennett's Socreds, he gave up on his political career and retired from the House of Commons, returning to publishing.

George died in 1961, but Ma survived him by 21 years, and continued to run and publish the paper after his death - and to raise eyebrows with her editorials, and laughter with her speeches and frank opinions. Ma but spent her last days back at the editors' desk in historic Lillooet, British Columbia, churning out her raunchy wit and lusty language until the very last, continuing to write a column now and then even after her retirement as editor.

Ma Murray died in 1982. She was survived by her daughter, Georgina. A son, Dan, died of cancer in 1981. Both children were working journalists.

Elementary school Named in her honor, the Margaret 'Ma' Murray Community School, grades k-6, was opened in Fort St. John in 2018.