Two more mysteries solved

For years I have been trying to find out two things about my grandfather, Eddie Murphy.  One is where he went to high school and the other was how he met my grandmother. Both facts have been quite elusive.  My mother had told me that Grandpa had gone to Manual High School.  However, no records of him attending have ever been found.  So then I thought maybe he had gone to the Catholic high school.  Again, no records found. Dead end.

A few days ago my sister and I met with two first cousins who we haven't seen for quite some time.  Both live out of town from us. 

As we discussed various things, one cousin began to tell us the story that he has always heard about how our grandparents met!  And the story began with Grandpa attending high school...for one day!  He got into a fight and was kicked out of school.  So he didn't tell his parents, and just left home each day as if he were headed to school.  After a few days, he noticed a sign at the local newspaper looking for a copy boy.  He went in and got the job, but was told that he needed to dress up each day in shirt and tie.  He headed to Szolds (a local department store) and a lovely young girl sold him a suit, shirt and tie.  And she was to become my grandmother!

And just like that, my questions were answered!  Incidentally, Grandpa retired from that newspaper after forty-eight years working there.  By the time he retired, he was the political editor for the paper.  Pretty good for a kid with an eighth grade education!

#52Ancestors-Week 48-Next to Last: Nancy Thompson

My third great-aunt, Nancy Thompson, was the next to last child (that I have recorded) born to Moses and Rachel Foard Thompson.

Nancy was born in about 1819 in Tennessee, probably in Bedford County.  Between 1846 to 1840, her family came to Illinois.  It appears that Nancy married John Omsby in about 1838 (marriage records have not been found) in either Tennessee or Illinois.

Nancy and John had ten known children.  The first was a son born about 1839.  I don't know any more about him. Three more sons followed, all born in Illinois. They had a daughter in 1848, then three more sons, then two more daughters.  The last child (Susan) was born in 1858.  Sadly, the two youngest daughters died in infancy.  One son died in 1857 at the age of seven.  I have not been able to find any records for another son, so he may have died early also.

John Omsby, Nancy's husband, died in November of 1858.   Nancy soon followed him, dying in February of 1859.  When they died, they left five living children, ages five to seventeen.

Nancy was buried in Wesley Cemetery in Wendelin, Clay County, Illinois.