Bio of MURPHY, Dr. William Bernard (b.1871 d.1916), Hennepin Co., MN
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EXTRACTED FROM: History of Minneapolis, Gateway to the Northwest; 
Chicago-Minneapolis, The S J Clarke Publishing Co, 1923; Edited by: Rev. 
Marion Daniel Shutter, D.D., LL.D.; Volume I - Shutter (Historical); 
volume II - Biographical; volume III - Biographical
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Vol III, pg 815-816
WILLIAM BERNARD MURPHY, M. D.
Though six years have passed since Dr. William Bernard Murphy was called to his
final rest, time has not served to dim his memory, for the recollection of his
high professional attainments and his kindly spirit is cherished by all with
whom he came into contact. Dr. Murphy was born in Chicago, Illinois, March 9,
1871, his parents being Patrick and Mary Ann (Lawton) Murphy. The father was a
bricklayer by trade and became a building contractor. He served as a member of
Company F, in the First New York Volunteer Engineers, during the Civil war and
was wounded in the knee at the battle of Swamp Angel, whereby he was permanently
crippled. He was discharged with the rank of sergeant. His brother John had
served in the United States navy throughout the period of hostilities and the
family was thus well represented in both branches of military service.
William B. Murphy spent his childhood in Chicago and between the ages of ten and
eighteen years was employed on a farm near Woodstock, Illinois. He afterward
engaged in clerking in a country store at Stoughton, Wisconsin, and still later
occu­pied a position in a wholesale house. It was his desire, however, to enter
upon a professional career and with this end in view he pursued the study of
medicine in Hamline University, which in 1897 conferred upon him the degree of
M. D., C. M. He was then appointed interne in St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul,
where he filled the position in 1897-8, and he was also druggist at the
Minneapolis City Hospital and on the staff of that hospital until 1905. He
likewise served on the staff of St. Mary's Hospital as professor of anatomy. In
addition he enjoyed an extensive private practice that constantly grew and
developed in volume and importance as the years went by. Among his patients was
the late Ignatius Donnelly, whom he attended in his last illness. Dr. Murphy
always kept in touch with the trend of modern professional thought and progress
through his wide reading and study and was thoroughly informed concerning the
latest scientific researches, investigations and discoveries.
On the 29th of January, 1902, Dr. Murphy was united in marriage to Miss Amelia
C. Heiker, a graduate nurse of St. Joseph's Hospital at St. Paul, and they
became the parents of five children: Kathleen Adele, William B., Edmund Patrick,
Richard Thomas and Joseph Robert James. The last named passed away July 7, 1915.
The daughter, Kathleen A., is now a sophomore in the University of Minnesota and
is a graduate of St. Clair College of Wisconsin. The son William is a graduate
of St. Thomas College and is now a student in a college in Providence, Rhode
Island, where he is taking special work in Latin and Greek. The younger sons are
attending St. Thomas College. The parents of Mrs. Murphy were Edward and Ann
(Pirkl) Heiker, who were natives of Vienna. Austria, the latter a representative
of the ncbility. Com­ing to the United States, they settled on a farm in what is
now Steele county, Minne­sota, and there the father spent his remaining days.
The mother is still living, mak­ing her home at Faribault, Minnesota. She
recalls many of the hardships, privations and conditions of pioneer life in this
state-when they paid as high as four dollars per yard for calico, while prices
of other necessities were almost equally high.
Dr. Murphy was a member of the Catholic church, belonged also to the Catholic
Knights and Ladies of America and to the Knights of Columbus. He was also
identified with the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Benevolent Protective
Order of Elks and similar organizations. He had membership in the Minneapolis
Medical Club and belonged to the Hennepin County Medical Society, the Minnesota
State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. His political
allegiance was given to the republican party and he attended many of its
conventions. The only political office which he ever held was that of deputy
coroner, from 1900 until 1904. He died very suddenly of pneumonia, resulting
from overwork and thus passed away one of the most prominent physicians and
surgeons of Minneapolis, his death occurring April 24, 1916. During the
influenza epidemic which followed shortly after her husband's death Mrs. Murphy
was prominently connected with the work of nursing in the city. She ever had
deep interest in her husband's work and rejoiced in the splendid results which
he accomplished in the exercise of his professional skill and power.