Murray, Robert Cleveland, 1886-1909

CLEVELAND, MCLAREN

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 2/3/2020 at 10:57:42

From the Le Mars Globe-Post, March 13, 1909:

ROBERT CLEVELAND MURRAY IS NO MORE

Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Murray arrived in LeMars on Thursday noon from Pueblo, Colorado, with the remains of their son, Robert Cleveland Murray, who after an illness of only four days of scarlet fever passed away at his home there on Saturday morning, March 6th. He was at the time of his death night agent and cashier for the Globe Express Company and had just received notice of his promotion from the superintendent and contemplated a visit home to LeMars and on April first taking up his new work as express agent on the Missouri Pacific with headquarters at Kansas City.

As Mr. Murray has spent his last four years in Pueblo, he is better known there than in his home town and in speaking of him the “Pueblo Chiefton” has the following:

Robert Cleveland Murray, aged 21 years, one of the most prominent young men of this city, died at his apartments, 308 West Seventh street, at an early hour yesterday morning following an illness of but three days’ duration.

The death of Mr. Murray will come as a great shock in a wide circle of friends in this community where the deceased had resided for about three years. Probably no young man who has spent but three years of his life in this city could count more warm friends than could Mr. Murray. Coming to Pueblo from his home in LeMars, Iowa, about three years ago for the benefit of his health, the young man began at once to draw about him a host of friends. A kindly nature and pleasing disposition made him popular, and it was only a few months till he counted his friends by hundreds.

Mr. Murray was probably best known to Puebloans in his position of conductor on the Abriendo line of the Pueblo and Suburban Traction and Lighting company, which position he took for the benefit of his health. Having recovered his former rugged health the young man resigned his position on the car line to accept the position of night depot agent for the Globe Express company, which position he held when stricken with the malady which resulted in his death yesterday.

Mr. Murray was educated in the schools of his home town, afterward graduating with high honors from one of the leading universities of the Mississippi valley. Shortly after leaving school Mr. Murray suffered a breakdown in his health due, it is thought, to overstudy.

The mother of the young man was with her son yesterday when he passed away. The father was traveling to the bedside of his son but will not arrive in Pueblo until some time today. The family is prominent and well-to-do in LeMars to which place the remains will be forwarded for interment, at a time to be determined upon the arrival of the father today. The funeral announcement will be made later.

The obsequies were conducted from the residence on North Main street at half past two o’clock yesterday afternoon, Rev. Moore of the First Presbyterian church having charge of the Congregation were attended by a large congregation of the friends and neighbors of the young man who was held in the highest esteem in the community. [yes, a few words seem to be missing from this sentence]

In the untimely demise of this talented and popular young man a career of the brightest promise has been cut short, and the hearts and home of his devoted parents have been desolated beyond the power of earthly alleviation. An only child, a young man of noble Christian character, he has left vacant a place in the hearts of his parents and his intimates, a place which can never be filled.

The bier was deluged with a profusion of floral tributes and was followed to the city cemetery where sorrowful hearts paid their last earthly tribute of respect to the mortal remains of him whom they had known and loved in life. The sincere sympathy of the community goes out to the bereaved parents in their hour of affliction.

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From the LeMars Globe-Post, March 20, 1909:

OBITUARY
The Passing of Robert Cleveland Murray

Robert Cleveland Murray was born August the 27th, 1896 [i.e., 1886], and after a brief illness of only three days he died March 6th, 1909, in Pueblo, Colorado. He was graduated from the country schools at the age of eleven years, after which he entered the public schools of LeMars and graduated from the High School in the class of 1906.

He went with his parents Mr. and Mrs. George [Murray] to Colorado in the month of June 1906 for the purpose of improving his health, but had no idea at that time of locating in the west. But after he had spent several months there, finding the climate so invigorating to his health, he decided to stay, and accepted employment with the Pueblo and Suburban Traction Co. of Pueblo, which position he accepted because he believed that the outdoor exercise would improve his health. He held the position of conductor with this Co. for eighteen months and was highly commended by the officers of the company for his business skill and fidelity to the work intrusted to him.

His health being fully restored he resigned to accept a more desirable position with the Globe Express Co., and was made night agent of that company, which position he filled with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of the company until his death. He had just received notice of a well merited promotion to the position as Express Messenger on the Missouri Pacific Railroad, with headquarters in Kansas city, Mo. He would have entered upon his new duties April 1st, 1909….

[Followed by praise of him as “an ideal young man of true christian character” (he had united with the First Presbyterian church of LeMars on April 2, 1904), quotations from his employers, and a sentimental poem.]

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RESEARCH NOTES

No birth or death record for him was readily located via Ancestry.com. Plymouth County GenWeb cemetery transcriptions show him buried in the LeMars Memorial Cemetery, in the same plot as his parents, life dates 1886-3/6/1909. The 1900 U.S. census shows him (as Robert C. Murray), age 13, born August 1886 in Iowa, living with his parents George and Matilda on their farm in Sherman Township, Sioux County. Their obituaries (posted separately) show the Murrays to have come to Sioux County in 1881 and taken up farm land in Sherman Township, where they lived until they retired and moved to LeMars in 1903.

The LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel of June 1, 1906 shows him as one of the graduating class of the LeMars high school, and publishes his class oration (as does the LeMars Globe-Post, June 2).