Daughter of John Riggs Murdock and Almira Henrietta Lott

Married Philo Taylor Farnsworth, 15 Feb 1874, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Children - Alice Yates Farnsworth

History - Julia comes from the old revolutionary ancestry. On the four lines her lineal progenitors were staunch patriots. Her great grandfather Murdock of Scotch descent emigrated to America in the early colonial days and fought in the famous battle of Bennington under General Stark. Her great grandfather, Abner Clapp, was of English descent; he came to America in 1630, and was an officer in Massachusetts. Her great grandfather Loft was from Amsterdam, Holland, and did gallant service in the cause of right in New York City as chief of police during its revolutionary struggle. Her grandfather, Capt. Geo. Darrow, was of English descent and had charge of Pennsylvania troops during the memorable winter of 1777–1778 at Valley Forge and all through the war.

Julia's father, John R. Murdock, went to California with the Mormon Battalion in 1847–1847 and reached G. S. L. Valley in October, 1847. Her mother drove an ox team from Winter Quarters to G. S. L. City in 1848, traveling with her father's family in Heber C. Kimball's company.

Julia was baptized in the mill pond at Lehi in July, 1860, by her grandfather John Murdock, who also confirmed her.

When she was twelve years old her father was called from Lehi to Beaver, in southern Utah, to preside as Bishop; afterwards he became the president of the Beaver Stake of Zion. Julia attended the district school until she was nearly eighteen years old, after which she, in company with other girl friends, taught a free school for two years, the first school of that kind in Utah.

In 1874 she married Philo Taylor Farnsworth, who is also a descendant of the old, revolutionary people and a son of Utah pioneers. Soon after her marriage, she was made president of the Retrenchment Association of Beaver, holding this office after it was called Y. L. M. I. A.

She became a member of the Relief Society in Beaver when she was only fifteen years old, and she was the organizer and president of the second suffrage society ever organized in Utah.

In 1889 she moved to Frisco, Beaver County, then a great mining camp, in which the Horn Silver Mine, its largest producer, is located, and over which Mr. Farnsworth was superintendent. They remained at Frisco three years, but during the last 22 years the family has resided in Salt Lake City.

Julia is the mother of ten children, eight daughters and two sons.

She was a charter member and State historian for the Daughters of the Revolution and was first corresponding secretary of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers and also a charter member. She helped to organize and was historian for the Daughters of the Mormon Battalion.

She had been a director of the National Women's Relief Society for seventeen years and traveled many thousand miles as a missionary for this organization.

In the company of her husband and four of her daughters, she spent the summer and fall traveling in Europe, visiting over 65 cities.

Julia Farnsworth's strongest attributes are her faith in the gospel, her love of home and Utah's people, and patriotism for her American country.