Letter from Bruce Neal to Elias A. Murray, of Oklahoma (1939)

Winfield Scott Murray married (1) Caroline. Her last name is not known. She may be related to the Wrights, by evidence of an older woman by that surname, who lived in the Murray household in 1850, in Union County, Georgia. Winfield appears in census under the given names of Winfield S., W.S., and Scott. The surname is spelled various ways: Murray, Murry, and Mury. Winfield's second wife was Nancy C. Petty, daughter of Elijah Petty. They married on 1 July 1866, in Blairsville, Union County, Georgia, and are found in the 1870 census in Fannin County. Winfield S. Murray died in 1877 and is buried at Sugar Hill Cemetery, in Fannin County, Georgia.

Nancy (Petty) Murray and her grown children moved to Murray County, Georgia. Later, they left Georgia, probably between 1908 and 1910, and moved to Oklahoma. Nancy died in Fletcher, Comanche County, Oklahoma, in 1917, and is buried at Highland Cemetery in Lawton, of that same county. 

When Elias got older, he began to worry about the unmarked graves back in Georgia, of his father and two little sisters, Georgia and Dovie Murray. He ordered some stones for the graves. Dallas Woody (son of Nancy's half-sister, Lydia), showed Neal where to find W. S. Murray's grave. Elias Murray had sent a plat showing the other two graves in relation to his father's grave. Willie Lee Pritchett, grandson of W. S. and Nancy (Petty) Murray, helped put up the stones. He wrote a letter to his uncle Elias, and enclosed it in Mr. Neal's letter. Below is the correspondence, sent to me by Lavita Murray, of Oklahoma.

Above: Bruce Neal Letter to E. A. Murray

Above: Letter from W. L. Pritchett to Elias A. Murray
and Envelope, with Neal Monument Co. Return Address

Elijah Petty, Fannin County, Georgia: Will - 1899

W.D. Petty, Executor of Elijah Petty Will (duty complete)

Transcript of the petition to relieve
W.D. Petty of the duties as executor of the will of
Elijah Petty, following completion of his duties. (1899)

[Transcript begins]:
__________________________________________________

Georgia Fannin County }

To the Court of the petition of W.D. Petty Executor or administrator of the last will and testament of Elijah Petty deceased showeth that he has or will fully discharged all the duties of such executor or adm that he has paid all the debts of his testate presented to date has turned over or will the residue on his books to the lawful heirs of the said Elijah Petty decd as provided in said will he therefore prays the usual citation may issue requiring all persons interested to show cause if any they can why he should not be discharged from his administration and while such citation is running his proceedings as such Executor or adm may undergo a through revision by this court

            W. D. Petty  Adm

To the Court of ordinary March term 1899  the above petition having been read and considered ordered that the prayer of petitioner be granted and that the petition be entered on the minutes of the Court

            Thos. J. Wilson  Ordinary

Georgia }
Fannin County }

Whereas W.D. Petty adm executor of Last Will of Elijah Petty represents to the court in his petition duly filed and entered on record that he has fully administered or will [on?] Elijah Pettys estate this is therefore to [lit?] all persons concerned kindred and creditors to show cause if any they can why said Executor should not be discharged from his administration and relieved letters of dismission on the first Monday in June 1899

            Thos. J. Wilson
                    Ordinary
    ____________________

[End of transcript]

Transcribed verbatim insofar as I could read the handwriting. The writing itself is fair, but there is a heaving blurry, smudged quality in the copy that I used to do the transcription. Misspelled words (such as “through” for “thorough”) left as they were in original.

Transcript by D.K. Pritchett, from the files of Southern Muse. Previously published on my Family Tree Documents blog on Tumblr.