Sarah Murphy Williams

Sarah Murphy Williams

Sarah is M.5 in the Murphy Book

Lawrence and Sarah Murphy Williams

Sarah Murphy Williams

Sarah Murphy Williams M 5 (Murphy Book) son David took over the farm in 1888 and the property is under his name in the 1888 plat. St. Patrick cemetery is here in this section. Sarah was first married in Ireland to J Moyan and later married Lawrence William. Sarah and Lawrence donated the property at St Patrick's cemetery and are both buried there and only her son David and wife Mary Ellen Cosgrove are buried at St Patrick's. Their house is close by and may still be there as a historical site, so look for it.
Milltown TWP - T35N - R17W- Section 31

Sara Murphy Williams M.5

Adapted from the Murphy Book.

Sara was born in December 1823 daughter of James and Mary Ann O’Donnell Murphy at their home they called Ardglass, Co Cork Ireland. Sara’s life as a child and a young lady is unknown to us. She met and married a young man named John or Jerry Moylan. They lived at Meelin, Rockchapel, Co Cork, Ireland. Sara gave birth to a daughter, Mary Ann and two sons, Jeremiah and John with we nothing on. It can be assumed that the young couple enjoyed a few happy years. One of Sara’s sisters in her declining years would forget where she was and talk of Jerry Moylan’s lovely kitchen garden. Their happiness was short lived, however as Sara’s husband died during the potato famine years and possibly as late as 1849.

Left with no husband and three children and little or no funds Sara was perhaps desperate. She decided to go to America to join her brother William and two sisters Bridget and Margaret. She is believed to have taken her three Moylan children with her but we have only been able to trace her daughter Mary Ann in America. The 1900 US Census say Sara entered the United States in1850. It also says she gave birth to 9 children and that 6 were still living in 1900, that 6 would have to include one of the Moylan children.

Family tradition says that Sara married Lawrence William in New York around 1850 to 1853. Lawrence was also from County Cork, Ireland and had a half brother name Mike who married Sara’s sister Margaret at about the same time. Lawrence also had another half brother, Tom Williams. Two of Tom’s children married Murphy nephews of Sara’s Polk County, Wisconsin family. Lawrence also had a brother David who settled in Ohio and a sister Elizabeth who eloped in New York with a Billy Martin.

After the birth of the first child Patrick was born to Sara and Lawrence they moved to Tiogo County, Pennsylvania where her other Murphy line of relatives had probably already settled. Several Murphy’s and other relatives came to Morris Run, Pennsylvania as jobs in the coalmines were available and wages could be saved to build a nest egg for a future farm purchase. Four more children, James, Dave, Johanna and Sara were born in Pennsylvania. By the time of the 1870 US Census was taken Sara and Lawrence had moved to Polk County Wisconsin and acquired 80 acres of land, which includes the land that the present St Patrick’s Cemetery at Long Lake is on. Sara and Lawrence’s tombstone mentions that, they donated the land for the cemetery.

While still in Pennsylvania Sara’s daughter Mary Ann Moylan had married a young man named Michael Supple. Probably after 1870 daughter Mary Ann and her family moved to Polk County, Wisconsin and began to farm the property adjoining Lawrence and Sara. The 1880 US Census shows the families living next to each other.

In 1886 Sara was to mourn the loss of her second husband. Lawrence is buried in the St Patrick cemetery at Long Lake. The Polk County Press newspaper of April 3 1886 reads that Lawrence Williams of Milltown died Thursday of last week and buried on Saturday. He was one of the oldest settlers of the area having been there for nearly 20 years. His age was about 70 years.

In 1886 Sara’s son Dave age 28 was actually operating the home farm. In September 1888 Dave married Mary Ellen Cosgrove who took over as the manager of the household and Sara’s role had changed. Sara’s picture reveals a strikingly handsome woman who probably had been a quite beautiful young woman. The face indicates a spirit of determination, which had survived several of life’s blows over the years. Certainly the loss of two husbands, widowhood with three small children, the long journey across to America and the death of a 15 year old daughter also named Sara Williams had tested Sara’s will over the years. And in 1900 Sara died and was buried alongside her husband in St Patrick cemetery next to their home. It should be noted that there was the St Patrick Church at the same location as St Patrick cemetery which is now gone. This is where our Murphy line of the area and their neighbors had built their church. No death certificate is available or is there an obituary for Sara. Some family members feel the year of death was actually 1901. In any event we have been unable to find any public record, obituary or newspaper story covering Sara’s death.

It is of interest that even though the old homestead house and land are no longer in the family it is still an important to the State of Wisconsin and the local Polk County museum community. The current owners are enthusiastically renovating the house in an effort to duplicate its 19 th century appearance and furnishings. We have been told that the Wisconsin Historical Society is to designate it as a historic site and will install a plague on the front of the house in identify it as such.

Family Record

Sara’s first marriage was to John or Jerry Moylan while she was still living in Ireland 1840 and their children were.

Mary Ann Moylan born 1846 at Meelin Rockchapel Ireland. She died August 1913 and is buried at St Mary’s cemetery at Minneapolis Minnesota. She married Michael Supple in 1864 in Pennsylvania

Jeremiah Moylan and John Moylan born at Meelin Rockchapel which we know nothing of and it is believed they came with their mother Sara to America.

Sara second marriage was to Lawrence Williams and is covered above. They were married around 1850 in New York. Their children are.

Patrick Williams born December 2 1851 at Tioga PA he married Catharine Noonan December 28 1882 at Stillwater MN. Patrick died February 29 1928 and is buried at Iron River Wisconsin at St Michael Baypoint

James Williams born 1855 at Tioga PA he married Barbara Maitland and James died on November 24 1931 is buried in Livermore, CA

David Williams born January 23 1857 at Morris Run Pennsylvania he married Mary Ellen Cosgrove at St Patrick Church in Long Lake, Polk County, Wisconsin on September 26 1888 and died November 4 1938 Centuria Polk County Wisconsin. He took over the family farm when his father Lawrence died.

Johanna Williams born 1859 in Pennsylvania she married Tim Sullivan in 1880 at St Patrick Church in Long Lake, Polk County Wisconsin. She died on September 29 1935 in Los Angeles CA.

Sara Williams born 1863 in Pennsylvania and died at age 15

Sarah and Lawrence home that is located on the left before you come to St Patrick's cemetery on the right. The current owner told me that the house had been abandon for many year and was in terrible shape and the only reason that they rebuilt the house was because his wife like the staircase. This is the same house that is pictured in the Murphy Book on page 84 in the upper left hand corner. The front windows have been change but the door is basically the same and additions have been added.

In the basement of Lawrence and Sarah's house the current owner points out where the family had craved their initials in the old original stone foundation of the house. We where using the Murphy Book to make out the initals but without any luck.

The current owner talking to Geraldine Murphy Krenzelok and telling her when he bought the house this was in the kitchen and it is thought to be Sarah's wood cook stove.

The grave marker reads: In memory of Lawrence and Sarah Williams born in Co Cork Ireland who donated this land for a cemetery in 1887 (St Patrick's). Lawrence and Sara's house in still on the left before you get to St Patrick's cemetery. We had a chance to meet the current owners and I will be posting pictures of their house.

Click on the Murphy Family Homepage link:

Murphy Family of Polk County Wisconsin