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- Sister Ellen Murphy Papers
Sister Ellen Murphy Papers, 1904-2002


Sister Ellen Murphy was born on February 16, 1916, at the Murphy homestead near Niagara, North Dakota, in Agnes Township, Grand Forks County; the second child of Charles J. and Helen Normand Murphy. She attended her first year of school at the Dominican Convent School in Grafton, North Dakota, entering in September, 1922. Sister Ellen attended various schools, graduating from the eighth grade in May 1930, from a one-room rural school in District 102 of Agnes Township. In June, 1934, she received her high school diploma from St. James Academy, Grand Forks, North Dakota.
On September 8 of that year, Sister Ellen entered the Novitiate of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in St. Paul, Minnesota. As a candidate for the Sisterhood, she attended the College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, Minnesota. Sister Ellen received her religious vows on March 19, 1937, at St. Joseph's Novitiate in St. Paul, Minnesota. Sister Ellen attended several colleges and universities including the University of Notre Dame, the University of North Dakota and DePaul University in Chicago. Her primary field of study was elementary education, religion and literature. Sister Ellen contributed to these fields by writing educational articles, poetry and short stories, many of which have been published. She taught at several schools, including St. Michael's Catholic School in Grand Forks, as well as teaching catechism in Thompson, North Dakota.
She died April 16, 2004 at Bethany Convent, St. Paul, Minnesota


Sister Ellen Murphy donated additional material on December 29, 1993 (Acc.93-1932), in May 1995 (Acc.95-2001), in August 1996 (Acc.96-2085 and Acc.96-2086), and on November 4, 1997 (Acc.98-2215).
Additional material was also donated by Father Robert Mullins, UND, on January 27, 1982 (Acc.82-956) and December 20, 1982 (Acc.82-1051), as well as by Sister Mary Louise Matt, St. Cloud, Minnesota, on June 23, 2004 (Acc.2004-2678).
Donation; Acc.78-548
The Sister Ellen Murphy Papers have been divided into six series as follows:
Series 1: Diaries, 1931-1934 and 1962-1998
Series 2: Publications, 1934-1997
Series 3: Correspondence, 1930-2002
Series 4: Personal Materials
Series 5: Murphy Family Records
Series 6: Photographs