This post was contributed to the Crawford County Chapter of OGS by Kristina Stearley as part of the Florence Siefert Scrapbook in 2010.
The scrapbook is compiled from undated, unidentified newspaper clippings involving events in the lives of Crawford County citizens living in or having connections to New Washington, Tiro, Shelby, Sulphur Springs, Chatfield, Bucyrus, Ashland, Mansfield, and other areas. Only minimal spelling or punctuation corrections were made. Unreadable areas are shown by underlines, dots &/or question marks. This collection has been scanned, “optical character recognized” (OCR’d), proofed, then coded for HTML by volunteers of the Crawford County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society. Since the copies are not of the best quality errors may have been made. Please contact us if you find corrections needing to be made or can verify any missing dates which could be added.
(This clipping was of poor quality and has been edited as best I can)
In our issue of the 27th was announced the death of Rev. Joseph A. Murray, D. D., which had occurred on that day. The deceased was so well known in this community and so highly respected for his character and influence, that a more extended sketch of his life will meet the natural inquiries of many.
The deceased was a native of Carlisle, born October 2, 1815. His father, Geo. Murray, although a native of Pittsburg, the first white child born within its limits, held resided for most of his life in Carlisle and was esteemed for his high toned, upright character. His mother Mary, born Denny, was also remarkable for her strength and excellence of character. The subject of this sketch was the youngest of seven children. His early education was acquired in Carlisle, during the latter part of the time as a student in Dickinson College, and be always spoke with affectionate remembrance and interest of Dr. Durbin and the members of the faculty, with whom he enjoyed the pleasantest relations, and for whom be always retained the highest regard. His college course was completed at the Western University of Pennsylvania at Pittsburg from which he was graduated in 1837. He then entered the Western Theological Seminary in Allegheny, from which he was graduated in 1840. During his college and seminary life he was a member of the family of his cousin, Hon. Harmar Denny, of Pittsburg, long its representative in Congress and prominent in National politics of that day, as well as a highly influential citizen of that growing city. Here he enjoyed to a great degree personal acquaintanceship and contact with many of the leading National politicians of the period, of the Whig school. The associations of these years were largely influential in imparting that breadth of character and information which characterized him in all the relations of his future life. Many of the friendships of these early years survived in unbroken interested correspondence, even into the last weeks of his life. Upon graduation at the Theological beminary, he was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Ohio. After preaching for six months at Marion Ohio, he received a unanimous call to become pastor, which he declined. In 1841, during a visit to Carlisle, he received a call to the united congregations of Monaghan (Dillsburg) and Petersburg, which he accepted and was ordained and installed pastor of the same in April 1842. This relation subsisted happily and usefully for about eighteen years. In April 1843 he married Ann Hays Blair, daughter of Andrew Blair, a well known public spirited citizen of Carlisle. She died in 1875, leaving him with an only child, a daughter.
His interest in his charge grew with each year, and the warmth of attachment manifested for him by his people made him unhesitatingly refuse to listen to solicitations elsewhere to positions that would have been considered much more desirable. This resolution in his later year was his pride and his pleasure. During his pastorate the present church edifice was built. Outside of his purely pastoral relations every enterprise promotive of the interests of the town had his active co-operation. For years, at that early period of the common school system, he was a director and president of the board. In recent years his old congregation, desiring to renew as far as possible a formal relation, made him pastor emeritus. In consequence of impaired health he resigned his charge in 1858 and retired to Carlisle. His health subsequently greatly improved, and although he did not feel free to assume the responsibility and active work of a charge, he was almost equally active in supplying churches, filling vacant pulpits and assisting clerical friends. He represented his presbytery in the General Assembly in 1844, 1861, 1865, 1875. On ______ occasion he was chosen by his synod, with Hon. H. W. Williams to defend if necessary a decision of said body, and was a member of the Judicial Committee of that body. In 18_6 he was chosen _____ moderator of the Synod in Harrisburg. At the time of his death, his name was first on the list of the Presbytery of Carlisle as longest in connection with that body. Besides his activity in church affairs his scholarly habits and tastes asserted themselves in a variety of directions. (H)is library grew in numbers and value, and includes many rare books. His fondness for antiquarian research led to the accumulation of much material of great value. But a few years ago he rescued from the ragman’s stock M. M. S. and records of great interest in State and National as well as local history. So well were his resources of information and documentary evidence in these respects known, that not only by personal interviews, but by correspondence was information solicited upon a great variety of points….. (NOTE: At this point, this article goes on for three-quarters of a page about his other accomplishments, such as his being a member of the American Philisophical Society of Philadelphia, the Historical Society of Philadelphia, and Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia; that his Alma Mater conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1869 and that he was a member of its Board of Trustees for many years, and endowed a $3,000 scholarship in it.)….. In 1879 Dr Murray was again married, this time also, to a native of Carlisle, though long a resident of Philadelphia, Miss Lydia Steele Foster, daughter of Crawford Foster. She survives him, and her constant and tender care did much to mitigate the severity of his last illness. He passed to rest quietly and calmly, as one falling asleep, and in his death passed away one of the few remaining gentlemen of the old school. (The article concludes with additional commendations and praises of his honorable character.)
FUNERAL OF DR. MURRAY
The funeral of Rev Dr. J. A. Murray who died on Wednesday took place today and was largely attended. A short service was held at the residence of North West street and the body was then removed to the Second Presbyterian Church where a sermon was preached by the Rev Dr. Roofuson,(?) of the Alleghney Theological seminary. Addresses were also made by the Rev Reigert, of Mechanicsburg, Rev. McClead of Bloomfield and Rev. Dr. Norcross, pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church of Carlisle. When the Church services had ended the remains were interred in Ashland cemetery. The carriers were Hon R, (__?) Henderson, David Reside(?), John Iryin(?), John C Eckels(?), of Carlisle, (J/U>oseph Stuart, of South Middleton, and William (_) Reed.
