Murphy, Catherine Agnes

Other Events:

• Biography: 1911; History of Outagamie County, Wisconsin Page 0848

Notes:

Biography:
CATHERINE AGNES MURPHY, one of the best known ladies of Welcome, Wisconsin, who is the manager of the mercantile business belonging to her deceased brother's children, was born October 9, 1865, in Outagamie county, Wisconsin, on the farm which was owned by her father and on which the village of Welcome now stands. She is a daughter of Daniel and Joanna (Crowley) Murphy, natives of Ireland, the former of whom came to St. Johns, Newfoundland, at the age of twenty years and shortly afterwards settled in Fall River, Massachusetts. Some time later he came to Cedarburg, Wisconsin, and for a few years lived with his brother. Joanna Crowley came to the United States at the age of fifteen years with her parents, and first settled at Fort Lee, New Jersey, later locating in Horicon. She was married to Mr. Murphy at Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, and for six or seven years lived at Horicon, during which time Mr. Murphy worked in the South on cotton plantations, although he visited his family at intervals. In the summer of 1863, the Murphys and three other families moved from Horicon to Belle Plain, Wisconsin, some miles north of Clintonville, this State, traveling overland in wagons. They had purchased the land some time previously and went there with the intention of farming, but found the land stony and unfit for agricultural purposes and started the return journey to Horicon. When they reached this point they met Captain Hyde, an early settler in Waupaca county, and all but one of the families bought land and settled here, Mr. Murphy purchasing eighty acres on which the village of Welcome now stands and later buying a twenty and still later forty acres. He first built a log house, in which the family lived for five years and then erected a larger log house on the last forty acres where water was easier to secure, and this house is still standing and is used for a granary on the homestead. Fifteen years later he built a frame house. Mrs. Murphy died in 1877 at the age of thirty-nine years, and is buried in Welcome Cemetery, and Mr. Murphy passed away in 1900, when seventy-seven years old. He was a Democrat in politics, but never aspired to hold office. Mr. and Mrs. Murphy had nine children: Mary, married M. F. Clark and is now residing on the old Murphy homestead and has two children; Patrick D., married Mary Sullivan, of Lebanon, Wisconsin, and died August 20. 1899, leaving six children; John and Daniel died in childhood; Catherine Agnes; John T., single and living in Omaha, Nebraska; Margaret, married James McCormick and is now living in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin; Nellie died at the age of seven years; and Julia, Sister Laurentia at Dixon, Illinois. Miss Murphy's brother, Patrick D. Murphy, established the mercantile business of which she is now the manager, in June, 1886, and at the time of his death, Miss Catherine A. Murphy was appointed guardian of his children and has been conducting the mercantile business ever since with superior business ability. With the others of her family, Miss Murphy is a faithful member of the Catholic Church.