Tom Reed Murray
Thos. R. Murray Passes Away
One of our Oldest and Most Highly Respected Citizens Died Suddenly
Examiner, February 24, -------
Thos. R. Murray, "Uncle Tom" as we all had for many years lovingly called him, passed away suddenly at his home in the Wetsel community, four miles south of McKinney last Wednesday afternoon at 4:00 o'clock after a few days illness. Uncle Tom was far advanced on life's journey, and had grown quite feeble, but was a frequent visitor in the city, and had been here only a few days before. hence hiss passing while not unexpected, was nevertheless a shock to his family, his friends and neighbors.
He possessed natural ability above the average intellect, and his mental vision was clear and unimpaired. he had a remarkable memory, During the last days of his short illness an number of letters came from old ------ comrades' children. And how he reveled in the memories they awakened. He selected the minister, the text, and the songs that were so beautifully rendered at the funeral service. The genial humor that characterized him shone forth as he lay dying -- calmly unafraid. he sat up in ed, ate his dinner, called for his fan, and was joking with his daughter who was attending his beside, when the summons came -- one gasp for breath and the old soldier was mustered out. ...
For several years Uncle Tom had been an active member of " The Sons of Rest." When the weather is fair, this order meets every day on the Court house lawn. The cotton buyer, the way-faring preacher, even the local band do not interrupt their proceedings. They seem intact and inviolate. An applicant for membership must be able to tell a good story and to refrain from using profanity. There may be other requirements, but "Uncle Tom" must have measured up full-tilt, for he was president of The Sons of Rest, whose roll includes those familiar names: Jones Moore, Sam Fox, Jim Taylor, Josh Herndon, Dr. Kirkpatrick, Scott Allison, Capt. Dowell, G. M. Edwards, John H. Cable, Bill Stiff, Dr. Wiley, Tandy Quisenberry, Frank Hunn and many others who having completed man's allotted span of life, are calmly awaiting the final call, and enjoying themselves reveling in dream of long ago....
He was one of the most most loyal and regular attendants of Throckmorton Camp U. C. V. (United Confederate Veterans) and it was never too cold nor too hot for Uncle Tom to report for duty at the camp meetings. But these old veterans are fading away, and in a few years we will see them no more.
Biographical
Thomas Reed Murray was born in Buncombe county North Carolina, on what is now known as the Vanderbilt estate on the French Broad River. He was the fifteenth child of a family of 16 children, fifteen of whom lived to be grown. His mother was Mary Hawkins, Grandfather and Grandmother Hawkins are buried on the Vanderbilt estate, whose boundless boundary lines of 30,000 acres include the old homestead that had been in the family for 200 years. This estate is three miles from Ashville. The present owner takes care of the Hawkins' graves on hi domain.
Thos. R. Murray was married in Rutherford, N. C. on August 9, 1849 to Miss Dila (Dilean Ann) Wood, a near kinswoman to Abraham Lincoln and whose ancestry included the illustrious name of Wade Hampton.
Fifty-three years ago they left North Carolina and settled near Batesville, Arkansas. He enlisted in the Confederate army at Antioch church in Izzard county, Ark., and served four years under Col. McCarver, a Methodist preacher, Col. Cravens and Lieut. Col. Mathena.
Leaving Arkansas for Texas in 1867, he settled in Collin County, on a farm six miles west of McKinney in the Foote community. His neighbors were Meredith Ashlock, the Widow Lisenby and Widow Dowell and Uncle Jim and Uncle George Herndon. He lived there four years, then moved to his late home, five miles south of McKinney.
To his first marriage there were eight children born, four of whom are now living. They are: Mrs. Mary Shields of Fort Worth, Mrs. Mathena Puckett of Gem, J. D. Murray of Bellvue, and County Judge T. O. Murray of McKinney.
His second marriage was to the Widow Fisher, sister of the late Tom Coleman. Three children were born to this union-- only one is living, Adelia Wyatt who was living at home with her father. His third marriage was to Miss Jane Irvin of Waynesville, North Carolina, who died in 1911. He is survived by five children, 32 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren, and 9 great great grandchildren.
When the deceased came to Collin County McKinney was but a hamlet of wooden structures. "Uncle Milt" Board sold him his first bill of groceries and Tom Beverly's father preached the first sermon he heard in Texas.
During the war he was a member of Price's old army east of the Mississippi River. He was in the battles of Corinth, Iuka, Port Gibson, Vicksburg and Barker Creek. He was in Price's raid in Missouri and was captured with his regiment at Big Black, Miss. Three of the regiment escaped capture by swimming the river.
His regiment was then carried north and kept in prison with 15,000 other southern soldiers at "Fort Delaware"Pt. Lookout, Maryland. He attended many national confederate reunions-- three at New Orleans; two at Houston, two at Dallas, two at Nashville, two at Memphis, two at Louisville, one at Richmond where he visited Mt. Vernon and Arlington Heights, one at Birmingham, Ala., one at Mobile, Ala., one at Chattanooga, and one at Atlanta, one at Tulsa. For seventy years he was a member of the Baptist church.
The funeral was held at mt. Olive church four miles southwest of town,, Thursday afternoon at 3 o'clock. Rev. R. J. Fletcher conducted the service. The church was filled to capacity with friends from town and country. Quite a number of members of Throckmorton Camp U. C. V. were in attendance to join in tribute of life and respect to their deceased comrade, and mingle their tears of sympathy with the bereaved.
His body was lowered to rest beside his loved ones in the Williams cemetery adjoining the church. The afternoon was gray and fitfully stormy. The long line of relatives and friends filed through misty rain to pay the last tribute to their loved. Against the somber evening shadows hung the beautiful floral offerings like prayers of light.
"All the good the past has had,
Remains to make our own time glad."
At the battle of Corinth, Oct. 4, 1862, our Captain, James Hunt, aged 24, was killed. My oldest son is named James Hunt; my youngest son Owen was named for the army surgeon and my daughter is named Matheny, in honor of my Lieutenant Colonel.
One of our Oldest and Most Highly Respected Citizens Died Suddenly
Examiner, February 24, -------
Thos. R. Murray, "Uncle Tom" as we all had for many years lovingly called him, passed away suddenly at his home in the Wetsel community, four miles south of McKinney last Wednesday afternoon at 4:00 o'clock after a few days illness. Uncle Tom was far advanced on life's journey, and had grown quite feeble, but was a frequent visitor in the city, and had been here only a few days before. hence hiss passing while not unexpected, was nevertheless a shock to his family, his friends and neighbors.
He possessed natural ability above the average intellect, and his mental vision was clear and unimpaired. he had a remarkable memory, During the last days of his short illness an number of letters came from old ------ comrades' children. And how he reveled in the memories they awakened. He selected the minister, the text, and the songs that were so beautifully rendered at the funeral service. The genial humor that characterized him shone forth as he lay dying -- calmly unafraid. he sat up in ed, ate his dinner, called for his fan, and was joking with his daughter who was attending his beside, when the summons came -- one gasp for breath and the old soldier was mustered out. ...
For several years Uncle Tom had been an active member of " The Sons of Rest." When the weather is fair, this order meets every day on the Court house lawn. The cotton buyer, the way-faring preacher, even the local band do not interrupt their proceedings. They seem intact and inviolate. An applicant for membership must be able to tell a good story and to refrain from using profanity. There may be other requirements, but "Uncle Tom" must have measured up full-tilt, for he was president of The Sons of Rest, whose roll includes those familiar names: Jones Moore, Sam Fox, Jim Taylor, Josh Herndon, Dr. Kirkpatrick, Scott Allison, Capt. Dowell, G. M. Edwards, John H. Cable, Bill Stiff, Dr. Wiley, Tandy Quisenberry, Frank Hunn and many others who having completed man's allotted span of life, are calmly awaiting the final call, and enjoying themselves reveling in dream of long ago....
He was one of the most most loyal and regular attendants of Throckmorton Camp U. C. V. (United Confederate Veterans) and it was never too cold nor too hot for Uncle Tom to report for duty at the camp meetings. But these old veterans are fading away, and in a few years we will see them no more.
Biographical
Thomas Reed Murray was born in Buncombe county North Carolina, on what is now known as the Vanderbilt estate on the French Broad River. He was the fifteenth child of a family of 16 children, fifteen of whom lived to be grown. His mother was Mary Hawkins, Grandfather and Grandmother Hawkins are buried on the Vanderbilt estate, whose boundless boundary lines of 30,000 acres include the old homestead that had been in the family for 200 years. This estate is three miles from Ashville. The present owner takes care of the Hawkins' graves on hi domain.
Thos. R. Murray was married in Rutherford, N. C. on August 9, 1849 to Miss Dila (Dilean Ann) Wood, a near kinswoman to Abraham Lincoln and whose ancestry included the illustrious name of Wade Hampton.
Fifty-three years ago they left North Carolina and settled near Batesville, Arkansas. He enlisted in the Confederate army at Antioch church in Izzard county, Ark., and served four years under Col. McCarver, a Methodist preacher, Col. Cravens and Lieut. Col. Mathena.
Leaving Arkansas for Texas in 1867, he settled in Collin County, on a farm six miles west of McKinney in the Foote community. His neighbors were Meredith Ashlock, the Widow Lisenby and Widow Dowell and Uncle Jim and Uncle George Herndon. He lived there four years, then moved to his late home, five miles south of McKinney.
To his first marriage there were eight children born, four of whom are now living. They are: Mrs. Mary Shields of Fort Worth, Mrs. Mathena Puckett of Gem, J. D. Murray of Bellvue, and County Judge T. O. Murray of McKinney.
His second marriage was to the Widow Fisher, sister of the late Tom Coleman. Three children were born to this union-- only one is living, Adelia Wyatt who was living at home with her father. His third marriage was to Miss Jane Irvin of Waynesville, North Carolina, who died in 1911. He is survived by five children, 32 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren, and 9 great great grandchildren.
When the deceased came to Collin County McKinney was but a hamlet of wooden structures. "Uncle Milt" Board sold him his first bill of groceries and Tom Beverly's father preached the first sermon he heard in Texas.
During the war he was a member of Price's old army east of the Mississippi River. He was in the battles of Corinth, Iuka, Port Gibson, Vicksburg and Barker Creek. He was in Price's raid in Missouri and was captured with his regiment at Big Black, Miss. Three of the regiment escaped capture by swimming the river.
His regiment was then carried north and kept in prison with 15,000 other southern soldiers at "Fort Delaware"Pt. Lookout, Maryland. He attended many national confederate reunions-- three at New Orleans; two at Houston, two at Dallas, two at Nashville, two at Memphis, two at Louisville, one at Richmond where he visited Mt. Vernon and Arlington Heights, one at Birmingham, Ala., one at Mobile, Ala., one at Chattanooga, and one at Atlanta, one at Tulsa. For seventy years he was a member of the Baptist church.
The funeral was held at mt. Olive church four miles southwest of town,, Thursday afternoon at 3 o'clock. Rev. R. J. Fletcher conducted the service. The church was filled to capacity with friends from town and country. Quite a number of members of Throckmorton Camp U. C. V. were in attendance to join in tribute of life and respect to their deceased comrade, and mingle their tears of sympathy with the bereaved.
His body was lowered to rest beside his loved ones in the Williams cemetery adjoining the church. The afternoon was gray and fitfully stormy. The long line of relatives and friends filed through misty rain to pay the last tribute to their loved. Against the somber evening shadows hung the beautiful floral offerings like prayers of light.
"All the good the past has had,
Remains to make our own time glad."
At the battle of Corinth, Oct. 4, 1862, our Captain, James Hunt, aged 24, was killed. My oldest son is named James Hunt; my youngest son Owen was named for the army surgeon and my daughter is named Matheny, in honor of my Lieutenant Colonel.
