Person:Martha King (28)
Martha King
b.11 Nov 1843 Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA
d.22 Aug 1926 Evanston, Cook County, Illinois, USA
Parents and Siblings
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m. Abt 1837
  1. Anna W KingAbt 1839 - 1860
  2. William Duff King1841 - 1912
  3. Martha King1843 - 1926
  4. Catharine H. King1844 - Bef 1895
  5. Mary Jane King1845 - 1869
  6. Alexander Milford King1846 - 1923
  7. Emma King1849 - 1849
Spouse and Children
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m. 16 Mar 1899
Add another spouse & children
Facts and Events
Name[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] Martha King
Alt Name Aunt Martha _____
Gender Female
Birth[1][2][3][5][6][7][9][10] 11 Nov 1843 Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA
Alt Burial[13] 24 Aug 1895 Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USABurial: Robert Hayes King
Marriage 16 Mar 1899 Allegheny, Pennsylvania, USAto Joseph William Kepler
Residence[3] 1900 Ward 2, Evanston, Cook, Illinois, USA
Residence[3] 1910 Ward 2, Evanston, Cook, Illinois, USA
Residence[3] 1920 Ward 2, Evanston, Cook, Illinois, USA
Residence[3] 22 Aug 1926 26 years in city, Evanston, Cook, Illinois, USA
Residence[3] 1022 Greenwood Blvd, Evanston, Cook, Illinois, USA
Death[1][3][9][10] 22 Aug 1926 Evanston, Cook County, Illinois, USA
Burial[1][3][4][9][10] 1926 Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA
Alt Burial[14] 8 Jun 1926 Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USABurial: Joseph William “Uncle Bill” Kepler
Alt Burial[15] 22 Aug 1926 Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USABurial: Martha King Kepler

Contents

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Personal History

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Martha (King) Kepler (1843-1926)

Martha was the third of seven children born to Anna Duff King (1815-1849) who died at age 34 during the childbirth of her last child. Martha remained unmarried until age 55 and lived at the family house on Liberty Street until after her father, Robert H. King (1815-1895), died.

She married Joseph William Kepler (1842-1926), a Chicago businessman, in 1899 and lived with him for 27 years until she died, two months after him in 1926. She was introduced to JW Kepler through his brother, Oscar Forrest Kepler, who she had met in New York. JW Kepler had been a widower for 3 years after a long, but childless, marriage with Bessie Betterton (1849-1896) when his brother Oscar persuaded him to pursue Martha. They became quite fond of a pair of JWK's grand-nephews, Joseph and Eugene Murdock, and intended to leave a portion of their estate to them. Joseph Murdock liked JW Kepler so much during his youth in Chicago that he changed his name from Joseph "Muhlke" Murdock (after his father's law partner) to Joseph "Kepler" Murdock, after his beloved "Uncle Bill".

Martha's father was quite wealthy and she was named the executrix of his estate by his will. She was one of only three of his children to survive him at death, along with his only two sons William Duff King and Alexander Milford King.

Based on her father's obituary, will, and JW Kepler's family legend, RH King was extremely successful and left an intricate will for which he appointed his daughter, Martha, to be it's executrix. Based on the will, his two surviving sons, WD and AM King, apparently had financial problems and debts and Martha was assigned to place their one third portions in trust and to pay them interest while protecting the principle from their debtors. They each had two sons that were called out by name in the will who also received specific payments to be made by Martha. After Martha's death, as the last surviving child of RH King, her heirs were to receive her portion who were known to be nephews of her husband, Joseph and Eugene Murdock. However, family legend says that surviving grandsons of RH King claimed her estate and succeeded. They also claimed a warehouse building at 205 East Grand Ave. in Chicago that JW Kepler bought before he married Martha, but Joseph and Eugene's mother, Helen Janette "Mocco" Wright, succeeded in keeping it in the family and it was passed down to her sons where they started Murdock Brothers Printing based on printing knowledge from JW Kepler's brother, Oscar Forrest Kepler, a printer in New York, who introduced Martha to JW Kepler.

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Historical Context

Two notable dates in history add perspective to the interesting story of RH King's wealth and his will. JW Kepler's family legend presumed that RH King's wealth was somehow connected to the Mellon family, but research was not found to confirm that. However, Mellon Bank was founded in 1869, a financial boom-time in Pittsburgh, so as well-connected as RH King was in that period, achieving great wealth seems reasonable. On the flip side, however, Martha died in 1926, during the roaring 20's and just 3 years before the crash of 1929, so one can imagine Martha's then-wealth, but also the prospects for such wealth a short time later.

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Sources

  1. Bio based on the Robert Hays King obituary published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 8/26/1895, research done by Lucius B. Donkle III for whom Martha is the wife of his third-great-uncle, and on an audio interview with Joseph Kepler Murdock in 1976, at age 79, 9 years before his death.
  2. Pennsylvania, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993, Robert H King, Probate Date 6 Sep 1895, Case Number151, Item Description Will Packets, Vol 049-050, 1895-1896 (available on Ancestry.com)

WikiTree.com Page [1]
Family Search ID LY29-B6X

Image Gallery
Joseph William "Uncle Bill" Kepler (1842-1926)
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Joseph William "Uncle Bill" Kepler (1842-1926)
Joseph William "Uncle Bill" Kepler (1842-1926)
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Joseph William "Uncle Bill" Kepler (1842-1926)
Martha (King) Kepler (1843-1926)
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Martha (King) Kepler (1843-1926)
References
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Find A Grave.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Pennsylvania, United States. County Marriage Records, 1845-1963: [database on-line]. (Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016)
    Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania County Marriages, 1852-1973; County: Allegheny; Year Range: 1898 - 1899; Roll Number: 549734.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 FamilySearch Family Tree
    "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 25 February 2021, 14:19), entry for Martha King(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LY29-B6X); contributed by various users. PersonID LY29-B6X.

    Martha King _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LY29-B6X

  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 FamilySearch Family Tree
    "Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Cemetery Records, 1845 - 1960," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WHTP-VR3Z : 9 August 2019), Martha K Kepler, 25 Aug 1926; citing Burial, Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States, Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh.

    Martha K Kepler, "Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Cemetery Records, 1845 - 1960" _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WHTP-VR3Z

  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 FamilySearch Family Tree
    "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MS7X-2KS : accessed 1 March 2021), Martha Kepler in household of Joseph W Kepler, Evanston Township Evanston city Ward 2, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 1156, sheet 42A, family 771, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,292.

    Martha Kepler in household of Joseph W Kepler, "United States Census, 1900" _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MS7X-2KS

  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 FamilySearch Family Tree
    "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJWQ-9N1 : 1 February 2021), Martha K Kepler in entry for Joseph W Kepler, 1920.

    Martha K Kepler in household of Joseph W Kepler, "United States Census, 1920" _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJWQ-9N1

  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 FamilySearch Family Tree
    "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MKH2-28M : accessed 1 March 2021), Martha Kepler in household of Joseph W Kepler, Evanston, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 101, sheet 12B, family 221, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 240; FHL microfilm 1,374,253.

    Martha Kepler in household of Joseph W Kepler, "United States Census, 1910" _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MKH2-28M

  8. ↑ FamilySearch Family Tree
    "Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VFMY-RGH : 16 January 2021), Joseph W. Kepler and Martha King, 16 Mar 1899; citing Marriage, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States, multiple County Clerks, Pennsylvania.

    Martha King, "Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885-1950" _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VFMY-RGH

  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 FamilySearch Family Tree
    "Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1871-1998," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVPC-YDC7 : 17 March 2018), Martha King Kepler, 22 Aug 1926; citing Evanston, Cook, Illinois, United States, source reference , record number , Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm 100,529,908.

    Martha King Kepler, "Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1871-1998" _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVPC-YDC7

  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 FamilySearch Family Tree
    "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQHW-PB9 : 8 March 2018), Martha King Kepler, 22 Aug 1926; Public Board of Health, Archives, Springfield; FHL microfilm 1,613,440.

    Martha King Kepler, "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947" _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQHW-PB9

  11. ↑ FamilySearch Family Tree
    "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQ5W-QYW : 8 March 2018), Martha King Kepler in entry for Joseph W. Kepler, 07 Jun 1926; Public Board of Health, Archives, Springfield; FHL microfilm 1,613,374.

    Martha King Kepler in entry for Joseph W. Kepler, "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947" _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQ5W-QYW

  12. ↑ FamilySearch Family Tree
    "Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1871-1998," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV37-1T2X : 17 March 2018), Martha King Kepler in entry for Joseph W Kepler, 07 Jun 1926; citing Wilmette, Cook, Illinois, United States, source reference , record number , Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm .

    Martha King Kepler in entry for Joseph W Kepler, "Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1871-1998" _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV37-1T2X

  13. ↑ Find A Grave
    Robert Hayes King.

    _LINK: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/122454648/robert-hayes-king

  14. ↑ Find A Grave
    Joseph William “Uncle Bill” Kepler.

    _LINK: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/76354820/joseph-william-kepler

  15. ↑ Find A Grave
    Martha King Kepler 22 Aug 1926.

    _LINK: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/120377817/martha-kepler

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