Murphy Family Cemetery
Murphy, Collin County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The Murphy Family Cemetery has been identified with the Murphy Community since William A. Murphy (1816-1909) set aside land for a private family cemetery in 1872 when his sister, Susan Emberton, died. The cemetery is also known as the William Andrew Murphy Cemetery or Mouldon Cemetery. William decreed that his sons and their families be buried on the north side of the cemetery, while his daughters and their families be buried on the south. By the late 1800s, most of the Murphy family moved west and other community members were interred on the grounds. The last burial was Ruby Sorrells in 1988. Today the cemetery sits peacefully among the cedars first planted by the daughters of William and Dorothy Murphy. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2015
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1872, on the death of his sister Susan Emberton, William A. Murphy set aside a corner of his North Texas land as a private family burial ground, laying it out with sons' families to the north and daughters' to the south. As the Murphys drifted west in the late 1800s, the plot opened to the wider Murphy community, taking its last burial in 1988. Today it rests among cedars first planted by William and Dorothy Murphy's daughters.
Why it matters
Family graveyards like this one trace the quiet, everyday settlement of Texas farm country, preserving the names and kinship of a community that built itself one homestead at a time.
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Related people
- · William A. Murphy
- · Susan Emberton
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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