Roberts Family, Murrell Family (Click for Family Tree)
John Henry Murrell was the first son and second child born to Wiley Anderson Murrell (1806-1885) and Mary Magdalene (Honts) Murrell (1806-1887). He arrived in this world on 2 July 1837, and, like all his siblings, was born in Botetourt Co., Virginia.
In 1853, the Murrell family migrated with their children to Warren County, Illinois. John was just 16, but would have been considered a man and been expected to do men’s work on the trip and in building their new home and farm.
John Henry Murrell was working as a farm hand in 1860 for his sister Elizabeth (Murrell) Roberts and her husband John Roberts in Point Pleasant Township, Warren County, Illinois. John Roberts was most likely renting the land, as there was no value of real estate listed on the census- only $650 in personal estate, so economics were most likely pretty tight for the couple. Two-year old William E. Roberts and 6-month old Jason L. Roberts, both John Henry’s nephews, were also enumerated in the household.
John Henry married Lydia Rayburn (1844-1920) on 21 December 1862 in Warren County. They moved to Pettis Co., Missouri sometime between 1862 and 1870, and were enumerated in the 1870 US Federal Census in Elk Fork.
John and Lydia had six children:
Elsina Murrell, 1863-1887
William H. Murrell 1866-1867, died as infant
Solomon “Solie” Murrell 1867-1920, named after his maternal grandfather
Leni Leota Murrell 1870-1888, just 18 when she died
John Jacob Murrell 1877-1939, had a son named Johnny R. Murrell b. 1904
Allie Neora Murrell 1880-1947
John passed away on 23 March 1880, in Green Ridge, Pettis Co., Missouri. It was just two and a half months before the birth of his last child, and his oldest child, Elsina, was just 16.
It would have been very challenging for Lydia to support herself and her five children, and she married again on 21 December 1882, to Henry Mines. She had two children with Henry: Edward Henry Mines (1884-1937) and May E. Mine (1886-1915).
After May was born in 1886, the following year Lydia and John’s daughter Elsina passed away at age 23. The next year, 1888, Leni died— she was only 18 years old.
It must have been heartbreaking to lose three children at young ages. Lydia’s husband Henry Mines then passed away in 1908, and child of theirs, May Mines, died in 1915— she was only 29.
Son Solomon died on 15 February 1920 at age 52, and Lydia followed him on 2 April 1920.
Notes, Sources, and References:
- We appreciate the kind Find A Grave photographer who took these images, and has allowed us to use them on the blog.
- See also John Henry Murrell’s Find A Grave Memorial# 78820400 at http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=78820400.
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