Mary Agnes Murphy Murphy 1858-1913

MURPHY, BALDWIN, VAN NEST, MEHAN, ORGAN, JOHNSON

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 7/15/2011 at 22:36:38

Patient Sufferer Dies
Mrs. Martin Murphy Passed Away on Thanksgiving Day After Weeks Illness
Died at her home in Estherville, Iowa, on November 27, 1913, Mrs. Martin Murphy, aged 54 years, 6 months, 4 days, after an illness of about one year.

Mary Agnes Murphy was born in Cedar Co., Iowa, on May 23, 1859 [per cemetery records, 1858], where she lived with her parents until the autumn of 1865 when they moved to Iowa Co., Iowa, at which place she lived until the year 1881.

She was united in the holy bonds of matrimony to Martin Murphy at Holbrook, Iowa, September 6th, 1881. After a life of labor and devotion she leaves a husband and ten children. Besides those living there were three children who died in infancy, also three brothers and four sisters.

Mrs. Murphy died fortified with all the rites of the Roman Catholic church in which she believed and trusted with child-like simplicity and into whose sacred keeping she surrendered her soul that it might find rest and be guided to the beautiful home provided by our Holy Father for the faithful.

Mrs. Murphy received her religious training and the foundation of her education in the Sister’s School of Iowa City, and afterwards graduated from the academy of the same place, where she left prepared to teach and fight life’s battle. This she did faithfully, truthfully, forgetful of her own personal happiness and unselfishly lavishing the fruits of her labors upon those depending upon her with the ardent love of a mother whose one desire was to bring heaven the souls of those she loved.

That her life was not free from strife may be better understood by those who themselves have experienced the trials and tribulations connected with pioneer days spent on a homestead in the arid plains of western Nebraska, where one’s agricultural pursuits were invariably rewarded with drifting sand and hot winds. It was there that the school training of her earlier life came to her rescue and provided the means to assist in supporting the family. It was there that the combined duties of housekeeping and driving many miles to teach school left the first marks of impaired health and added age to the beautiful lines of youth.

In the autumn of 1894 she, with her husband and children moved to Emmet County, Iowa, where she resided until her death.

Mrs. Murphy was an educated woman and took great interest in everything that took place. She was zealous in her instructions to her children, ever ready to commend a good act, to chastise an evil. Her memory was good and although failing in health for many years she would talk with pleasure of the friends and events of childhood days. She was a patient sufferer and even while in great pain and agony she still hoped for recovery, not knowing the nature of her fatal illness. Her mind was clear and she retained her interest in her family and friends until the last day, when she passed away dying as she lived, in pain and patience. The funeral services were held from St. Patrick’s church, Rev. Father Murtagh delivering a most forcible sermon on “Praying for the Dead.” The remains were interred in the Catholic cemetery. May her soul repose in peace.

Relatives from out of town in attendance of the funeral were: Mr. Richard Murphy of Cedar Rapids, and Wm. Murphy of Mason City, brothers of the deceased, Dave Van Nest of Cedar Rapids, Mrs. Martin Murphy of Larchwood and Richard Organ of Lenova, Kansas. (Vindicator and Republican, Estherville, IA, December 3, 1913)

Mrs. M. Murphy Dead
Passed Away at Her Home Last Thursday After a Long Illness
Mrs. Martin Murphy died at her home in Estherville, Iowa, on Thursday, Nov. 27th, 1913, aged fifty-four years, six months, four days, after an illness of about one year. Mary Agnes Murphy was born in Cedar county, Iowa, on May 23, 1859, where she lived with her parents until the autumn of 1865, when they moved to Iowa county, Iowa, at which place she lived until the years 1881.

She was united in the holy bonds of matrimony to Martin Murphy at Holbrook, Iowa, Sept. 6th, 1881, Father Dunn officiating. After a life of labor and devotion she leaves to mourn her departure a husband, and children as follows: John R. of Worthington, Minn.; Martin of Larchwood; Jas. E. of Sibley; Mrs. Nellie F. Baldwin of Estherville; Margaret J. of Cedar Rapids; Mary E. of Spirit Lake and Olive A., Lionel F., Agatha H., and Winnifred G. of this place. Besides those living there were three children who died in infancy, also three brothers, Richard Murphy of Cedar Rapids, Eugene of Denver, Colo., and Wm. P. of Mason City and four sisters, Mrs. Van Nest and Mrs. Mehan, of Cedar Rapids; Mrs. Organ of Lenora, Kansas; and Mrs. Johnson of Chicago, Ill. [Remainder the same as Vindicator and Republican.] (Estherville Enterprise, Estherville, IA, December 3, 1913)