MURRAY

Posted by Cathy Gowdy on Friday, August 04, 2006 at 06:21:30 :

Independent Journal
Monday, April 30, 1956
pages 1 and 4

Larkspur Woman Dies Near 100th Birthday

A pioneer resident of Marin and member of one of the county's oldest families, Miss Ellen Murray died yesterday, just a month and a half before she would have celebrated her 100th birthday.

She had been in failing health for seven months since suffering a fractured hip in a fall. She died at a local convalescent home.

Miss Murray was the last survivor of seven sons and daughters of the late William and Maria Murray, who came to Marin before the Civil War. She and her late brother, John, were born in San Francisco before the family moved to Marin. The other brothers and sisters were born in Marin.

One of her earliest memories was of the day - 95 years ago next month - when the spectacular and tragic Piercy-Showalter duel was fought in Fairfax. The Murray family then lived near the home of "Lord" and "Lady" Fairfax, and the older children, John and Ellen, recalled watching the ominous procession to the duelling grounds and the return - Piercy's funeral cortege.

Her sister, the late Margaret Rose Murray, was acclaimed "Senorita Marin" by the Marin County Historical Society in 1945, when, at the age of 87, she was the oldest native of Marin who had retained
permanent residence in the county.

The Murray family lived first at San Quentin after coming to Marin. The father built a sawmill there for Benjamin Buckalew. The family moved to the old Cooper house at what is now Kent Woodlands, thence to the Buckalew house in Ross, and then to what is now Fairfax, where the elder Murray leased a large acreage from Pedro Sais and ran cattle on the range.

Early education of Miss Murray and her brothers and sisters was gained from their mother as there was no school near where they lived. Later, they went on horseback to school in San Rafael, which they knew as "The Mission."

Miss Murray was the sister of the late John, Mary, Margaret Rose, Robert William, James and Frank Murray.

Funeral services will be held at Keaton's in San Rafael at 9:10 a.m. Wednesday. Requiem Mass will follow at 9:30 at St. Patrick's Church in Larkspur. Interment will be in Mt. Olivet Cemetery, San Rafael.
Rosary will be recited at Keaton's chapel tomorrow night at 8.