Chief Murrell L. Porter

80 of DeSoto was born in Ovilla, TX., and left this earth in DeSoto, TX. Murrell was appointed the first paid Fire Chief of DeSoto, he had been a volunteer since the fire department was organized in 1949. Chief was well known and respected throughout the State of Texas. He was an instructor at the Fireman's Training School at Texas A & M and many other training programs throughout the state. He also served on the Board of the Fireman's Museum in Grand Prairie. Murrell also served the city since its incorporation. He volunteered to help lay the first water lines before there was a water department, and he served as the City Marshall before DeSoto had a Police Department. Preceded in death by his parents, Jim E. and Mildred Pickard Porter, he is survived by his sisters, Cora Dean Courson and Sharon Dooley, nieces and nephews, Mike and wife Karen, Shannon and husband Mark, April and husband Ronnie, Niki, Keith an wife Tori, a host of great nieces and nephews and special buddy – “Toad Hopper”. Services will be held at 2 P. M. Thursday, October 29, 2009 at Hampton Road Baptist Church 400 N. Hampton Rd. DeSoto, TX with Rev. Denny Burris and Chaplain Ben Kennedy, officiating. Interment will follow in Ovilla Cemetery in Ovilla, TX. The family will receive friends from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Memorials are encouraged to the Scholarship Fund of the North Texas Firemen’s & Fire Marshals’ Association c/o Karen Pickard @ the Ovilla Fire Dept., 105 S. Cockrell Hill Rd. #1, Ovilla, TX 75154 Pallbearers are Don Norrell, Donnie Pickard, Ricky Sims, Charles Ray Sims, Allen Russell, Fred Hart. Honorary Pallbearers will be the DeSoto and Ovilla Fire Departments.