Murna Josephine McFarlen, age 86, of Mechanicsville, MD passed away on February 24, 2014 at the Hospice House of St. Mary's.

Murna was born in Webster City, Iowa on December 26, 1927. Her family later moved to St. Mary's County where she attended Margaret Brent High School. After graduation, she worked for Dr. William Boyd and attended the Lucy Webb Hayes School of Nursing at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, DC where she graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1959. She touched many lives throughout her long career as a nurse at St. Mary's Hospital.

After retiring from nursing, she devoted her life to her family, fishing and her passion for hatching and raising peacocks and other poultry and birds, winning many blue ribbons at the county fair year after year and serving as the Maryland Certified Poultry Testing Agent for the county.

Murna is survived by her son, John H. Bowling Sr. and his wife Brenda of Hollywood, MD, her sister Winifred Dixon of Mechanicsville, MD, 4 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren and numerous nephews, nieces and cousins all who were much loved and a major part of her life.

She was preceded in death by her husband, William H. McFarlen whom she married on September, 23, 1967, her brother Charles Cornthwaite, her step-daughter, Pamela Hughes and a step-grandson, Billy Row.

The family will receive friends on Thursday, February 27, 2014 from 5 to 8 PM at the Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650. A funeral service will be held on Friday, February 28, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. in the Brinsfield Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow in Mt. Zion United Methodist Cemetery, Laurel Grove.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Hospice House of St. Mary's, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650.

Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.