You have to love a name like Nimrod Canterbury Murphy, but to date, my information on our Murphy branch of the family is limited. Nimrod was born about 1809 in Kentucky. On June 24, 1830 in Jacksonville, Illinois, he married Cassandra Waters. Between 1831 and 1832 he served in the Black Hawk War. In 1840 he is enumerated in census records in Carlinville, Illinois, and in 1850 in Gentry County, Missouri. He and Cassandra (born probably January 8-9, 1814 in Casey County, Kentucky) had 13 children: Lucinda, Joseph, Celia C., Margaret, Richard, Elizabeth, Nimrod, Paulina, W. Jackson, James Henry, Louisa, Greenill, and William Waters. Nimrod died September 11, 1860 in Allendale, Missouri, and is buried either there or in Morgan County, Illinois.
Cassandra lived nearly 40 years more. In 1860 she is enumerated in Washington, Missouri, listed as a weaver. In 1880 she is living in Franklin, Illinois. She died June 3 or 4, 1896 in either Murrayville or Pisgah, Illinois, and is buried in Pisgah’s Union Cemetery.
Nimrod and Cassandra’s daughter Celia, born May 16, 1842 in Illinois, married John H. Davis sometime between 1857 and 1860 and moved to West Union, Iowa. They would remain in Iowa; according to the 1910 census Celia had given birth to 12 children, only 5 of whom were still living. Their oldest child, Lucinda Blanche Davis, was born March 16, 1859 in Allenville, Missouri, and married Wellington David Wilson. Lucinda and Wellington’s son Carl Ozro, was my grandma Blanche Wilson’s father.
Dearest Family, I an writing to obtain a copy of information to the Murphy – Waters Family. Our link is as follows:
Nimrod Canterbury Murphy and Cassandra C Waters
child: Rufus Charles Murphy and Martha Marie Parker
Grandchild:Robert C. Bob Murphy and Rosa bell Thompson (Choctaw Nation decendent)
Great grand : Richard E Murphy (1/2 Choctaw Nation decendent) and Bessie Jane Eslick (Cherokee Nation Decendent)
*****Great Great Grand : Robert Lee Murphy Sr. (1/4 Choctaw Nation and 1/2 Cherokee Nation Decendent) and Jalena Lavonn Hill Murphy -My self and husbaand
***** Great Great Great Grand : Robert Lee Hill Murphy Jr, Sasha Marie Hill Murphy, Shawana Lynn Hill Murphy, Derrick Scott Hill Murphy. -Our children
***** Great Great Great Great Gramd: Derrick Kyle Murphy Smith, Rylie Ray Murphy Smith, Robert Lee Murphy Smith, Zayne Lynn Murphy Smith-Our grandsons.
My husbands fatherr Richard E Murphy died in 1963 just a few weeks before the birth of my husband, Richards wife moved with her children to another town here in oklahoma due to the circusatanses of Richards death. So my husband and his brother never got to meet the murphy family. Our children grew up not knowing whom their relatives are or any history of them. We would be most grateful for any information or pictures that can be passed on to them if possible.
Sincerly Jalena Murphy
Hi Jalena – thanks for writing! I don’t show a Rufus Charles Murphy born to Nimrod Canterbury and Cassandra (Waters) Murphy. Though I see him linked to Nimrod and Cassandra on Find a Grave, I believe that to be an error. It looks like Rufus was born in July 1860 in Texas, and Nimrod and Cassandra had a son William born in March 1860 in Missouri, so these appear to be two different Murphy lines. Ancestry.com suggests that an “R.C. Murphy,” who appears in Grayson County, Texas in the 1880 census, is Rufus Charles. He appears there with his mother “Elizza.” It looks like you could order a death certificate for Rufus from this website (I searched on his name and was able to see that they do have his 1943 record on file, though it looks like you have to pay to obtain the full record and its details): https://ok2explore.health.ok.gov/App/DeathResults