Lavinia (Earnest) McMurry

© Kathy Duncan, 2015

Lavina Earnest, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Sims) Earnest, married James McMurry. Lavina (Earnest) McMurry died 6 May 1891 and is buried in Ione Public Cemetery, Ione, Amador County, California. Her husband, James McMurry died 23 April 1859 is buried beside her.

MCMURRY, JAMES, born April 5, 1798, in Botetourt county, Virginia, was married in Sangamon county, Ill., to Lavina Earnest. They had six children in Sangamon county, and moved to Keokuk, Iowa; from there to Independence, Mo., thence to California, about 1855. Of their children, SARAH married Rev. Mr. James. She died in 1854, leaving one child. Martha J. married Inglefield Gregory. ROBERT S. married in 1849, and his wife died Nov. 16, 1863, leaving children, Luella, Alta, Sarah, Mary L., William H. and Olive M. THOS. FRANK, JAMES and ELIZA,--the three latter are married. James McMurry died near Ione City, California, and his family reside there.
[Source: History of the Early Settlers of Sangamon County, Illinois: "Centennial Record" by John Carroll Power and Sarah A. Harris p. 506-7]

McMurry marriages in Lee County, Iowa:

Martha McMurry married Inglefield Gregory on 2 Mar 1843
Sarah McMurry married John James on 4 Feb 1847
[Source: familysearch.org]

5 Sept 1850, Montrose Twp., Lee County,  Iowa:

309-315
James McMurray 52 M Farmer $1,500 b. VA
Lavina 45 F b. KY
Thomas N. 15 M Farmer b. IL
Francis A. 13 M b. IL
James 6 M b. Iowa
Eliza 3 F b. Iowa
Robert Nousan 2 M b. Iowa
310-316
Robert S. McMurray 21 M Farmer b. IL
Mary 25 F b. KY

McMurry Marriages in Amador County, California:

P.H. Egan married M.E. McMurry 2 Sept 1866
F.A. McMurry married C.C. Hamrick 6 Sept 1866
Robt S. McMurry married E. Reno 30 Oct 1867
Jas W. McMurry married Mrs. Mary Billington 14 June 1874 in Ione
[Source: familysearch.org]

28 June 1870, Twp. #2, Amador County, California, P.O.: Ione City: 

57-57
McMurray, J.W. 26 M W Apothecary $0-$2,000 b. IL
-----, Lavina 65 F W Keeping House b. IL

[By 1870, Lavina (Earnest) McMurry was a widow, living with her son James W. McMurry]

25 June 1880, Sheep Ranch, in 7th Twp. (Washington), Calaveras County, California:

Egan, P.H. W M 42 Hotel Keeper b. Mich fb. Ireland mb. Ireland

-----Mary E. W F 33 Wife Keeping house b. Iowa fb. VA b. KY

-----Etta May W F 13 Dau Goes to school b. CA fb. Mich mb. Iowa

-----Frank A. W M 11 Son Goes to school b. CA fb. Mich mb. Iowa

-----Bertie M. W F 7 Dau Goes to school b. CA fb. Mich mb. Iowa

-----Henry E. W M 2 Son b. CA fb. Mich mb. Iowa

McMurray, Lavina W F 75 m-i-l Assists dau b. KY fb. SC mb. SC

-----Alta W F 20 niece Waiter  b. CA fb. IL mb. TN

Not of Unusual Age

Yet She Could County Ninety-nine

Of Her Progenitors

            Mrs. Levina McMurray died at Ione, Amador County, on the 6^th inst, aged 86 years, after a residence in that village of thirty-eight years. She was the mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother of a family of ninety-nine, seventy-nine of whom survive her. Her husband James McMurray, died three years after arriving in California, since which time she has resided with some one of her children, at the time of her death being domiciled at the house of her daughter, Mrs. L. B. Gregory. The surviving family consists of six children, thirty-five grandchildren, thirty-six great-grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren, all living in California. Two sons, Robert S. and Francis McMurray, are engage in farming near Redding. Thomas McMurray, another son, is similarly occupied near Merced, while James McMurray, the youngest son, is Postmaster at Ione. One daughter, Mrs. Eliza Eagan, resides at Sheep Ranch, Calaveras County, while the other daughter is Mrs. L.B. Gregory of Ione.

            During all the years of her widowhood Mrs. McMurray was devoted to the interests of those she loved, while giving much of her time to the Methodist Church, of which she was a devout member. Mrs. McMurray was known by a large circle of friends, by whom she became familiarly called “Grandma.” The memory of her deeds of Christian charity will long survive. During her last illness she objected to the administration of remedies prescribed by the attending physicians, saying she was
“ready to do to her Savior,” and requested the members of the family who were at her bedside to sing “Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to thy bosom fly.” The request was complied with, and then the venerable woman clasped the hand of her granddaughter and said: “Make haste; let us go.” She died in the full consciousness of having served God during a long and useful life and without regrets that this summons had not come before, and rejoiced that it had found her prepared at the eventful moment.

[Source: San Francisco Call, 20 May 1891]

Page last updated on 18 December 2016