Club News: Murks honored with top Centreville Lions award
CENTREVILLE — Allan and Trudy Murk of Centreville have been honored by the Centreville Lions Club with a Melvin Jones Fellowship, the highest honor a Lion can receive.
The couple was surprised Wednesday at the club’s September meeting when the award was announced in front of a group of family and friends.
“I was blown away,” said Allan, a member for 43 years. “I couldn’t believe it. I really, really appreciate it – it’s always nice to be recognized.”
Lion Pattie Bender told the group gathered at the Murks’ Centreville home that the couple was “very generous but most of all extremely humble.”
Allan, a Vietnam veteran who served in the 101st Airborne Division, owned many Village Markets in southwest Michigan.
In a sampling of their community support, the Murks donated land for the first of 13 homes built in St. Joseph County for veterans to get on their feet when they are just discharged from the service. Village Market was a huge sponsor of the annual Special Olympics Golf Outing, as well as of the Showmobile purchased in Three Rivers that has also been used for Covered Bridge Days. Allan took on the Softball Field project by investing thousands of hours and thousands of dollars and using his own equipment; Trudy and family friend Judy West-Wing contributed many hours of maintenance on the field.
The local Lions have also benefited from the couple’s generosity.
“The work that they have done for this club is outstanding!” Bender said. “Gary (Metz) and Al, with the help of Trudy, have spearheaded the many, many, many pancake breakfasts over the decades as well as storing all of the equipment.”
The Murk name even has an international presence, with the “Al Murk Playground” at the Libertad RC School in Belize, which the couple has sponsored both financially and through in-person work trips for many years through the Three Rivers Rotary Club.
Lions District 11-B2 governor Julie Mayuiers and past district governor Jeff Mayuiers attended the special ceremony.
Jeff Mayuiers shared the history of Melvin Jones, the founder of Lionism, who learned compassion growing up and went on to begin the organization whose motto is “We Serve.” After being challenged by Helen Keller in 1925 to be “knights of the blind,” Lions International has become very involved with projects to help improve eyesight.
Julie Mayuiers read a letter to the Murks signed by Dr. Jung-Yul Choi, chairperson of the Lions Club International Foundation.
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Club News: Murks honored with top Centreville Lions award
