BIO: Edward Stewart McMurtrie, Huntingdon County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Abby Bowman

Copyright 2005.  All rights reserved.
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Pennsylvania A History - Biographical.  George P. Donehoo, Editor-in-Chief.
Chicago/New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., Inc., 1928.
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Page 125-126

Edward Stewart McMurtrie

Esteemed as one of the most expert lawyers in financial and real estate matters 
in his section of Pennsylvania, a gentleman of culture and refinement, who was 
given to making unostentatious and generous benefactions, the late Edward 
Stewart McMurtrie, of Huntingdon, gave proof through his long and useful life 
that he merited the encomiums of his brethren at the bar and the affection of 
his friends, who were legion.  A native of Huntingdon, the second child of a 
family of eight children of William Edward and Margaret (Whittaker) McMurtrie, 
he was born August 13, 1842, and died November 21, 1925.  His parents were of 
old and honorable families, and through his father he was of ancient Scottish 
lineage.  His father's career as a well-known business man and expert farmer is 
noted elsewhere in this work.  The outstanding family traits of uprightness, 
individual worth and business and professional integrity, found ample expression 
in the Huntingdon County lawyer and substantial citizen.

The preparatory training of Edward Stewart McMurtrie was received at Tuscarora 
Academy, where J. H. Shoemaker, father of S. R. Shoemaker, formerly cashier of 
the First National Bank of Huntingdon, was at the time preceptor.  Graduating 
from the academy in 1861, he entered Jefferson College, now Washington and 
Jefferson, at Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, now Washington, where he finished his 
academic courses and was graduated in the class of 1864.  He had elected to 
enter the legal profession, and with that goal in view, he studied law in the 
office of Stewart & Clark, at Indiana, Pennsylvania, where he was admitted to 
the bar in 1866.  On August 13 of that same year he was admitted to the bar of 
Huntingdon County.

Mr. McMurtrie first formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, Robert Milton 
Speer, under the style of Speer & McMurtrie, and this happy and profitable 
arrangement continued in effect until the death of Mr. Speer.  Mr. McMurtrie 
then opened a law office alone, and thus continued to practice, making a 
specialty of settling estates and of financial law.  His practice did not take 
him into the courts to any appreciable extent, but was almost wholly confined to 
business practice in his office.  In the preparation of legal papers he was held 
by his colleagues to be the most careful and the ablest practitioner of his time 
in that region.

Members of the Huntingdon County bar delight to recall with what generosity and 
wisdom he gave of his advice to the younger lawyers, who sought his counsel in 
many an intricate problem.  So thorough was he in the preparation of his papers 
that hardly ever was an error to be found in them.  He was of a deeply studious 
temperament, and had assembled at his home one of the most select yet 
comprehensive libraries in this part of the State.  There were thousands of 
volumes dealing with history, travel, biography, and technical subjects, besides 
a most complete library of law works.

He was much sought after by persons in financial difficulties, who highly 
appreciated his keen financial mind, and such persons were always confident of 
receiving just the assistance their respective cases required.  In many of these 
instances he never asked or expected financial return or other consideration.  
He gave every evidence of delighting to be of the highest service in worthy 
cases either in his professional capacity or in an altruistic manner, which none 
but he and the recipients ever knew about.  Many are there whom he had assisted 
to obtain an education, or to purchase a home, or to rescue their income from a 
state of jeopardy.  When it came to fraud or any sort of deception, patience 
with him ceased to be a virtue, for as was freely attested by his colleagues, 
and all who knew him, he was the soul of honor, upright and sincere in all his 
actions.

All his life, Mr. McMurtrie had proved his faith and courage in an uphill fight 
against a poor state of health.  In his earlier days he was menaced with 
tuberculosis of the lungs, and subsequently there arrived a crucial period, when 
he was compelled to seek the great open spaces and the invigorating properties 
of the Minnesota country, then of the warmer climes of Florida and other 
regions.  His innate heroism and persistency, coupled with a mounting courage 
and an abiding faith, helped win a decisive victory over his native weakness, 
and he returned to Huntingdon to live many years of remarkable professional 
service and usefulness to his fellows.

For many years Mr. McMurtrie was a director of the Union Bank of Huntingdon, and 
it was he who prepared the necessary legal documents and obtained the charter 
when that bank was recognized as the Union National Bank of Huntingdon.

It had been Mr. McMurtrie's chief delight to spend his winters in travel, and, 
annually, for a considerable number of years, he sojourned in Florida, passing 
the time at Miami, where he made many warm and permanent friendships of kindred 
spirits.  The winter of 1924-25 he suffered a severe illness at Miami, but made 
a partial recovery, so that he was enabled ot return to his Huntingdon home, 
where he gradually failed until the time of his passing.

       Full four-score years and three
       Did this fine soul complete his
       Span to make of life a thing of
       Joy and unselfish service to those
       Who knew his heart and as kindly hand.