Willie Murel McKnight, 94, of Plainview, passed away on December 27, 2014. Services will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 in Lemons Memorial Chapel under the personal care of Lemons Funeral Home of Plainview. Mrs. McKnight was born on June 10, 1920 in Lakeview, TX. to the late Oscar (Ott) Ervin and Grace (Gosdin) Bevers. She married E.J. McKnight on November 1, 1941 in Clovis, New Mexico. He preceded her in death on July 1, 1984. When Murel McKnight graduated as valedictorian of her high school in Lakeview she knew she wanted to go to college and become a teacher. To reach that goal of teaching she studied by a kerosene lamp to achieve being the top student. She fulfilled that dream by going to Texas Tech, where she had a scholarship, but to earn the rest she worked daily three jobs in the kitchen, the laundry room and delivering newspapers in Doak Hall. She received her bachelor of science degree in 1942. She began her career teaching homemaking at Lakeview High School for 11 years, followed by a five year stint in Stinnett and three years in Olton. After 19 years of homemaking, she decided she was ready for a change and took on fourth graders in Roaring Springs for two years. Her husband E.J. was superintendent in Roaring Springs. Moving to Plainview in 1965 she taught sixth grade at Lamar, fourth grade at Ash, and had taught at Highland since 1975. She spent the last 22 years teaching in Plainview. Throughout her teaching career she never taught farther than a 90 mile radius from where she was born and reared (in Lakeview). Mrs. McKnight retired after 43 wonderful years of educating students. She loved, reading, working puzzles, sewing, but most of all teaching. Mrs. McKnight was a special person, and will be greatly missed by all her friends. She is preceded in death by her parents Oscar and Grace, husband; E.J., one son; Ervin Joe, two daughters; Deanna and Dianne, and one brother Barney Joe Bevers. She is also survived by one niece, and several cousins.