1852 Birth:2221 Birth year of 1852 estimated based on age (8 years) in 1860 census enumeration; birth place of Iowa taken from same enumeration.

1860 U.S. Census:2221 Virgil enumerated in the household of his parents Stillman and Melinda Morey in Washington Township, Johnson County, Iowa as a male, age 8, born in Iowa. Siblings enumerated were Samantha, age 14; Calvin, age 11; George, age 4; and Marion, age 1.

1873 Prairie Fire Tragedy:2442, p. 51-52. In 1873 a prairie fire took the lives of Melinda Morey, Virgil's mother, and siblings Ruth, age 11, Stilman, age 9, and Minnie, age 7, and two children Samantha Morey and her husband J. W. Beeney.

1880 U.S. Census:2681
Saline County, Nebraska (Wilber Precinct)
Enumerated 14 June 1880
J. V. Morey •• white, male, 27, married, miller, born in Illinois, father born in Ohio,mother born in Ohio
Iantha (i.e. Martha) •• white, female, 21, wife, married, housekeeper, born in Iowa, father born in Ohio, mother born in Ohio
Calvin •• white, male, 5, son, single, born in Nebraska, father born in Illinois, mother born in Iowa
Charles V. •• white, male, 3, son, single, born in Nebraska, father born in Illinois, mother born in Iowa
Fredric •• white, male, 1 son, single, born in Nebraska, father born in Illinois, mother born in Iowa
James Beeny,2682 brother-in-law and widower of Samantha Morey, enumerated as separate family in same dwelling.

1885 Nebraska State Census:2497
Saline County, Nebraska (Brush Creek Precinct)
Enumerated 1 June 1885
J. V. Morey •• white, 33, born in Iowa
Marthe •• white, 26, born in Iowa
Calven •• white, 10, born in Nebraska
Charles •• white, 8, born in Nebraska
Frederick •• white, 6, born in Nebraska
James E. •• white, 4, born in Nebraska
Edith M. •• white, 2, born in Nebraska