09/06/2025
More information on next Saturday's meeting presentation: The Murphys
The subject of the September 13, 2025, CBGS meeting will be the Murphys, presented by Cecilia Gutierrez Venable. John Bernard Murphy and his wife, Margaret Mary (Healy) Murphy, were an exceptional couple who left their mark on Texas. The couple emigrated from Ireland during the famine. Margaret became one of the pioneers of Nuecestown when she bought land from H. L. Kinney. She taught in San Patricio and Corpus Christi. J. B. Murphy edited a newspaper, became a merchant, studied law, and dabbled in land speculation. He served in several positions, including as a delegate to the 1875 Texas Constitutional Convention, and eventually became Mayor of Corpus Christi. He died in his second term. His widow opened two hospitals in Corpus Christi. A year after JB’s death, Margaret closed her hospitals and moved to San Antonio, where she built the first Catholic Church for African Americans and later a school. To help find teachers for the school, she started an order of Sisters and brought women from Ireland to join her order.
Cecilia Gutierrez Venable is the director of archives for the Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate. She resides in Adkins, TX, near San Antonio. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at El Paso, and her M.A. and B.A. in history from Texas A&M University -Corpus Christi. Cecilia has worked in university, city, county, and private archives and has taught history classes. She is also the author of numerous books and scholarly articles.
This is sure to be a wonderful meeting…please plan to attend!
