Urilla Sutherland, also often referred to as Aurilla or Rilla, was Wyatt Earp’s first wife. She was the daughter of William and Permelia Sutherland and the second-born daughter. Overall, she was the sixth born in the family, and she had many brothers.
Although she died at an early age, she has been remembered as the first wife of Wyatt, and she got married when she was twenty years old. Her parents lived in Lamar, where she grew up, and they operated the Exchange Hotel, a few miles away from Wyatt’s family business.
The marriage of Urilla and Wyatt was the only one recorded, and Wyat’s father conducted it. The marriage was performed in early 1870, and they started their life alongside their families nearby.
Urilla Sutherland’s Married Life
There have been claims that Wyatt seduced Urilla and impregnated her, which led to the wedding. Although the rumors have never been confirmed because no birth was recorded in September of 1870, Urilla died barely eight months after her marriage.
Urilla may have met Wyatt in their hometown because, at that time, there were not many people, and their families operated businesses within a short range. After knowing each other, Wyatt’s father conducted the marriage on January 10, 1870.
Lamar, Missouri, was their hometown, and the fact that it had few people made it likely they knew each other. Wyatt’s father operated a bakery and sold oysters, three buildings from the Sutherland business, and the couple may have met here.
After the marriage, Urilla and Wyatt lived near his parents and his half-brother. Unfortunately, Urilla suddenly died in October or early November 1870. It was so sad, and she lost her infant son at the same time. There have been no vital records regarding her death, but she may have died during childbirth.
Moreover, at the time of her death, there was a typhoid outbreak in the area, and she may have died as a result of the disease. The couple had just bought a home outside town in August 1870 valued at $75. On November 7, Wyatt listed himself as single, and he sold the house.
Sources indicate that there was a fight between the Sutherlands and the Earp brothers. After the death of Urilla, it is believed that the Sutherlands blamed Wyatt for the death, and it resulted in a feud between the two families.
The Mystery of Urilla Sutherland
The death of Urilla caused some misery, as it was never mentioned in the local newspapers. After she died, she was buried in Milford with a small flat marker, while other Sutherland members were buried in Lamar’s Lake Cemetery with nice headstones.
From the look of things, the Sutherlands family may have never found her worthy of the family name, resulting in her burial in a different place. Also, there might have been a fight with the Earp family, as they considered her an Earp, explaining why she was buried differently. However, with a lack of evidence of what transpired, it is hard to know why she was buried by herself.