Murray, Justus M.

MURRAY, GILFILAN, HEUSTICE, DRUMMOND, HILL, RICE

Posted By: Volunteer Transcribers
Date: 1/31/2003 at 01:52:54

Source: "The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated" published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.
JUSTUS M. MURRAY

One of the most practical, enterprising and successful agriculturists of Berlin township is Justus M. Murray, who owns and operates an excellent farm of two hundred acres on sections nineteen and twenty. He was born on the 14th of May, 1850, in New Castle, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Dr. George and Margery (Gilfilan) Murray, natives of Pittsburgh and New Castle, respectively, and both of Scotch descent. The father was educated for the medical profession at Cincinnati, Ohio, and engaged in practice at New Castle, Pennsylvania, from 1848 until 1855, when he removed to Maquoketa, Iowa, and followed the same pursuit there until his death, in 1882. He was a successful practitioner, and was a man of prominence in his community. He was a relative of Colonel Williamson, who was in command at Fort Duquesne, now Pittsburg, during the war of 1812. The mother of our subject is still living, at Maquoketa, and although seventy-two years of age, enjoys good health.

Margery Gilfilan was a daughter of James Gilfilan, who was a relative of James Gilfilan that served as United States treasurer, and was also a lineal descendant of Hugh Miller, the Scotch poet and geologist.

Justus M. Murray is the oldest in a family of four children, the other being as follows: (2) James William, a dentist of Maquoketa, married Edna Heustice, daughter of Captain Heustice, a prominent man of that place, and they have three children: George, Natalie and Maud. (3) John Calvin is a lawyer of Maquoketa, and the publisher of a paper called the Red Polled Record, and secretary of the Red Polled Herd Book, devoted to the breeding of red polled cattle. He has imported a large number of pedigreed cattle from England. He married Jessie Drummond, of Bellevue, Iowa, where he was principal of the schools for a number of years, and they have three children; Mary, who will soon graduate at Cornell College, Mt. Vernon, Iowa; Justus B., who is also attending that institution; and Gene Paul, aged nine years. (4) Mary died in 1860, at the age of four years, while on a visit to New Castle, Pennsylvania.

The subject of this sketch was only five years old when he accompanied the family on their removal to Maquoketa, Iowa, and lived with his parents on a farm about two miles from that place until the Civil war broke out, when he was chosen drummer boy of Company A, Captain Tripp, but his mother breaking down, he failed to go to the front. In 1864, when his father was to go to Vicksburg, he was to go with him, but failed to get a pass and was again deterred from getting to the front. In 1861 he commenced driving stock to Davenport for the army. He continued that occupation until hostilities ceased, and then attended the high school in Maquoketa, from which he was graduated, his vacations being spent on the home farm. In 1865 Mr. Murray came to Clinton county and has since made his home in Berlin township. For twelve years after coming to Clinton county Mr. Murray followed the life of a typical cowboy, controlling at times over five hundred head of cattle, his pay being three dollars per head per season. Camping and corraling stock during the summer season and attending school in the winter, his time has been mainly devoted to stock raising. He makes a specialty of Poland-China hogs, red polled cattle and Shropshire sheep, but has also been extensively interested in breeding Holstein cattle, standard-bred trotting horses and Corsican spotted ponies, having a head of over seventy upon his farm at the present time. He sells his horses at the pasture gate, and has never taken any part in racing on the tracks, but gives his entire attention to the raising of stock. Being a man of sound judgment and keen discrimination, he has met with marked success in his under taking and is to-day one of the most substantial and prosperous men of his community.

In 1882 Mr. Murray married Miss Anna Hill, who was born in Delmar, this county, and is one of a family of ten children, four sons and six daughters, all living at the present writing. Her parents were Peter and Catherine (Rice) Hill. Her father, who was a native of Berks county, Pennsylvania, came to Iowa in 1854 and settled near Delmar, Clinton county, where he followed farming throughout the remainder of his life, dying here in 1895, at the age of seventy years. Religiously he was a member of the Reformed church. His widow still survives him, and resides in Delmar, at the age of sixty seven years. Mr. and Mrs. Murray have three children: Mabel Edith, born October 10, 1886, and Margery G., born June 10, 1888, both graduated from the district schools in 1901; and Roy Scott, born September 9, 1890, is attending the home school and is an expert rifle shot.

Politically Mr. Murray has always been identified with the republican party, but has never cared for public office, and is one of the charter members of Peerless Lodge, No. 96, M.B.A. He is one of the representative and prominent citizens of this community, and wherever known is held in high regard.