Tehama County

Biographies

S. W. MURDOCK

The late S. W. Murdock, former manager of the branch of the Bank of America at Red Bluff and a well known business executive and financier, was born in that section of Colusa county, California, which is now in Glenn county, on the 2d of December, 1874. His father, Gawn W. Murdock, a native of Ireland, came to California in 1861, settling first in Butte county, where he engaged in farming and stock raising. Later he removed to Glenn county, where he spent some time, and then took up his abode in Oakland, where he lived retired for eight years, his death there occurring in 1928. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Mary Helen Ashurst, was born in Missouri and they became the parents of two children, of whom Edmund E. Murdock is now a banker of Oakland.

The other son, S. W. Murdock, after attending the local schools became a student in a college at Orland, California, and then went to San Francisco, where he attended Anderson Academy, a preparatory school. He also took a course in a San Francisco business college, graduating in 1893, and he started out on his business career as a bookkeeper in the Bank of Orland. Later he was promoted to the position of cashier, remaining in the institution for about seven years. He next turned his attention to general merchandising, which he followed for two years, and on the expiration of that period he resumed activity in the financial field by entering the American National Bank of San Francisco. He was next a bookkeeper in the Herbert Kraft Company Bank at Red Bluff, filling the position for several years, and when the institution was closed he became identified with the Red Bluff National Bank as its cashier. This was afterward transformed into the First National Bank of which he remained as cashier, and in time the Red Bluff National sold to the Security Bank of San Francisco, becoming one of the chain which later was taken over by the United Security Corporation and in due time by the Bank of America. Mr. Murdock continued as manager through many of these changes and occupied this position of responsibility until his death, which occurred at San Francisco, August 20, 1930, while he was on his vacation. The present bank building, a substantial and attractive structure, was erected in July, 1926.

Mr. Murdock was married in 1902 to Miss Nettie Scribner, a daughter of Knowles and Mary (Scott) Scribner, both now deceased. Mr. Scribner was an enterprising merchant who engaged in business at Orland, Newville, and Paskenta. Mr. and Mrs. Murdock became the parents of a daughter, Mary Marcella, now the wife of Dan Olsen, a teacher in the Red Bluff high school, and they have one child, Norma Jean.

Mr. Murdock belonged to the Masonic lodge at Orland, to the Knight Templar Commandery at Red Bluff and to Islam Temple of the Mystic Shrine in San Francisco. He enjoyed a game on the links when leisure permitted but gave the major part of his time and attention to his business duties and responsibilities and was widely known in banking circles, where his capability and the sterling worth of his character gained him high rating.