Murphy

Immigrant ancestor Rev. William Murphy came to the United States from Co. Armagh, Ireland... I think (still working on it...)

Last modified 07/21/2005

Murphy

Immigrant Ancestor:

Dr./Rev. William Murphy was born 7 Oct 1815 in Co. Armagh, Ireland and came to the U.S. at the age of 3 with his parents. They settled in Philadelphia. He attended the Hahnmann Medical College in Philadelphia and received a degree in the early 1850s (this information from two Waseca Co., MN histories - see the References page.)

He married Sophia Fiske (b. ~1826 in OH) on 5 Sep 1842 (location disputed - variously as OH and MN, but probably OH or PA.) In Pennsylvania, they had six children from 1844 to 1857. When the youngest was still a baby, on 2 Nov 1857, they decided to go west. William had lung problems, and so he moved to Minnesota for his health (egad, another one of those!) They arrived in Steele Co., MN but only stayed for a while before settling in the village Wilton, Waseco Co., MN in December 1857. Because the the village of Wilton had only been platted a year before, William is described in the local county histories as an early settler. He taught at the local Wilton Seminary, which probably accounts for the family lore title of "Rev." rather than "Dr." The Minnesota air must not have helped all that much, because William died less than two years after arriving, on 14 May 1859. The 1860 Wilton, MN census shows Sophia by herself, working as a seamstress, with personal assets of $150, and with six children. She remarried, and was known in family lore and in her obituary as Sophia Petyjohn, d. Apr 1891. (Wilton is now a "memory town" and you won't find it on the map. Visit the Waseca County Historical Society for excellent on-line museum and arcives and the county GenWeb site.)

Children:
Clementine(?), b. ~1844, PA, d. bef. 1862
Sarah A., b. ~1847, PA, prob. d. bef. 1862
John Fiske, "the printer" of Waseca, MN, b. 7 Jan 1850, Philadelphia, PA, m. 15 Nov 1871 Emma J. Hiller, d. 21 Mar 1923.

Their only daughter Martha Inez "Maggie" was visited in Waseca by Frank Simon's children as mentioned in a memoir. John Fiske Murphy was a printer and newpaperman of note and worked for newspapers in MN, PA, IA, NE, and MD before returning to settle in Waseca, MN and is well-represented in both histories and the county historical society.

William M., b. ~1852 PA (possibly m. 23 Oct 1878 Ida M. Osterhout?)
Susan H., b. ~1855 PA (possibly m. 2 Apr 1874 William N. Young?)
Frances/Frank Simon, born on 12 Apr 1857 in PA (see below)

Frank Simon Murphy, born on 12 Apr 1857 in PA, grew up in Waseca Co., MN. He may have, at the age of 18, started the business of "Frank's Ice Cream" (still working on info from his early years.)

At 18 years old, Ione Grace Jones left school and was working as a clerk at the Golden Ruler store in St. Paul, MN. There she met Frank Simon. They were married 31 July 1884 in Dodge County, MN. They lived in St. Paul for a while and had two boys, Frank and Robert. They moved to Plainview, MN where they had a store. In Plainview, two more sons were born (Samuel and Bertie) but they died while still infants. They moved again to Duluth, MN, where their final two children, Lois Ruth and Grace, were born. In 1897 or 1898, the whole family moved to Laurium, MI (in the Upper Peninsula.)

Frank Simon worked as a carpenter and built houses in Laurium. In 1900, the town was a booming copper mining town and there were plenty of houses to build for the diverse international population of mine workers. While their own house was being built, they lived in a tent one winter. Ione Grace told her granddaughter that it was the family's healthiest winter. Frank and Robert, when 12 or 13 years old, used to walk the railroad tracks to pick up pieces of coal to bring home. They made their own skis by steaming the lumber in a boiler on the kitchen range. There was "lots of snow in Laurium, and it came early and stayed late" according to Lois. In the spring, Frank Simon would take Lois to the woods to pick white violets and arbuties. There was a stone wall around the back yard, built with stones from the yard. (See my Places page to learn more about Laurium & Calumet, MI.)

In 1903, Ione Grace made white tucked dresses for her daughters and set off for Kasson, MN to celebrate her parents' Golden Wedding Anniversary. She and the girls returned to Laurium, but in December of that same year was called back to Kasson to care for her mother, who had had a stroke (presumably from the excitement of the anniversary celebration.). Ione Grace and her daughters never returned to Laurium, MI. She spent the next six years caring for her mother through more strokes. One summer ~1904 or 1905, Ione Grace, Grace and Lois took a trip to Waseca, MN to see a cousin, Mattie Murphy and had their picture taken with her. In 1906, still in Michigan, Frank Simon divorced Ione Grace for desertion, but Lois later wrote that her mother didn't mind. Frank Simon and the two sons continued to live in Laurium for some time. Son Frank M. J. left Michigan by 1909 to live in Pennsylvania and later Ohio. In the winter of 1909, Frank Simon went to visit the girls in Kasson. Lois had diptheria and so Frank Simon stood below her window to talk with her. He also built a skating rink for Grace and taught her to skate. In 1912, Frank Simon and Robert were living at 212 Florida St. in Laurium. In 1914 he visited the daughters in Minnesota again, and would visit them in their homes in the 1920s. On the 1920 census, Frank Simon was living in Calumet at 340 Osceola Street, in a boarding house. He died in Houghton, MI after a long illness, at the age of 80 on 16 Jan 1938. He is buried in Stanton Township, MI.

Ione Grace Murphy. Photo taken in September 1937.

Children:
Frank Miller Jones, b. 23 Apr 1885 in St. Paul, MN (see below)
Robert G., b. 24 May 1886 in St. Paul, MN, m. Pearl
Samuel, b. 10 Nov 1887 in Plainview, MN, d.10 Nov 1887
Bertie Leon, b. 6 Apr 1891 in Plainview, MN, d. 28 Jul 1891
Lois Ruth, b. 10 Dec 1894 in Duluth, MN, m. George Ziemer 28 Nov 1918
Grace, b. 30 May 1897 in Duluth, MN, m. Alfred H. Riebe 10 Jun 1919, m2. Frank Ernst

Frank Miller Jones Murphy m1. before 1923 and m2.1 May 1937 in Ripley, NY LaVerne Hazel Egerland. He was a pioneer of amateur radio (particularly in the Cleveland area) and gifted in electronics, and wrote several published articles about ham radio. That might sound dry, but he was actually pretty entertaining, as you can see below. The original articles include detailed sketches. In May 1923, in QST he wrote "The Murphys Build a Mast" by F. M. J. Murphy, 8ML. From making masts that used to fall down I have come to ones that have to be taken down. Last autumn one of my 110 foot mast stood all night without a support on the west side; not straight, but it stood. I wanted to be prepared for a break in the guy wires, so I sunk the foundation pit good and deep. When I got down where I couldn't throw the dirt out without most of it sliding back down my neck I rigged up a tackle and bucket. Mrs. 8ML acted as the engineer and dump superintendent. I had to lay off when I got down to 9 feet, as she threatened to go away and leave me down in the hole without a chance of getting out. (p. 34)

The editor's note at the end of the article informs us, "...8ML has been heard in all states so often that we suspect F.J.M. [sic] has lost count. In addition it has been heard in a whole flock of European and American countries. An antenna pays" (p. 36).

In the December 1923 QST, he wrote in "Edison Storage "B" Batteries" that "Away back in '98 Tom Edison must have had a vision of some thousands of us on our weekly battery picking expedition, for it was then that he started on his work that resulted in the invention of the Edison Storage Battery" (p. 30). It sounds like he enjoyed writing too.

A later newspaper article (sorry, no title or date noted on the photocopy) by W8COX and entitled "With the Men Behind Radio" gave a sketch of F.M.J.

Building amateur receivers and transmitters for one's individual use is an accomplishment in itself, but being designer of power plants that fill needs of "hams" and broadcast stations throughout the country is the safe boast of Frank Murphy, owner of Station W8ML in this city. Frank did considerable experiementing with mercury arc rectifiers as a source of power for his station some time ago. Then followed construction of several more for fellow amateurs who worked W8ML over the air. Now a long back order file is maintained.

In 1909, when KDKA wasn't even thought of, Murphy was employed by the East Pittsburgh plant of the Westinghouse Co., and maintained a 1,000-watt spark transmitter within a mile of the now famous pioneer broadcaster. Frank owned one of the first "audions" in Cleveland. Regarding this, he said, "I remember how my first one-tube set was displayed before S. E. Leonard, now guiding technical destines of WTAM, and how he marveled as station after station was tuned in. Most of these were ships at sea and amateurs."

Frank first became a "big shot" in amateur circles when he erected a pair of 110-foot wooden masts back of the little cottage where he lived in Garfield Heights. Copper ribbon was buried ten feet deep in furrows that spread in all directions from his station, serving as a ground connection. "My two 'skyhooks' get praises from amateur operators and curses from air mail pilots, " Murphy said. "I'll have to illuminate them with crimson lamps, since the mail route to New York from Cleveland goes right overhead." Only one crack-up of his mammoth antenna system has been reported, and that occurred while Frank was within a few feet of the top. Yet, he says "no hobby can compare with amateur radio work."

Six year ago W8ML was among the few United States "ham" stations heard in Europe during special tests. Murphy served as co-partner with Warren R. Cox, original owner of WHK, in its pioneer days, and recordings were transmitted from W9ML before Cleveland had a broadcast station. At present, Murphy's station is an alternate control point in the Army Amateur radio network, serving as the northern Ohio link in case of emergency and wire failure.

Frank M.J. and LaVerne divorced 8 Mar 1952 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga Co., OH. He d. 23 Nov 1952.

They had 5 children, but I have omitted those living who have not provided information or permission to include information.

Children:
Joyce Eileen Murphy, m. Jerome Gerda. They are my parents.
James Pell, d. 4 July 2003. Buried Brooklyn Heights Cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio.
George Pell, m1 Cheryl Lytsell, m2, Charlotte Ann Bramlett. Like Frank, George is an amatuer radio operator KB7PSM. He has several repeater systems operating in the Portland, Oregon area. He served 2 years on the frequency co-ordinating committee in Oregon. He is also a private pilot and operates while in the air -- "on the air, in the air". He is vice-president of the company
Amatuer Radio club. George spent 4 years in the USAF where he specialized in Computers and Data Processors --beginning in early 1969. After the service, he worked for a major computer company where he designed computer installations and maintained mainframe computers. He left that job for an engineering position in small super-computer company which was later bought by Cray. He left that position to work for a major test equipment manufacturer in their semiconductor test facility. He is now a Principal Engineer in Telecommunications at a Gallium Arsenide semiconductor company.

Children:
Shawn (adopted, from George's m1)
Bealinda (adopted, from George's m1)
Georgina (adopted, from George's m1)
John (from Charlotte's m1)
Maria (from Charlotte's m1)
Kimberly

LaVerne (Egerland) Murphy and her baby daugher, Joyce Eileen Murphy. Photo taken in 1938.