George Whitehead was born in England August 20, 1833. When he was nine years old, his parents died. A Tadwick family raised him. He came to America when he was 18 years old. It took him about six months to come across in a sailing vessel. He came directly to Illinois where he settled down near Neponset.

Sarah Jane Neely Whitehead was born in Clarke Co., Indiana, and November 6, 1844. Later she moved with her parents and grandparents to Illinois near Neponset. There she grew to womanhood. It was at this place that she and George Whitehead were married January 21, 1865. Minnie Luella and James Samuel were born in Illinois.

On February 1870, they moved their family by rail to Iowa, settling near Murray. At the same time her mother, Mrs. Neely and grandfather, Mr. Atkins, gave them forty acres of land and they bought another forty acres for ten dollars an acre. This location was about three and one—half miles northeast of Murray, Iowa.

Five more boys were born: John William, Oliver Newton, Charles Henry, Robert Lewis, and Joseph Franklin. Four girls: Sarah Ann Elizabeth, Etta Belle, Ida Adelaide and Martha Jane, making a family of eleven children.  Jim and Martha have passed on to the Golden Shore. Sarah Jane Whitehead died October 30, 1898, and George Whitehead died March 11, 1899.

Many have moved away to other towns.  Minne Bingham to Wirt, Minnesota; Annie Shigley to Winnebago, Minnesota; Frank to Winnebago, Minn.; Ida Webber to Deaver Wyoming; William to Silver City, Iowa; Oliver and Charles to Lorimor, Iowa; and Robert to Creston, IA. Even though we have wandered far, Murray is thought of as our hometown.