Fred Murray is a descendant of pioneer stock. His great-grandfather Murray, along with his two good wives and 17 children, were among a group of pioneers that Brigham Young sent to settle Northeastern Utah. his mother's family were among the first settlers in Northwest Colorado when the government opened the area to homesteading. His grandfather was a deputy sheriff at Vernal, Utah while the likes of Butch Cassidy roamed the country. His father ran away from home at the age of 12 and ran wild horses in the area that is now Dinosaur National Monument. Fred grew up working on ranches and listening to stories of his family and other old-time cowboys and pioneers. He ended up in Nebraska, where he married and never left. Over the years, Fred entertained thousands of children and adults with his frontier stories at church, school and civic functions.