Little is known about Ada’s early life; she married Kenton C. Murray, (d. 1895), who was the Editor of the “Norfolk Landmark” newspaper and they went to live in Brunswick, New Jersey. Ada and Kenton had the following children: Kenton Foster Murray (1876–1937), Ada B. Murray b. 1884,
Aline Murray Kilmer (1888–1941), Constance Murray Greene b. 1891 and Douglas Murray (1894–1951).
After the death of Kenton Murray in 1895, Ada married Henry Mills Alden on 22nd February 1900 in Washington, DC. Henry was the managing editor of “Harper's Magazine”, and he became stepfather to Ada and Kenton’s children. The couple and their family lived in in Metuchen, New Jersey.
Ada continued to write throughout her life, both poetry and prose and had several poems published in various newspapers and magazines during her lifetime. In 1910 that she compiled and published a collection of her work under the title “Flower’s O’ The Grass”.
“Unwedded” by Ada Foster Murray
ALONG her tranquil way she went,
The slow, sad course of changeless years,
While in her burned her youth unspent,
Dulled sometimes by her gentle tears.
In richer lives she saw the strange,
Sweet urgency of wedded days;
In dreams she watched her pale light change,
Into the steadfast altar blaze.
And, waking, sadly bowed above
Her slender vestal flame and wept;
Ah, better were the house of love,
By blighting fire and tempest swept.
From: “The Answering Voice: One Hundred Love Lyrics by Women”, edited by Sara Teasdale (1884–1933) (Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1917).
Sources: Various, including
https://nebula.wsimg.com/5d362c997b0aa8e4da84c3e7ba219c65?AccessKeyId=FC06D45275741C36B0CF&disposition=0&alloworigin=1
