Created by Steve Murdick and last updated 19 April 2023

Our family name is pronounced MURDICK but is also listed as MURDOCK in some historical documents. This biography focuses on my Great-Great Grandfather, Dr. Jacob Murdick who lived in the counties of Monroe, St. Clair, Clinton and Bond, Illinois from 1827 to 1882. It is undocumented who Jacob’s parents were, (more about this later) but a Clinton County Patrons (1) document states that he was born in Monroe County Illinois. The 1850 Federal Census indicates that Jacob was born about 1827. He may have been born on the border of St. Clair County which abuts Monroe County. From the 1880 Federal Census, it states that his dad was born in New Jersey and his mom was born in Pennsylvania. The first known record of Jacob is the 1850 Federal Census which shows him boarding with the Anton Hankamp (or Honkomp) family in Carlyle, Clinton County Illinois. He is 23 and listed as a Physician. I suspect that he just finished his formal training, or apprenticeship for being a doctor and was in the process of establishing his practice.

He meets and marries Lucinda Morton on 18 May 1854 in Carlyle and they begin their family having the following known children:

  1. 1855 – Leatie Illinois “Lillia” - named for Lucinda's mother - and, yes, her middle name was Illinois. She attended McKendree College (an early Methodist school), in Hanover (now Lebanon), IL, in 1873. (2) She is listed in the 1860, 1870 and 1880 Federal Census’s as living at home and, as of 25 years of age not married. From a newspaper article in the Neosho Miner-Mechanic, dated 13 June 1885, she appears to have been a teacher (thus the reason for never being married). (11) She had moved from Illinois to Missouri in 1882 with her parents. The article is mourning her recent passing.
  2. 16 May 1857 - Joseph Morton - my Great Grandfather. Marries Mary Anna Locey on 21 September 1881 and they move to Neosho, Newton County, MO the following month. It’s not known what prompted them to move to Neosho other than it was an up-and-coming mining community. It’s also not known what he did between 1881 and 1894 although a Neosho newspaper mentions something in an 1891 edition about a Murdick Mine. In 1894 he goes into business with Frank Whitwell in opening a General Goods store in Diamond, MO. (3) He sells his interest in the Store in July of 1896 and moves to Joplin, MO in 1898 continuing his life’s devotion to managing or owning grocery stores. He dies in Kansas City, KS on 20 January 1934 and is buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in that same city. (4) He also attended McKendree College in 1873. (2)
  3. 1859 - Mary Morton Cyrus - listed as Mary in 1860 Federal Census, but Marton Cyrus in the 1870 Federal Census. She may have married a David Payne on 3 February 1881 in Desha County AR, but this is not fully proven. (5) Little else is known about Mary.
  4. 5 April 1871 - Lola Janette - note the 12-year lapse since Mary’s birth. She marries Silas Mark Jones on 15 March 1893 in Diamond, MO. They stay in the Newton County, MO area till sometime in the 1910’s and then move to Galena, Cherokee County, KS by 1920. She and Silas remain married for 53 years and she dies on 4 January 1947 in Galena and is buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery just outside Galena.
  5. 1876 - Florence O. - another 5-year gap. She marries Wilfred Holroyd on 11 November 1917 in Galena, KS, but he dies on 29 April 1924. She then marries Mode Dark on 29 August 1926, also in Galena. She is childless in both of these marriages, although she had 2 step-sons from Mode’s previous marriage. She dies on 30 July 1944 in Galena and is buried in the Galena Cemetery.

In the 1860 Federal Census, there is listed a Mary J Thompson, along with her 3-year-old son named John J, living in the Jacob Murdick household. I was able to conclude that she was Jacob’s younger sister by finding her obituary (6) and an Illinois marriage record showing a M J Murdick marrying a William C Neathery in 1862. This also confirmed that she married her first husband, Dr. John J Thompson on 1 November 1855, but he died 14 months later in 1857. When he died, she was pregnant with their son who she named John J Jr. I further noticed, by researching her children in the 1870 Federal Census, that she used the surnames of Murdick and Morton for the middle names of her children with her 2nd husband. Mary Jane Murdick was born 10 Jul 1833 in Monroe, County, IL. She died 15 Dec 1874 in Bond County, IL as Mary Jane Neathery. Her obituary further stated that both her parents died while she was yet an infant and she was raised by Lt. Gov. William C Kinney Sr. and his wife, Mary Husk-Kinney, who was Mary Jane’s aunt. Jacob would have been about 6 or 7 at the time of his parents death, but I do not have any evidence that he was, likewise, raised by the Kinney’s.

The 1900 Federal Census states that Lucinda Morton-Murdick bore 8 children with 3 still living. That would to be true if the 3 were Joseph, Lola and Florence. Since I only have solid evidence of the 5 children listed above, I could assume that 3 of her children died as infants and were never recorded. In the 1910 Federal Census for Lucinda, it states that she bore 7 children of which 4 were still living. I have no reasonable explanation for the discrepancy.

I know, from Census records and Lucinda’s obituary (7), that Jacob and Lucinda remained married for 29 years from 1854 until his death in 1883.

I found an 1862 Military Census that shows Jacob registered for military service in Clinton County, IL during the Civil War, but he was classified as “lame”. (8) He was 34 years old at the time of this Census. I’m not sure if he had an old injury or a physical birth condition.

I found, on line, four editions of the St. Louis Medical Journal, published between February and May 1880 listing Jacob Murdick as a druggist in Germantown, Illinois where he resided at the time. The Journal was printed monthly.

I was also able to find, on line, Clinton County Mortality Records for 1882 showing Dr. Murdick as the attending physician for many who passed away at that time. However, sometime during the summer of 1882, the County established an official Coroner position who was then the only person listed as the attending official when someone died. Jacob’s name no longer appears. He would have been about 56 years old at this time. Another reason that he no longer appears is that this could have been the time that he, Lucinda and their daughter Leatie moved to Newton County, MO.

The last known census record of Dr. Jacob Murdick – age 54 is the 1880 Federal Census which has the family living in Germantown, Clinton County, IL. Along with Lucinda – age 41, the record shows their children Leatie – age 25, Joseph – age 22, Lola – age 9 and Florence – age 5 living in the household.

I found, on microfilm at the Carlyle Library in Clinton County, a copy of the Union Banner newspaper of Thursday, 10 May 1883. (9) In an article, the Clinton County Medical Society pays tribute to the life of Dr. Murdick who, they learned, died on 28 March 1883 in Newton County, MO. For reasons unknown Jacob and Lucinda, along with their daughter Leatie decided to move from Germantown IL to Neosho, or Diamond, MO in the Fall of 1882. Perhaps he was retiring from his medical practice and he wanted to be near his son, Joseph. I have yet to find an obituary in any Illinois or Missouri newspapers. Nor have I been able to find a Probate record for a Newton County MO court. I also do not have any evidence of where he is buried but I suspect the Diamond Cemetery since it is documented that his wife, Lucinda was transported from Galena, KS to Diamond, MO to be buried there. (10)

The 1900 Federal Census shows Lucinda, now claiming herself as a widow and living with her daughter, Lola and husband, Silas Mark Jones in the Joplin, MO area. She is last recorded in a 1915 Kansas State Census, still living with the Jones family but in Galena, Kansas and 77 years old. Lucinda’s death on 31 October 1921 is recorded in the Joplin Globe newspaper.

I found the obituary of Jacob and Lucinda’s only son, Joseph Morton Murdick in the Kansas City Kansan newspaper of Saturday, 20 January 1934. It states that he operated grocery stores in Diamond and Joplin, MO as well as Picher, OK. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge in Neosho, MO.

I also found the obituary for Jacob and Lucinda’s daughter, Florence Dark in the Joplin Globe newspaper of Tuesday, 1 August 1944. It states that she was born in Breese, Illinois and the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Jacob Murdick. She spent her early childhood in Diamond, MO.

If anyone knows of information regarding who the parents of Dr. Jacob Murdick and Mary Jane Murdick- Thompson-Neathery were - or if there are other siblings - I would be very interested in hearing from you. I’m also interested in knowing more about Lt. Gov. William Kinney’s wife, Mary Husk. Please contact me at akaswm@yahoo.com or text to 913-208-2828.

Sources:

  1. Source: "1881 History of Marion & Clinton Counties, Illinois"
  2. Source: U.S., School Catalogs, 1765-1935 thru Ancestry.com
  3. Book: Diamond The Gem City, Page 2 picture
  4. Web: Kansas, Find A Grave Index, 1854-2011
  5. Source: Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
  6. Source: Greenville Advocate Newspaper 1874 thru the Midwest Genealogical Library, Independence, MO
  7. Source: Galena Evening Times, Tuesday 1 Nov 1921
  8. 1862 Military Census for Clinton County Illinois – IL State Historical Library
  9. Source: Union Banner Newspaper, Carlyle, IL, Thursday 10 May 1883
  10. Web: Find A Grave Index for Diamond Cemetery in Newton County, MO
  11. Source: The Neosho Miner-Mechanic Newspaper, Saturday, 13 June 1885, Page 3

Submitted by: Steve Murdick

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