Bridget Ann Murray was born February 4, 1857 in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Her father was James Murray, an Irish immigrant who made a living working the Blair County mines. Her mother was Catherine Troxell, from an old Pennsylvania family. Bridget was the 4th of 5 daughters in the family.
By 1870, Bridget had moved to Franklin Township in Portage County Ohio, along with her older sister Mary Ann, who had married a James Smith. Bridget lived there with the family of Edward and Cynthia Green and their 2 young children, perhaps as their nanny (she is listed on census as 'domestic servant'). Bridget's younger sister Catherine, known as Kate, had also moved to the area and lived in Alliance, Ohio.
On January 3, 1872, our Bridget Ann married John Cook Obney. She was not quite sixteen years old.
By the 1880 census, Bridget and John were living in Alliance, Ohio. They now had 4 children: Joanna (later to go by Josephine), Maud, Charles and Grace. Bridget gave her name to the census taker as 'Annie Obney'. Three more daughters were born after this census: Jessie May in 1881, Catherine in 1883, and Georgia in 1885.
By the 1900 census, John was living with his parents again. There is no mention of his wife or children.
In 1910, Anna Obney is listed as living with her sister Mary Ann (Murray) Smith in Franklin Township.
Anna's husband John died in 1918. In his obituary, it was mentioned that Anna Obney was living in California with her oldest daughter, Josephine.
Anna died May 25, 1919. This is her obituary:
Her death certificate was signed by her sister Catherine (Murray) Sefert.
When I was very young, my grandmother told me that her grandmother's name was 'Bridget Murray'. Despite changing her name through her life, this indeed was my great-great-grandmother's birth name.
Feel free to send me an email, jdynbttn@gmail.com
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