Record Group 083
Date Span: 1938 - 1988
Extent: 2.34 cu. ft.
Biographical Note: Robert Clarence Murphy was born on February 11, 1916 in Chickasha, Oklahoma. He and Nancy Myrtle Beets married on November 29, 1939. Serving with United States Naval Reserve 90th Seabees during World War II, Robert achieved the rank of machinists mate third class. In 1954, Robert became employed as an aircraft mechanic at Fort Rucker, so he and Nancy moved to Newton, Alabama. Robert served as Deacon of the Newton Baptist Church, Chairman of the Newton Housing Authority and as a member of Newton Town Planning Committee. Robert died 1988 and is buried in Newton City Cemetery.
Nancy Myrtle (Beets) Murphy was born May 2, 1916, in Chickasha Oklahoma. After working at a defense plant and brokerage firm in Los Angeles, California, during World War II, Nancy returned to Chickasha, Oklahoma, earning her teaching certificate in 1956. Moving to Newton, Alabama, in 1956, she taught social studies at Ozark Carroll High School, ran for public office during the Newton’s City Council election in 1972 and was the owner of M & M Ceramics. Nancy died in 1993 and is buried in Newton City Cemetery.
Scope/Content: Collection documents the lives of Robert Clarence Murphy and Nancy Myrtle (Beets) Murphy from 1938 - 1988. Born, raised and marrying in Chickasha, Oklahoma, the couple later moved to Newton, Alabama in 1954. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence: letters, cards and postcards between Robert and Nancy Murphy. Of particular note are letters written between Robert and Nancy during World War II [1943 - 1945.] Also in the collection are family documents, family financial records, newspaper clippings and photographs. Documents involving Robert Murphy's WWII military career as well as Nancy Murphy's teaching material, original poems, and drawings are included. Contained within the collection are documents on Nancy's bid for Newton's City Council in 1972, ownership of M & M Ceramics and research on the history of the Beets and Marlow families of Chickasha, Oklahoma. This family history research includes books, documents and photographs on the Marlows of Oklahoma.
Organization: Organized into four series:
1. Correspondence - Includes correspondence with Robert and Nancy Murphy as recipients from 1938 - 1980. Arranged by recipient.
2. Personal Papers - Includes family documents, Robert Murphy’s WW II military documents, Nancy Murphy’s teaching material and artwork. Arranged alphabetically by topic.
3. Marlow Family History -Includes photocopy from family Bible, reproduced family pictures and book, Life of the Marlows: A True Story of Frontier Life of Early Days.
Provenance: Ms. King purchased the Murphy house in Newton ca. 1996 at a government auction. The Murphy materials were stored both in a crawlspace and the attic of the house. After moving to Dothan, Ms. King donated these materials to the The Wiregrass Archives.
Processing: No original order, so The Wiregrass Archives staff organized the collection into four series to facilitate access. Correspondence is arranged by recipient. Personal papers are arranged alphabetically by topic.
Preferred Citation: Robert and Nancy Murphy Papers, RG 083. Wiregrass Archives, Troy University--Dothan Campus, Dothan, AL.
Date processed: 8-2008
Processed By: B. Strickland
INVENTORY
Series 1: Correspondence – Letters addressed to Robert and Nancy Murphy
|
File I.D. |
File Label |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
083 |
08-0613 |
001 |
001 |
Correspondence to Robert Murphy October 25, 1934 - December 20, 1943 |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
001 |
002 |
Correspondence to Robert Murphy January 2, 1944 - December 31, 1944 |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
001 |
003 |
Correspondence to Robert Murphy January 1, 1945 - March 31, 1945 |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
001 |
004 |
Correspondence to Robert Murphy April 1, 1945 - October 28, 1945 |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
001 |
005 |
Correspondence to Robert Murphy January 31, 1950 - May 20, 1955 |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
001 |
006 |
Correspondence to Robert Murphy June 2, 1955 - December 17, 1955 |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
001 |
007 |
Correspondence to Robert Murphy January 2 1956 - December 10, 1956 |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
001 |
008 |
Correspondence to Robert Murphy n.d. |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
001 |
009 |
Correspondence to Robert Murphy Incomplete Letters |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
001 |
010 |
Correspondence to Nancy Murphy November 18, 1936 - December 24, 1943 |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
001 |
011 |
Correspondence to Nancy Murphy January 1, 1944 - October 26, 1944 |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
001 |
012 |
Correspondence to Nancy Murphy October 27, 1944 - December 31, 1944 |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
001 |
013 |
Correspondence to Nancy Murphy January 21, 1945 - June 27, 1945 |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
001 |
014 |
Correspondence to Nancy Murphy June 28, 1945 - December 20, 1948 |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
001 |
015 |
Correspondence to Nancy Murphy May 17, 1949 - July 11, 1949 |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
001 |
016 |
Correspondence to Nancy Murphy July 5, 1949 - December 30, 1949 |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
001 |
Correspondence to Nancy Murphy January 11, 1950 - December 22, 1955 |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
002 |
Correspondence to Nancy Murphy January 16, 1956 - September 2, 1980 |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
003 |
Correspondence to Nancy Murphy n.d. |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
004 |
Correspondence to Nancy Murphy Incomplete Letters |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
005 |
Correspondence to Murphy Family 1974 |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
006 |
Correspondence to Beets Family 1944, 1949, 1967 |
Series 2: Robert and Nancy Murphy Personal Papers
|
File I.D. |
File Label |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
007 |
Robert Murphy and Nancy Murphy Birth Certificate, High School Diploma, Marriage License, Death Certificate |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
008 |
Robert Murphy and Nancy Murphy Financial Records |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
009 |
Robert Murphy and Nancy Murphy Miscellaneous |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
010 |
Robert Murphy Military Service 1943 - 1945 |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
011 |
Robert Murphy Miscellaneous |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
012 |
Nancy Murphy Address Book |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
013 |
Nancy Murphy City Council Election 1972 |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
014 |
Nancy Murphy Drawing |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
015 |
Nancy Murphy Short Stores and Poetry |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
016 |
Nancy Murphy Teaching Material |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
017 |
Nancy Murphy Miscellaneous |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
018 |
Beets Family Documents 1916 - 1968 |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
019 |
Betts Family Newspaper Clippings |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
020 |
M and M Custom Ceramics |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
021 |
Church Programs and Directories 1949 - 1972 [bulk 1949 - 1952] |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
MD6 |
001 |
Newspapers, Teaching Material, Drawing Material , Diploma (Nancy) and Artwork |
Series 3: Marlow Family History – Genealogical Research on Marlows of Oklahoma
|
File I.D. |
File Label |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
023 |
Marlow Photographs and Artifacts |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
024 |
Life of the Marlows: A True Story of Frontier Life of Early Days As Related by Themselves Revised by William Rathmell |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
025 |
"Story of the Marlow Boys" - True West [Magazine], January - Feb 1962 |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
002 |
026 |
Marlow [Photocopy Page of Bible] Births and Marriages, 1800's |
|
File I.D. |
File Label |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
083 |
08-0613 |
003 |
001 |
Various Postcards and Greeting Cards |
|
083 |
08-0613 |
004 |
001 |
Miscellaneous Envelopes, paper clips, pen tips, ephemera |