Henry McMurtrie's biography, Homer Township, Calhoun County, Michigan

Copyright © 1999 by Pat Nowicki. This copy contributed for use in 
the MIGenWeb Archives.  

 

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Henry Morgan MCMURTRIE brother of Richard, was born in Oxford, N.J., Sept.
30, 1806, and was three years of age when the family removed to
Pennsylvania.  In 1831 Henry started out in search of a home for himself,
traveling on horseback he came to Michigan, and from here went to Kentucky.
Finding nothing in the latter place suited to his taste, he returned to
Michigan in the following spring, being accompanied here by his brother
Richard, Powell Grover, and William Wintersteen.  Henry purchased his lands
of the government, his selections being on sections 1 and 6 of this
township, where he continued to reside for sixteen years.  On the 15th of
December, 1834 he was united in marriage to Miss Violetta H. Leach, daughter
of Elihu Leach, and sister of E.H. Leach now residing near this village.
The ceremony took place in a little log cabin, which was the home of the
bride.  Miss Leach was from New York, and was born in Ontario, Wayne county,
that state, in 1816.  On her seventeenth birthday, in company with her
sister's family, the late Mrs. David Agnew, she set out for Michigan.  The
party crossed Lake Erie and arrived in Detroit where Miss Leach, her sister
and the two children remained until Mr. Agnew could walk to Homer and return
with a team to convey them to this place.  When Miss Leach came to Michigan
she designed returning to New York the following year, but her father in the 
meantime having decided to come west, the return to her native state was
abandoned.  In 1851 Mr. McMurtrie moved to Albion for the purpose of
educating his children and four years later followed the tide of emigration
to Iowa, and located 300 acres of land in Decorah, Wnneshiek county, that
state, where on the 12th of November, of the same year, (1855) he died, and
where his companion on earth still resides.  Mr. McMurtrie was the father of
four children, Susan M., who married Theodore R. Crandell, Oct. 23, '59
resides at Northwood, Iowa; Abner H., killed in battle near Jackson, Miss.,
July 12, '63; Thomas E., married Libbie Cook, March '67, lives, North Bend,
Wis.; and Violetta E., married C.W.Burdick, Feb 20, '67 and resides at
Decorah, Iowa.  There are five grandchildren, Violetta M. and John A.,
children of Susan; Allen S. and May C., daughters of Violetta, and George
H., son of Thomas.   Mr. McMurtrie was a man of high christian character.
He was generous to a fault, his house was universally the stopping place of
ministers of the gospel, so much so that his brother "Dick" used to say:
"The Methodist preachers will eat you out of house and home;"  Henry's
answer was; "Though I die poor I shall be rich in the world to come."

From Homer and its Pioneers - 1888