Among the leading farmers and stock raisers of Coe township is the gentleman whose name appears above.  He also holds worthy prestige as a citizen and is a creditable representative of that large and eminently respectable class of people who by deeds rather than words give stability to the body politic and by their influence honor the communities in which they reside.  S.P. Murtha was born August 6, 1846, in Ionia county, Michigan, being a son of --------- and Ann (Hoy) Murtha, natives of Ireland, but for a number of years prior to that date residents of the United States.  When the subject was eight years old, his parents moved to Isabella county and settled on a quarter section of land in Coe township which the father bought, later securing an additional eighty acres which, with the original purchase, he subsequently divided among his children.  Young Murtha grew up in close touch with honest toil and received a fair educational training in such schools as were taught in this part of the country in an early day.  Reared a farmer, he early decided to make agriculture his vocation, accordingly when old enough to beginlife for himself he received eighty acres of land from his father which he at once began to improve and which by his effective labors was in due time cleared and in cultivation.

     Mr. Murtha’s career as a tiller of the soil has been entirely satisfactory as his fine farm and excellent improvements attest, and it is no disparagement to others to claim for him a place in the front rank of Isabella county’s most enterprising and successful agriculturists.  In connection with general farming he devotes considerable attention to the breeding and raising of high grade live stock, which returns him a handsome income, and he also realizes no small sum from the fine cows which he always keeps, there being about ten of these superior animals on his place at the present time.

     Mr. Murtha is a member of Lodge No. 239, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Shepherd, and has passed all the chairs in the same, besides representing the organization twice as a delegate to the grand lodge.  He belongs to the Knights of the Maccabees at the above place, also being an influential worker in the society and at intervals has been honored by his brethren with important official trusts.

     The domestic life of Mr. Murtha dates from December 9, 1877, at which time was solemnized his marriage with Catherine Gruber, of Coe township, this county, five children resulting from the union, namely:  Montel, deceased;  Nellie, who lives in Idaho;  Mildred, wife of Harry Wetzel; Arthur, a student in the medical department of Michigan University at Ann Arbor, and Dale, who lives at home.

     The father of the subject came to America when eleven years of age and for some time thereafter lived in Vermont.  From that state he went to New York, thence, after some years, removed to Ionia county, Michigan, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits and where he resided until his removal to Isabella county as already stated.  Here he secured valuable real estate which he divided among his children and during his residence in this county he became widely and favorably known and stood high as an intelligent and public-spirited citizen.  Ann Hoy, mother of the subject, was born in the same part of Ireland in which he first saw the light of day and both made the voyage to the United States on the same vessel.  They knew each other from childhood and were married in New York, the following children being the fruits of their union;  Thomas, Michael, and Elizabeth, who are deceased;  S.P., of this review;  George, who married Mary Struble and lives in Mt. Pleasant;  Arthur, also a resident of Isabella county;  Sarah, wife of John Young, lives in California, and Richard, who married Elizabeth Rodder, makes his home in the latter state.

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