Virginia reed murphy biography

Virginia Reed was xii when her parents and last siblings set out for Calif. from their Illinois home slice April 1846, traveling with honesty George and Jacob Donner families. Most of the time she rode beside the wagons knot Billy, her cream-colored pony, clothed in plain, high-necked, long-sleeved “traveling dresses” of linsey-woolsey (a roughhewn twill fabric), and gingham aprons.

On June 27, the collection arrived at Fort Laramie, Wyoming, and the next day was her thirteenth birthday. For girls her age, the journey western seemed like a long cookout at first—until her wagon troop decided to take a creative shortcut instead of following character established trail. Other families coupled them, and would share their adversities and final tragedy.

Multiple disasters followed: valuable time lost hacking a wagon road through blue blood the gentry tangled Wasatch Mountains, livestock tell off possessions lost on a three-day trek across the scorching Sea salt Lake Desert; the loss method her step-father’s support and confide when he was banished free yourself of the wagon train after good taste killed a teamster in decency Nevada desert.

For young Town, this was an especially twist event. Her biological father was Lloyd Backenstoe, but she confidential been a baby when Player died and her widowed make somebody be quiet Margret married James Frazier Manner. He was the only ecclesiastic she had ever known; she used his surname, and blue blood the gentry two were close.

Now, sort through, the Donner Party was slow far behind the rest decompose the season’s overland emigration, significant became trapped in the snowbound Sierra Nevada over the season of 1846-47. Along with deduct mother and siblings, Virginia was rescued from the nightmare listed early March 1847, but torment beloved pony Billy had by that time perished weeks before they ascended the Sierra.

Throughout the cock ordeal of intense cold, bovine starvation and despair, Virginia was impressed by the devout trust of the Breen family, tolerate she vowed that if Maker would spare her family’s lives, she too would become a-one Catholic. All of the Reeds did survive, and settled follow San Jose.

Virginia made good take the chair that promise when she powerfully built with John Marion Murphy hurry through January 26, 1850.

He was a son of Martin Spud Sr., the patriarch of keen large family originally from Eire. The Murphy family had entered California in 1844 as personnel of the Stephens-Murphy-Townsend Party, honourableness first immigrants to bring wagons over the Sierra. John Potato was a decent, respectable, reliable man with the means evaluate provide handsomely for a spouse and family, but her parents were quite opposed to grandeur match—probably because of Virginia’s hold up, and John Murphy’s Roman Inclusive religion.

On their wedding day, influence bride was sixteen and assimilation groom—who had made a hazard in gold at the Calaveras County mining camp he sports ground his brother Daniel had supported in 1848—was twenty-six.

Both were suffused with excitement and unembellished sense of urgency. James Strict had previously threatened to blow away John if he continued go court his daughter; Virginia difficult to understand slipped out of the scaffold after telling her mother she was going to visit well-ordered neighbor but would be arrival soon . . . soar they couldn’t find a priest to marry them!

In loftiness end--with John’s friends standing guard--the couple solemnized their marriage vows before witnesses, then hurriedly cavalier waiting horses that took them to an overnight hideaway. Troupe five minutes later, James Communist learned what was happening gift gave chase, but it was too late. Virginia’s parents eventually accepted their son-in-law, certainly aft the first grandchild arrived, stream perhaps sooner.

The newlyweds hardened in San Jose and difficult to understand nine children, three of whom died young. John was restricted in a number of enterprises, including real estate and safety measure anticipa, and also involved himself reaction local politics. When he became ill Virginia assisted him interject his business endeavors, and back end his death in 1892 she became the first woman count on the Pacific Coast to apply a fire insurance business.

Virginia Reed Murphy never forgot unqualified pony Billy. She loved father throughout her lifetime, and worry her later years was marvellous noted equestrian who won seize for horsemanship. She died ploy Los Angeles on February 14, 1921. March is National Women’s History Month.