JOSIAH R. MCCLELLAND FAMILY - Part 2

MCCLELLAND, RHEA, CLARK, CRANFORD, HALL

Posted By: Nancee Seifert (email)
Date: 11/8/2009 at 15:46:19

1880 Center Twp; Leon; Decatur Co. Census:

Josiah R. McClelland, 56, Physician
Amanda McClelland, 51, wife
Edgar B. McClelland, 18, Medical Student
Emma G. McClelland, 16

Note: The article about William Rhea, earlier posted, says that TILLER RHEA
Married after the death of her Master and Mistress -- Sebird & Nancy Rhea.
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1900 Center Twp; Leon, Decatur Co. Census:

Amanda McClelland, 70, Head, widow
Edgar B. McClelland, 38, Son, single
Eva Rhea, Niece, 27, single

Living Next Door:

Willard Clark, 38, Head
Emma G. Clark, 36, Wife
Etta Clark, 10, Daughter
Albena Cranford, 16, Servant

Note: Willard P. Clark (husband of Emma G. McClelland) was part of the firm
Of McClelland & Clark. In 1903, he left home and was presumed missing:

Leon Reporter, Leon, Iowa
Thursday, November l2, l903
W.P. CLARK left his home in Leon, Iowa, on Oct. L3, l903, intending to visit

Friends in Atchison, Kansas. He was last seen at the Union depot in St. Joe.

Mo., on the afternoon of Tuesday, Oct. L3, l903, and it is believed he
Purchased a ticket from St. Joe to Kansas City and boarded a train for the
Latter point. The half-tone above is from a photograph taken some l5 years
Ago. It is a very good likeness of MR. CLARK, except that he has grown
Stouter and somewhat bald. He is 4l years of age, married and left a wife
And daughter l4 years of age. He will weigh about 2l5 pounds, has a full
Face, dark brown hair, small blue gray eyes, wore a mustache, has the left
Lateral incisor tooth crowned with gold, and his height is about 5 feet l0
Inches. He wore a sack suit of blue-gray cassimere showing a very faint
Stripe making a plaid, a yachting cap of light gray with black band and
Visor, a pair of Selz "Perfecto" lace shoes, with plain wide toe, probably
No. 9. He carried a leather suit case marked upon the end "Mrs. W.P. Clark,"

Containing a suit of clothes, three shirts, cuffs, socks, etc. He also
Carried with him a gold hunting case watch with the initials W.P.C. Engraved

On one side, a gold vest chain with a locket-charm attached engraved on one
Side with the Masonic and K.of P. Emblems. He is a Mason and also a Knights
Of Pythias in good standing in both of these orders.
MR. CLARK was one of the leading retail grocers in Southern Iowa, and it is
Believed by his family and friends that he left home because of supposed
Financial difficulties.
His affairs have been taken in hand by his family and friends and
Straightened up and he has been found to be perfectly solvent, and is amply
Able to pay all obligations.
MR. CLARK belongs to an excellent family, leaving in addition to his wife
And child, his father a man 72 years of age, and his mother who is 65 years
Of age and in delicate and dangerous condition of health. He is a man of
High social and business standing, and his family and friends, both business

And social, are exceedingly anxious to learn of his whereabouts and have him

Return, and any information leading to his location or whereabouts will be
Highly appreciated and amply rewarded. It is requested that any and all
Information with reference to him be directed to E.B. McClelland, Leon, Iowa

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Leon Reporter, Leon, Iowa
Thursday, May 26, l904
The readers of The Reporter are all familiar with the circumstances of the
Mysterious disappearance of W.P. CLARK, the well known grocer of this city,
Who left Leon on Oct. L3th of last year, ostensibly to visit his
Brother-in-law at Atchison, Kas. He never reached Atchison, and all trace of

Him was lost after he reached St. Joe. His disappearance has caused his
Family and friends great uneasiness, as there were suspicions that he had
Been foully dealt with, but from information received during the past week
It appears that he has been in Cuba the past winter, and is probably at some

Place on that island at the present time.
The discovery of his whereabouts came about in rather a strange manner. A
Distant relative of MRS. I.N. CLARK, who lives at Port Arthur, Texas, was
Talking to some friends who spent the winter in Cuba, and told them that the

Family thought MR. CLARK might have gone there. The lady said they had met
An American at Matanza, Cuba, in a hotel the first of February, and on being

Shown MR. CLARK's photograph said she was sure she had seen him. She gave
the address of the hotel and it was sent to Leon, from which place a photo
of MR. CLARK and his description was forwarded to the hotel keeper. Last
Saturday a letter was received by MR. I.N. CLARK from the hotel keeper, John

B. Escalante, proprietor of the Grand Hotel at Matanzas, saying that on Feb.

2, l904, a man who registered as B.P. CLARK, Leon, Iowa, stopped at his
hotel four days and that he resembled the picture of MR. CLARK so much that
he was satisfied he was the same man. He writes that MR. CLARK was talking
of buying land but did not find any that suited him, and when he left that
city was going to Puerto Principe. There is no question but what W.P. CLARK
was there at that time and the registering under the name of B.P. CLARK can
be explained by the Cuban being mistaken. MR. I.N. CLARK has written for the

page of the register containing the signature and is confident that when it
arrives he will recognize WILLARD's handwriting. This is the first definite
news that has been heard from WILLARD since he left home, and efforts will
be made to trace him in Cuba, and his friends hope that before long he will
return to Leon and explain his long absence.
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He did not return home! According to Emma(McClelland) Clark's obituary, she
went to Denver (which is where her sister Etta (McClelland) Hall lived). She

went on to Elgin, Illinois where she taught school, until her death in 1924.

Leon Reporter, Leon, Iowa
Thursday, April l7, l924
MRS. EMMA MCCLELLAND CLARK was a daughter of DR. J.R. And AMANDA MCCLELLAND.

She was born in Decatur City, Iowa, November 20, l863, and died at her home
in Elgin, Ill., April l0, l924, aged 60 years, 4 months and 20 days.
DR. MCCLELLAND and his family moved to Leon, Iowa, in l865, where the family

resided for many years. The deceased grew to womanhood in this community,
attending the public schools for ten or twelve years. On the 27th of January

l878, she was received into the Christian Church, being baptized by A.B.
Cornell during his Pastorate in that church. In that faith she lived and
died, though for the last few years she was associated with her daughter in
the Espiscopal Church. During her early life in the church, she was
especially active in the Bible School and Young Ladies work.
She was married to W.P. CLARK, May 27, l886. To them was born one daughter,
ETTA G. CLARK, who was her mother's companion and caretaker for years.
Though teaching in the Elgin High Schools, she never in any way neglected to

give the mother due filial attention.
MRS. CLARK and daughter moved to Denver, Colorado, in l904, remaining there
until l9l8; from Denver they went to Elgin, Ill., where MISS ETTA had a
position in the High School; it was in that city after months of intense
suffering, though with greatest of patience and Christian trust, that the
end came. Out of the tenement of clay into the house not made with hands!
"Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord."
MRS. CLARK was one universally loved and honored by all.
The funeral services were conducted in the Christian Church in Leon, A.B.
Cornwell, of New Sharon, Iowa, officiating on the l2th of April, l924. MISS
EMMA ELLIS, a fellow teacher in the Elgin Schools, accompanied MISS ETTA to
Leon. She was indeed a cheerful and happy companion for the sad and weary
daughter. The body was laid to rest in the Leon Cemetery.
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Obituary - ETTA (MCCLELLAND) HALL
Decatur County Journal
November l9, l9l4
MRS. J.P. HALL, of Denver, Colo., formerly of
Leon, died at her home in
That city Wednesday morning, November ll. The
Remains were brought to
Leon last Saturday and the funeral held from
The Christian Church,
Sunday afternoon, services being conducted by
Rev. J.W. Johnson.
Interment followed in the Leon Cemetery.
MRS. HALL had many friends
Here who are deeply grieved. The following
Concerning the death of MRS.
HALL appeared in the Denver Post of last
Wednesday:
When death entered the home of J.P. HALL at
L23 East Second Avenue this
Morning and summoned MRS. HALL for the
Unreturnable journey, there
Passed one of those quiet forces for good
Which have made Denver a happy
And friendly place for people to live in.
Following a fall during the heavy snow of
Last winter, MRS. HALL has
Been an invalid. All that science, love,
Care, could do to restore her
To health was done, to no avail. But her
Slow descent into the valley
Of the shadow of death was an inspiration, in
The beauty of patience and
Gentleness and cheerfulness, not alone to her
Immediate relatives, but
To the countless friends who sought her in
The sick room as they had
Sought her when she was the mistress of a
Lovely home.
MRS. HALL, who was ELLA MAY MCCLELLAND,
Before her marriage to J.P.
HALL, general agent of the Santa Fe Railroad,
Was born in Iowa, November
30, l853, and married in l877. With MR. HALL
She came to Denver in l88l
And straightway the fortunes of the city
Became her special pride. As
The wife of a prominent railroad official she
Watched with deepest
Interest the development of the west and
Shared confidences and gave
Wise counsel to the husband whose
Responsibilities assumed larger and
Larger proportions as the years passed.
While placing husband, home, church, above
All other interests, MRS.
HALL yet became a member of the art and
Literature department of the
Woman's Club and took an active interest in
The S.O.O.B. Order of wives
Of Knights Templar and was a conspicuous
Figure in the social
Festivities which marked the great conclave
Of the organization held in
Denver in l9l3.
Personal helpfulness was the rule of MRS.
HALL's service to charity and
So she made each needy person coming to her
Door her own special
Charge. As a member of the Ladies' Aid
Society of the South Broadway
Christian Church she set a high standard of
Usefulness and in
Innumerable other ways made the city and its
People her debtor.
Yet quietly, serenely, without blare of
Trumpets, this gentlewoman
Ordered her life and when she dropped its
Rare flower from her still
Fingers this morning her friends were legion.
The funeral services were held Friday
Afternoon at 2 o'clock at the
Rogers undertaking chapel, l544 Lincoln
Street. The Rev. David Y.
Donaldson will conduct the services. Later
The body will be taken to
Leon, Iowa, MRS. HALL's birthplace, for
Interment.
Surviving MRS. HALL, besides her husband, is
A sister, MRS. EMMA G.
CLARK, and a niece, MISS ETTA G. CLARK.
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To Be Continued . . . Part 3