Urilla Sutherland: Background, Marriage to Wyatt Earp, Death, and Legacy

Urilla Sutherland’s story is tied with the history of one of the most iconic figures in the American Old West, Wyatt Earp. Her life was brief but played a significant role in Wyatt Earp’s journey. This article profiles Urilla Sutherland’s biography from her childhood through her marriage to Wyatt, and untimely death.

Background

Urilla Sutherland was born about 1849, in Missouri to a poor farming family. Little is documented about her early childhood, though she likely lived in a rural, close-knit household. Young Urilla definitely faced the challenges and simplicity of frontier life in the mid-19th century America.

Marriage to Wyatt Earp

In 1870, Urilla married Wyatt Earp, who was 22 years old at that time. The couple married at Lamar, Missouri, where Wyatt was the town constable. Their marriage brought domestic security to Wyatt, who had just started in law enforcement.

The couple had plans to build a life together, and were apparently in love. Wyatt purchased a land in Lamar with the intention of establishing a homestead. He found normality and purpose in his life with Urilla, who led him down that path of responsibility and community service.

Urilla Sutherland’s Untimely Death

A year into their marriage, Urilla became ill. Poor sanitation and lack of medical advances in the 19th century led to her contracting typhoid fever. Some sources add that she was pregnant when she died.

Urilla’s death in 1871 devastated Wyatt Earp. He left Lamar shortly afterward having abandoned plans for a settled life. This tragic event marked a turning point in his life, leading to a transition into a more transient existence that would define his legendary status.

Wyatt Earp’s life From Lawman to Legend

Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was born March 19, 1848 in Monmouth, Illinois. He entered law enforcement as a constable in Lamar, Missouri. At one point Wyatt lived nomadic life working as a buffalo hunter and saloon keeper. A personal tragedy and subsequent horse theft charge forced him to leave Missouri.

Wyatt Earp rose to fame when he took up the job as an assistant marshal in Dodge City, Kansas. Wyatt was a fearless law man who firmly enforced the law. However, his most famous role in American folklore was his 1881 Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona.

Wyatt fought the Clanton and McLaury families along with his brothers Virgil and Morgan, and his ally Doc Holliday. That thirty second gunfight left three rivals dead and made Wyatt Earp a frontier hero.

In later years, Wyatt left law enforcement for mining and real estate. He died in 1929, at the age of 80. He spent his final years in California with his common-law wife Josephine Marcus.

Urilla Sutherland’s Legacy

Though Urilla died young, her memory influenced Wyatt Earp and shaped his life. Her death propelled him into adventure that made him one of the most famous westerners. While Urilla did not live to see Wyatt become famous, her brief encounter with him remains important in his story.