Margaret Lally "Ma" Murray

Margaret Lally "Ma" Murray, OC (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 Murray's publications were The Chinook in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the Bridge River-Lillooet News in Lillooet and the Alaska Highway News in Fort St. John.

A Kansas farm girl made good and known for her spicy wit, backcountry wisdom, and down-to-earth style, "Ma" 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!".

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 came to Vancouver, British Columbia en route to Calgary, Alberta, where she hoped to find herself a cowboy to wed (she had worked in a saddle factory in Kansas City, and 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.

Finding work as a secretary and office manager for and soon after marrying Orange-Canadian establishment scion and junior publisher George Murray in spite of their religious differences (she was an ardent Catholic—and madly in love with George—her entire life). She won continent-wide fame for some of her columns - either because she had a point, or because they were downright funny, and often coarse - or at least matter-of-fact. The Murrays also launched various lesser known publications including Country Life In British Columbia, a popular magazine for rural women, and The Chinook, which was George's first venture upon his coming to BC from Ottawa, where he had worked as junior columnist for the Ottawa Citizen and apprenticed in politics under Sir Wilfrid Laurier.

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