Silver Dollar City Foundation’s An Extra Special Christmas Night fundraiser is presented by The Dennis Murray Family. We are truly grateful to Dennis and his generous support of our community. Through his sponsorship, Dennis honors the legacy of his mother, Hazel Murray, and remembers the place where so many family memories were made.
A Fiery Spirit and a Heart of Gold
Hazel Murray began her remarkable journey with Silver Dollar City on March 1, 1962, at Hillside Blown Glass as a proprietor. Over the next 30 years, she became a beloved and unforgettable part of the park’s story. From the blown glass shop to the candy store, her dedication, strength, and spark left a lasting impression.
“Hazel was a hardworking, caring team player,” tells Silver Dollar City Founder Jack Herschend. “She was also outspoken. If ever one would say that Silver Dollar City was less than a great place to work, Hazel would be quick to straighten that person out.”
In 1981, Hazel transitioned from the blown glass shop to Brown’s Candy Factory where she became a candy craftsman and later a team supervisor.
Long-time friend and co-worker June Ward shared that Hazel liked working in the candy shop because it provided year-round work. June explained that Hazel would much rather work than take unemployment benefits.
June admired Hazel for her high standards and strong work ethic.
“She was all business at work,” June said, remembering Hazel fondly, “but away from work, she was a lot of fun.”
Hazel’s fiery red hair matched her spirited personality, earning her the nickname “Hellcat,” a name that those who knew her, knew she wore that name with pride.
“There was a lot of fire under that red hair,” June said with a laugh.
As much as Hazel loved working at Silver Dollar City, Silver Dollar City founders loved Hazel.
In honor of Hazel’s dedication and hard work, in 1970 when the park unveiled a new glass-blown shop, they surprised Hazel by renaming it in her honor - Hazel’s Blown Glass. It was first time a Silver Dollar City shop was named after an employee. The glass-blown shop still bears her name today.
Hazel’s husband, Neil Murray, her son Dennis and her daughter Carol, also worked at Silver Dollar City.
Where it all started
Hazel’s son Dennis joined her at Silver Dollar City around 1962, the summer between Dennis’ eighth and ninth grade year, selling popcorn. Over the next few years, Dennis moved around the park, doing everything from filling in for a secretary, working in the cashier’s office and retail stores to eventually the glass-cutting shop.
"My favorite memory was the way Jack trusted me to do my job,” Dennis explained. “Jack was a wonderful boss. He assigned a task and expected you to find the best way to do the job.”
One of Dennis’ fondest memories was when Jack asked for his help with the Flooded Mine ride.
“The Flooded Mine had just opened and they could not get enough people through the ride,” Dennis recalled. “Jack wanted to know how fast they needed to run the water pumps to get the boats through faster. After some math, I was able to determine that the problem was not the speed of the water but the time it took for guest to load and unload the boats.”
From Dennis’ findings, the loading lanes were changed and guests were moving through the line much quicker.
The legacy lives on
Hazel retired from Silver Dollar City in December 1992. She passed away the following year.
To this day, Silver Dollar City Parks and Resort President Brad Thomas and June work together to keep Hazel’s grave decorated with yellow roses, her favorite.
While Dennis moved away from the area years ago, Silver Dollar City and the people who live in the Ozarks still have a special place in his heart. He visits often, stopping to reminisce with June in the candy shop, stroll past the glass-blown shop and even pick up some lye soap. And, he gives back to help the community that he once called home.
Over the years while living in various towns across the United States, Dennis recalls seeing countless news stories about children going hungry and families not being able to provide their children with proper clothing or shoes. These kids heads hung low. They just wanted to be like their classmates
“I have always wanted to find a way to identify the less fortunate children,” Dennis said. “Also, most organizations I found spend a major portion of their donations on overhead. What I like about Silver Dollar City Foundation is that I know nearly every penny is going directly to help children. That’s something I feel very good about.”
An Extra Special Christmas Night
Join Silver Dollar City and Silver Dollar City Foundation for An Extra Special Christmas Night presented by The Dennis Murray Family on Nov. 7. Tickets and sponsorships for this exclusive experience are limited and all proceeds benefit the children of Stone and Taney counties.
Learn more about Silver Dollar City Foundation’s An Extra Special Christmas Night here.
Mindy Honey, Executive Director of the Silver Dollar City Foundation, finds her passion in helping children and families thrive. Through the foundation, she works with area schools to ensure that…
