Willie Murphy (1878-1940) was born in Minnesota, the son of Thomas M. Murphy and Katherine Gorman. Thomas M. Murphy was born in County Mayr, Ireland, November 10, 1845, and came to Long Island, New York with his brother in 1861. An elder sister had migrated in 1852 making her home with an uncle in Indiana. Thomas and John traveled to Indiana, Kansas, Missouri and to Ottertail County, Minnesota, September 1870. Katherine (1855-1893) was the daughter of Irish immigrants John Gorman and Mary Qualy Gorman, who came with a colony from Ireland to southern Minnesota, from there six families moved by ox team to Ottertail County, Minnesota, in 18501860. Gorman Township, Ottertail County, was named for John Gorman. Thomas Murphy and Katherine Gorman were married November 5, 1875, they farmed near Frazee, Minnesota. Mr. Murphy worked with the railroad construction crews building the N. P. Railroad. In 1881 the family moved to Amenia, Cass County, North Dakota, and in 1883 to Sanborn, North Dakota. Four sons of this family were: William, John, Henry T. and Michael Bernard. William (Willie) attended school in Sanborn and graduated from Valley City Normal School in the class of 1895. On October 30, 1901 Willie Murphy and Anna Bertha Riedman were married. Anna Bertha Riedman (1883-1936) the daughter of Frederick and Sophie Riedman was born near Batavia, NY. Her family settled in Skandia Township, Barnes County, in 1884.
Willie Murphy and his wife lived in Sanborn where he worked for a farm machinery company. They moved to Valley City where he was bookkeeper for the Northern Seed Co., and a long time member of the Valley City Fire Department. He was also a member of the Valley City police force. They had six children: Margaret died very young, Maria married and died in Montana, Gordon graduated from Annapolis Naval Academy, James and twins, Fred and Thomas.
Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 165