Montraville Murphy, a pioneer merchant of Harper, Kans., and a veteran of the Civil war, passed to his reward, September 17, 1909. He was a native of Indiana, born at Milford, October 20, 1837, and a son of Albert and Rosanna (Whitmyer) Murphy, the former a native of Kentucky, of Irish descent, and the latter of Cincinnati, Ohio, and a descendant of an Ohio pioneer family. They were the parents of fourteen children. The father died when the children were young, and in 1855, the mother removed with the family to Appanoos county, Iowa, where they resided until 1863, when they removed to Linn county, Kansas, where the mother died December 3, 1863. The entire family of fourteen children are now deceased. When the family came to Kansas, the Civil war was in progress, and they located in the heart of the stirring scenes of the border war. While they were on their way to Linn county, Kansas, they were encamped on the Kaw River at Lane and Montgomery's mill, not far from the town of Lawrence at the time it was sacked and burned by Quantrell, August 22, 1863. However, they bravely went their way, and lived amidst these stirring surroundings until the Civil war was over. Shortly after coming to Kansas, Montraville Murphy enlisted in Company E, Seventeenth Regiment, Kansas infantry, and served until the close of the war, when he returned to Linn county and followed farming until 1877. He then went to Barber county, and was engaged in the cattle business on a ranch there for four years. He bought cattle extensively in Texas, drove them through to his Kansas ranch, and did an extensive business which proved very profitable to him in those days of free range. In 1881, he came to Harper, and engaged in the mercantile business and prospered. He was united in marriage January 24, 1860, to Miss Ruth Jane Payne, a native of Darbyville, Ohio, born June 27, 1842. She is a daughter of Jesse and Lucinda (Longley) Payne, the former a native of Maryland, born March 4, 1804, and died at Centerville, Iowa, January 27, 1887, and the latter a native of Pennsylvania, born May 10, 1812, and died at Centerville, Iowa, January 11, 1884. They were the parents of ten children, five of whom are now living, as follows: John Payne, Jesse, William, Minerva, Wilkinson and Ruth Jane. To Mr. and Mrs. Murphy have been born the following children: Jesse, Peter, Frances, Elizabeth, Minnie L., Emma Josephine, Rhoda Neoma, Ezra S., and Milton O. Jesse, was born March 30, 1861. He has been twice married. September 24, 1880, he was united in marriage to Miss Annie Morris, and five children were born to this union: Maud E., born September 23, 1882; Jessie, born October 12, 1884, married Mark Coffin May 20, 1912; Hazel, born October 6, 1887; Dewitt, born November 11, 1889, died July 13, 1911, and Josephine, born August 7, 1891, married Claud Bryant, September 20, 1912, and has one child, Paul Montraville, born June 22, 1913. The wife of Jesse Murphy and the mother of these children died June 11, 1893. On November 10, 1896, Mr. Murphy married Rose Fisher, and six children were born to this union as follows: Mary, Ora, Margaret, John, Melvin and Elizabeth. Peter Murphy was born October 2, 1862, married Ora Swingle, March 26, 1882, and they have seven children, as follows: Montraville, born May 23, 1883, a custom inspector in the Philippines; May, born January 5, 1885; Roland, born February 13, 1890, a private in the Twelfth Regiment, U. S. infantry; Helen, born March 17, 1896; Albert, born August 30, 1899; Louis, born August 23, 1900, and Melva, born February 17, 1905. Frances Murphy was born December 24, 1863 and died in infancy. Elizabeth Murphy, was born September 6, 1865, married Louis Lebrecht, November 3, 1883, and they have three children, Hal R., born July 30, 1884; Louise, born October 4, 1894, and Gould, born December 30, 1902. Minnie L. Murphy, was born July 7, 1868, married Frank H. Wright, July 14, 1887, and they have four children: Ruth, born September 25, 1888; Louise, born September 2 1891; Frank, born August 11, 1899, and Luther, born October 13, 1903. Emma Josephine Murphy, was born March 10, 1870, married H. D. Johnson June 3, 1894, and to this union has been born three children: William, born December 1, 1897; Elizabeth, born October 15, 1899, and Robert, born February 14, 1901. Mrs. Johnson is an artist of exceptional ability, and of wide reputation. Rhoda Neoma Murphy, was born April 16, 1872, who is also a talented artist, well known in severaal[sic] States for the excellency of her paintings. She married L. H. Fellowth, February 16, 1892, and they have three children: Neoma, born October 25, 1894; Corine, born December 11, 1896, and Floranz, born April 11, 1900. Ezra S. Murphy was born November 28, 1874, married Dora Barney, June 27, 1899, and they have two children, Marjorie, born September 20, 1900, and Mildred, born November 12, 1907. Milton O. Murphy, the youngest of the family, was born, June 30, 1880, married Ida Powers, March 20, 1905, and they have one child, Jane, born June 10, 1907. Montraville Murphy had an extensive acquaintance throughout Southern Kansas and during a long and honorable career made many friends. He will long be remembered as a Kansas pioneer who performed his part nobly and well. Whether in the hum drum of every day life, or on the field of battle, he did his duty conscientiously.