My Dad’s Baby Sister

Eileen Murphy Donnersberger

Margaret – – affectionately known as “Billie” – – was the last of the children in my father’s family and was the light of their lives, especially my dad’s. Twenty-three years older than Billie, he adored her and spoiled her. Then in March of 1927 tragedy struck the Murphy family

My grandparents left four-year-old Billie with older sister Mary’s teenage friend to babysit while they attended a funeral of a close relative. The older children were either working or in school. Aunt Doris, only two years older than Billie and her constant playmate, remembers not wanting to go school that day and trying to stay home with Billy. But her parents prevailed and six-year-old Doris went off the school with her older brother Jimmy.

Doris knew something was horribly wrong when she rounded the corner after school that day and saw a crowd of subdued and somber neighbors in standing in front of their home. My dad got a call at work and someone finally tracked down grandma and grandpa Murphy at the funeral.

Billie was in the hospital fighting for her life.

There are two stories of what happened to little Billie that day. The first is that she was trying to make herself a cup of tea and when she reached across the stove to pick up the whistling kettle the sleeve of her dress was ignited by the open flame. The second, and according to aunt Doris the more probable scenario, is that four-year-old Billie found a package of matches in an upstairs bedroom and did what we all fear a little child might do: she decided to play with them.

What we do know is that her dress caught fire. Bille frantically ran down the stairs shrieking and aflame. When the sitter saw her, she panicked and ran outside. Billie followed – – – screaming and with her clothes still on fire. A couple of nearby workmen saw what was happening, ran over and rolled Billie on the ground.

But it was too late. Despite being rushed to the hospital Billie died at 3:00 am the next day.

Billie had always wanted red slippers. So my dad, who was totally devastated, ran from store to store in an almost blinding compulsiveness to find her pair of red slippers. Aunt Doris says he finally found a pair of red shoes in a downtown store.

Billie was waked in their living room and buried in her new red shoes.

Murphy’s circa 1953.  
Back: Uncles Ed & Steve, Aunts Vera & Mary, My Dad, My Mom, Grandpa Murphy
Middle: Brownie, Marie, Johnny, Aunt Doris, Patty, Aunt Virginia, Me
Front: ?, Jackie, Sharon, Nancy, Uncle Johnny, Danny