Person:Susan Koonce (2)

    All of the following, except the last paragraph, was from a booklet written/revised April 1996, page 3 - The Family of Robert Johnson Murray and Susan Catherine Koonce of Rutherford County, Tennessee - by Ehlow Ose 522 Sydling Court Sacramento, CA 95864 (916) 485-4494:

Susan Catherine Koonce married Robert Murray in Rutherford County, Tennessee August 3, 1822. They were the parents of Mary Jane Murray who married John W. Adams in Rutherford County January 25, 1853. Susan Catherine Koonce is believed to be a daughter of Jesse (ca 1769 - ca 1814) and Philpena ( ? - after 1850) Koonce. The parents of Robert Murray are unidentified at this time. (No connection has been found between Robert Murray and the Thomas Murray that appears in Rutherford County census records in 1820, 1830 and 1840. This Thomas Murray married Mary Coulter and appears in the 1810 Grainger County, Tennessee census with one male 10-16 years old. This 10-16 year old son of Thomas Murray in the 1810 Grainger County census now appears to be the William Murray who married Sarah Cobb February 27, 1832 in Grainger County.)
The father of Susan Catherine Koonce is believed to have died in Rutherford or Wilson County Tennessee in about 1814 and her mother is believed to be the "Phillipia Counts" that married Littleberry Jones March 11, 1818 in Rutherford County. This Littieberry Jones has not been found in 1820 census records but "Penny" Jones (300201-01021001) appears in the 1830 Rutherford County census, Philpena Jones (0-000010001) appears next door to Robert Murray (0112001-120101) in the 1840 Rutherford County census, and "Pina" Jones (age 90, born in N.C.) is listed with Catherine Murray in the 1850 Rutherford County census. On the basis of this information and the conclusions reached on the Jesse Koonce (ca 1769 - ca 1814) family, it is now believed that Robert and Susan Catherine (Koonce) Murray are included in the family of "Penny* Jones in the 1830 Rutherford County census (the two 15-20 year old males and the two 15-20 year old females listed with "Penny" Jones in 1830 are believed to be Jesse L. Koonce, George Small Koonce, Polly Koonce and Pina Koonce. The three 0-5 year old males and the 5-10 year old female are believed to be children of Robert and Susan Catherine Murray.)
Eight individuals under 20 years of age are listed in the Robert Murray family in the 1840 census. Four of their children, all under the age of 10, appear to be listed with "Penny" Jones in the 1830 census. The Milton area of Rutherford County includes the following in the 1850 census:
Catherine Murray 46 born in TN
Mary J. 19 born in TN
Robert 16 born in TN
Nancy W. 14 born in TN
Susan 12 born in TN
William 9 born in TN
Pina Jones 90 born in NC
The Milton area of Rutherford County includes the following in the 1860 Census:
C.Murray 60 born in TN
Susan 20 born in TN
William 22 born in TN
Lizzie 17 born in TN
(The Lizzie listed with C. Murray in 1860 is unidentified unless she is the Martha Koonce who married William Murray June 17, 1860 in Rutherford County..)
Based on the above information, census and marriage records of Rutherford and Wilson Counties in Tennessee, and other research, it appears that the Robert Murray family consisted of the following:
1. Robert Murray who was born between 1790 and 1800 and who died between 1840 and 1850.
2. Susan Catherine Koonce who was born about 1804 and who died after 1860.
3. Elizabeth who was born 1823/1824, married Willabe A. Koonce February 19, 1842. They appear in the 1850 Rutherford County census with three children but Elizabeth apparently died before Willabe Koonce married Elizabeth Slaughter November 24, 1853 in Rutherford County. Willabe Koonce died in the late 1870's.
4. An unidentified male child born 1824/1825 (one of the three male children under five years listed with Penny Jones in the 1830 census and one of the two 15-20 year old males listed with Robert Murray in the 1840 census). It may be far fetched, but could this person be John Washington Adams?
5. Lemuel G. Murray born about 1825, married Rebecca Hays January 29, 1849. They appear in the 1850 Rutherford County census but moved to Arkansas about 1852. L. G. Murray died February 10, 1909 in Tolar, Texas. Rebecca Hays Murray died November 2, 1892 in Winslow, Arkansas.
6. James Lawrence Murray born about 1828, married Frances Koonce January 26, 1847. They appear in the 1850, 1860 and 1870 Wilson County census and his family appears there in the 1880 census before moving on to Clay County, Arkansas. James Lawrence Murray died in Wilson County in about 1878. Frances Koonce Murray died in about 1892 in Clay County, Arkansas.
Note: Elizabeth, Lemuel G. and James Lawrence Murray are believed to be members of the Robert Murray family because of the close association between their families and other members of the Koonce and Adams families as revealed by census records between 1820 and 1870.
7. Mary Jane (Polly) born about 1831, married John W. Adams, January 25, 1853. They appear in the 1860, 1870 and 1880 Wilson County census. She died April 20, 1881 in Wilson County John W. Adams died in Salt Lake City, Utah November 19, 1907.
8. Robert Murray, born about 1834, has not been identified in any records after the 1850 Rutherford County census.
9. Nancy W. born about 1836, married William Riley Snider October 10, 1858. They appear in the 1860 Wilson County census but have jiot been found in the 1870 census. She apparently died before her husband remarried in 1877. William Riley Snider died after 1910 in Wilson County, Tennessee.
10. Susan born about 1838, married James Arnold October 30, 1864. This couple has not been identified in any public records after their marriage in 1864.
11. William Murray, born about 1841, married Martha Koonce June 17, 1860. This couple has not been positively identified in any public records after the 1860 Rutherford County census.
Note: There was a William D. Murray in Co. I of the 18th Tennessee Infantry (Confederate) along with William Riley Snider and James Arnold.
Efforts to identify the parents of Robert Murray have been unsuccessful. He has not been found in any land records in Rutherford or Wilson County. Neither he nor his family are named in deeds "by descent" from Thomas Murray who died in Rutherford County in the 1840's. They are not named in the will of William Murray who died in Wilson County in 1848. Except for his marriage, no connection has been found between Robert Murray and the Koonce family in Tennessee or Jones County, North Carolina. The 1880 census record for Mary Jane Murray Adams indicates that her father was born in Tennessee but L. G. Murray's 1880 census record in Arkansas indicates that his father was born in Kentucky. (End of Ehlow Ose notes)

    I have found the families that Mr. Ose couldn't find:

10. Susan Murry Arnold's family moved to KY. 11. William David Murry's family moved to KY. If you want more on this family, just ask.