The tombstone above was erected by P. M. Murphy, greatgrandson of Malinda Downing Murphy, October 1998.
Information below, on this family, is from P. M. Murphy:
MALINDA "MILLIE" DOWNING
b. 26 March 1840, Waverly, Ohio
d. 26 November, 1875
bu. Wilcox Cemetery, Illiopolis, Sangamon Co., IL
Married - 6 August 1856 Waverly, Ohio
GEORGE WASHINGTON MURPHY
b. 1 March 1831 Chesapeake, Virginia
s/o Amos and Winifred A. Murphy
d. 2 January 1914, Ramona, Oklahoma
bu. Ramona Cemetery in the Murphy Family plot
Children:
1) PHOEBE JANE
b 30 April 1860
d 6 June 1910
bu Riverside Cemetery, Illiopolis, IL
m John PICKEL 31 December 1878, Sangamon County, IL
(Marriage from IL State Archives Marriage
Database On Line)
Son: Jack; died in Wilbur, Washington 25 April 1950
2) JAMES E.
b 25 Feb 1862
d 31 Oct 1928 Denver, Colorado
bu Crown Hill Cemetery, Denver, CO
m Charlotte Mae DAVIS (d Feb 1944 Denver, bu Crown Hill Cemetery, Denver, CO)
3) HARRIET LUCY
b 3 Jan 1864
d 15 August 1950 Paw Paw, Michigan
bu Graceland Cemetery, Decatur, Macon Co., IL
m Samuel M. BARTLETT 30 Dec 1880 (d 11 July 1941; bu Graceland Cemetery, Decatur, IL)
Harriet & Samuel had six children
4) CHARLES HENRY
b 13 October 1866
d 19 Dec 1910
bu Ramona, Oklahoma
m Clara Belle SEARS (b 15 November 1871; d 19 February 1925; bu Ramona, OK)
Charles and Clara had thirteen children, one being the father of Patrick Murphy, Floyd Miller MURPHY.
5) CORA ANN
b 11 October 1868
d 14 May 1924 Bolovar, Missouri
bu Greenwood Cemetery, Bolovor, MO
m William PETERS (d 6 March 1934; bu Greenwood Cemetery, Bolovar, MO)
6) ANNA MARIE
b 10 June 1870
d 20 March 1923 Earleton, Kansas
bu Earleton, Kansas
m William SMITH (d 6 March 1934; bu Earleton, KS)
Anna Marie and William had five children
7) ALBERT
b 10 March 1872
d 16 September 1924 Collinsville, Oklahoma
bu Ridgelawn Cemetery, Collinsville, OK
m Emma SMART (b 20 August 1877; d 5 October 1940; bu Ridgelawn Cemetery, Collinsville, OK)
8) HARRY
b 13 July 1874
d 1 April 1908
bu Ramona, Oklahoma
m Elizabeth LORTON (b 21 April 1882; d 14 Jan 1942; bu Pueblo, CO)
The Murphy's have a burial plot in Ramona, Oklahoma. The following are buried there:
MURPHY
George Washington
Charles Elbert
Irvin William
Harvey Karl
Floyd Miller
Theodore Paul
Hazel Bernice
1870 Sangamon County, Illinois Census, Illiopolis
#53/57
MURPHY George 39 MW $4000/570 VA
Melinda 28 FW OH
P. J. 10 FW IL
James 8 MW IL
Harriet 6 FW IL
Charles 4 MW IL
Cora 3 FW IL
#55/59 Illiopolis
MURPHY, James 29 MW farm labor 0/200 VA
J. C. 20 FW IA
Ida M. 1 FW IL
AMOS 66 MW farmer $4600/700 VA
M. A. 60 FW VA
Benjamin 17 MW OH
Sarah E. 19 FW OH
According to P. M. Murphy, James Murphy is a brother to George. Both are sons of Amos and M. A. (M. should be W.?) Murphy. Burial place of Amos and Winifred cannot be established at this time.
IL State Archives Marriage Database, Sangamon County:
MURPHY, Martha Ann m George DOWNING 27 March 1867
MURPHY, Harriett Ann m James H. CRANE 23 Oct 1862
These two marriages are no doubt connected to the Downing and Crane burials in Wilcox. Possibly daughters of Amos and Winifred Murphy and sisters to George Murphy. George Downing could very well be a brother of Melinda Downing Murphy.
1874 Sangamon County, Illinois Atlas, Illiopolis Twp.:
MURPHY, George - Sec. 1, T16N-R2W3PM, 157 acres
Cheryl Rothwell has contributed the following information re the Downing/Murphy families:
Melinda Murphy was a Downing. She was born March 26, 1841, in Pike County,
OH, daughter of William Downing and Deborah McGee. She married George
Washington Murphy on August 6, 1856, in Waverly, Pike County, OH. They were
in Sangamon County by February 25, 1862, when their second child, James E.
Murphy, was born. They went to Polk County, Missouri, briefly but returned
to Sangamon County. She died on November 26, 1875, and was buried in the
Wilcox Cemetery, Illiopolis. George eventually moved to Oklahoma and died
there.
Her parents also camed to Macon County. It is my understanding that they
lived in the Niantic area but I haven't researched it. In theory they could
have lived across the road from Melinda and George. Her father William
Downing also died in Macon County on August 6, 1882. Her mother Deborah
McGee Downing died in Macon County on January 28, 1901.
I don't know which Downings are buried in Wilcox, possibly children of her
siblings who passed through on their way from Ohio to Missouri and Iowa.
William's cousins Samuel and Thomas were already in Logan County, Samuel
having been there 20 years by the time George and Melinda Murphy arrived in
Sangamon County. I am a descendant of Samuel.