Virginia B. MURPHY

John married Virginia Elizabeth REED. Virginia (daughter of James Frazier REED and Margaret Wilson KEYES) was born about 1834 in Sangamon Co Ill; died in 1931 in San Jose Ca. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Virginia by mothers 1st marriage - James adopted her - found in book edited by Karen Zeinert of Virginias lettters - 1997 Nine children - three died infancy

Notes:

one of the leaders of Donner-Reed party - lost at Donner Pass Cal - expelled from the party for shooting mutinous train member - he had 4 children all together - he ended up near Sutter's Fort marriage found in CD2 according to WFT vol4 #2894, there may have been another son - Charles Cadden served in Black hawk campaign with Lincoln his horse was named Glaucus

James married Margaret Wilson KEYES on 14 Oct 1835 in Sangamon Co Ill. Margaret (daughter of Humphrey KEYES and Sarah HANDLEY) was born on 31 Mar 1814; died on 25 Nov 1861 in San Jose Ca. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

James and Margaret adopted Mary Donner - an orphan of one of the Donner's of the Reed - Donner party after parents died at Donner Lake during winter of 1845-46 Much of Margaret's information came from book 'History of the Donner Party' by C. F. McGlashan printed 1st in 1880 with additions in later years both of her marriages found on CD2 other source for information - Ordeal by Hunger - George R. Stewart

Notes:

There appears to be some error in regards to Humphrey - there is a difference between the Charles White version and 'more keys ' by Paralee Keys Hoot - I have included both versons in this file

Humphrey married Sarah HANDLEY on 21 Apr 1803 in Monroe Co Wv. Sarah was born in 1776 in Monroe Co Va; died on 26 May 1846 in Alcove Spring, KS. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

died enroute to Calif as part of Donner party The following material came from a website on the Oregon- California Trails. It was submitted by Dr. Robert Munkres of Muskingum College, who gave permisssion to include in this report - it was reprinted from The Tombstone Epitaph, The Daily Jeffersonian ( Cambridge Oh ), and The Bridgeport News-Blade ( Bridgeport Neb ).
Travel on the road west was difficult for the strong, dangerous for the unprepared and frequently fatal for the infirm. Many of the latter, however, displayed the fortitude of spiritual giants. One name of the roster of that courageous company might be that of Mrs. Sarah Keyes. In the winter of 1845-46, Mrs Keyes, now 70 years old, was not surprised when doctors told her that her health was such that she had only a few months to live. Instead of sitting back and waiting for the end, Mrs. Keyes vowed she would use whatever strength remained in her in an effort to see her son one more time - a son who had emigrated to Oregon several years earlier. A son-in-law agreed to let her accompany him and his family - word was sent to the son in Oregon to meet his mother in Fort Hall, Idaho. But the reunion was not to be. Mrs. Keyes died only a matter of days after the wagon train left Westport Landing. During the early moring hours of May 29, 1846, Mrs. Keyes was buried near the Big Blue River in present day Kansas. The death of Mrs. Keyes was undoubtly commented and remembered by other members of the train, and under other circumstances might have become part of the folk ore of the trail. Sadly, the name of Mrs. Sarah Keyes was all but lost to history when the party with which she had commenced the trip west subsequently encountered on eo the most fearsome experiences in trail history - a tragedy that forever attached the name of the train's leaders to Donner Pass. A picture of her grave site is available on the website. Actual burial place is near Alcove Spring Kansas