Extracted from The Shreveport Times (Shreveport, LA)
Sunday, December 20, 1936

FORMER COURT CLERK DIES AT ARCADIA, LA.

Wiley J. Murphy, 60, Succumbs to Lengthy Illness Saturday

Arcadia, La., Dec. 19 (Special) -- Funeral services for Wiley J. Murphy, 60, who died at his home here today following a long illness, will be held Sunday.

Mr. Murphy was born in 1876, the son of Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Murphy. His paternal grandfather, Jesse Murphy, and his maternal grandfather, the late, Dr. Cornelius Shively, were pioneer settlers of the Liberty Hill community of Bienville parish.

He was educated in the public schools of the parish and for a time was engaged as a bookkeeper for Lucky Bros. in Bienville. He resigned this position to become chief deputy clerk of the district court of Bienville parish in 1904, moving to Arcadia at that time. He was elected clerk of court in 1912 and held the office for three terms refusing to run for re-election in 1924. Since that time he engaged actively in the abstract and title business and was owner and general manager of the Wiley J. Murphy Abstractor, Inc., at the time of his death. He was a member of and deacon in the First Baptist church for many years, and a member of the Masonic bodies and Woodman of the World.

He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Mary Murphy; two sons, W. King Murphy, Arcadia and Ernest H. Murphy of Kilgore; three daughters, Mrs. F. B. Hatch, Rayville; Mrs. Jack Brewton, Haynesville; Mrs. Bert Smith, Port Arthur; ten grandchildren; one brother, Ed Murphy, of Liberty Hill; one half brother, John N. Smelley and one half sister, Mrs. Willie Wedgeworth, both of Arcadia.

The Rev. C. W. Caldwell will officiate at the funeral service. Interment will be in the Arcadia cemetery.

Active pall bearers will be Leo Daniel, Dr. H. D. Shehee, E. B. Stall, M. H. Currie, James Maddon, Raymond Madden, Sercy McGuire, Lamar Taylor and Lamar Ozley.