Dyllan Murray remembered with gift to Northern

Press release

This past week, Montana State University-Northern received a gift in remembrance of Dyllan Murray of Havre. The gift was given by Lincoln Holt, also of Havre. Holt, a friend of the Murray family, is owner of Montana Hammer Knives and he handcrafted a knife which he auctioned and raised $600 to support this gift in memory of his friend.

The auction winner, Wendy Hilty, in turn donated the knife back to Dyllan's father, Dave Murray.

"The level of community we have here on the Hi-Line never ceases to amaze me," Holt said. "We have some incredible people here, huge hearts ready to step up and make a difference in other people's lives when they're down."

With the funds raised, Holt has established the Dyllan Murray Memorial Scholarship. Murray was a student of the university studying diesel mechanics before his tragic death at the age of 21. The scholarship will be for Northern students studying diesel technology and is a way to celebrate Dyllan's life and interests.

Northern Chancellor Greg Kegel expressed gratitude to the donor and condolences to the family.

"It's bittersweet to receive a gift such as this," Kegel said. "We want to extend our sincere sympathy to the family and friends of Dyllan."

Turning grief into something uplifting is good for the soul, said Shantel Cronk, executive director of the Montana State University-Northrn Foundation.

"Dyllan left a light behind that was shared in the hearts of his friends," Cronk said. "This gift to Northern passes that light to someone else in need. It's touching and beautiful."

Holt encouraged others to support the legacy of Dyllan by donating to the scholarship.

To contribute to the scholarship, people can call 406-265-3711 or visit http://www.msunfoundation.org online.

The MSU-Northern Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that acts as a fundraising arm of MSU-Northern.