Meet Murvel Pretorius, Jr.
I was born on July 23, 1946 in Evanston, Illinois. Within a couple of years, my family moved to Ladd, Illinois in Bureau County, where my father managed a small manufacturing concern. We stayed there through grade six. At that point, we moved to Spring Valley, three miles south of Ladd. I attended seventh and eighth grades there. I then went away to boarding school at Culver Military Academy for the next four years.
During my childhood, I had a paper route, worked in a grocery store, and engaged in sports. Still, I had a lot of free time to myself for reading and passing the time.
My parents grew up in Wabash County, Indiana during what was then thought to be the "great" depression. My mother’s aunt and uncle raised her on their farm. My father was one of six children and his parents were tenant farmers. I have a sister who is three years older than myself. She currently lives in Seattle, Washington, and has four children of her own.
My parents share the honor of influencing me most when growing up. Neither attended college. They sacrificed to ensure that I have the opportunity that they had not had.
I began work at QJHPC (then McConnell, Kennedy, McConnell & Morris) on approximately the first of September 1971. The firm hired me as a law school graduate. I spent my first 10 or 12 years splitting my time between small personal injury cases and workers’ compensation cases. In the early to mid-1980s I began handling the defense of medical malpractice as well as the defense of municipal liability cases. In time, I restricted my practice to the representation of hospitals and physicians.
The one thing I most enjoy about the legal field is working with very intelligent people who listen to my advice. If I was not working at QJHPC, I would probably work at another law firm of similar makeup.
Here are some things you may not know about me:
- I met my wife, Mary Ann, on an elevator.
- I have four children. Jennifer is a graduate of the University of Colorado, the University of Arizona Master’s Program in Spanish Linguistics, and the University of Arizona law school. She is currently a captain in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps. Lisa is a graduate of Marquette University and the Alverno College Master’s Program. She teaches third grade in Milwaukee. Christopher is a graduate of Marquette University and currently works for RMH Corporation in Morton. Meggie, the youngest, is a graduate of the University of Illinois and the OSF St. Francis Nursing Program. She works at OSF St. Francis as a registered nurse on the cardiac stepdown unit. Meggie is expecting our first grandchild during the first or second week of July.
- I love a good cigar!
