McCLELLAND, Josiah Robinson

MCCLELLAND, CONDRA, BELL, RHEA, HALL, CLARK

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 1/4/2017 at 05:06:12

Obituary ~ Dr. Josiah Robinson McClelland
December 15, 1823 ~ December 24, 1893

Leon Reporter
Leon, Decatur County, Iowa
Thursday, December 28, 1893

Dr. Josiah Robinson McClelland was born in Monroe County, Kentucky, on the 15th day of December, 1823, and died on the 24th day of December, 1893, and was therefore seventy years and nine days old at the time of his death.

His father's name was Josiah McClelland and his mother's maiden name was Rhoda Condra; his paternal ancestors were Scotch-Irish. When two years old the parents of the deceased moved to Jackson County, Tennessee, and in 1841 to Mercer County, Missouri. He was raised on a farm and only had the advantages of a common school education. He spent two years in a mercantile house in Princeton, Missouri, and then, in July, 1848, commenced reading medicine at the same place with Dr. J.B. Bell, attending medical lectures in Saint Louis.

He was married to Miss Amanda M. Rhea, of Mercer County, Missouri on the 18th day of March, 1851, and commenced the practice of medicine with his preceptor, Dr. Bell, at Princeton, remaining there two years, and then in February, 1853, moved to Decatur county, Iowa, and settled on the Tash farm two and a half miles west of the present site of Leon, there being no town here at that time.

He built one of the first frame houses in the county, hauling the lumber from Ottumwa, Iowa. He endured all of these hardships and privations of a frontier life; his practice extending throughout the county and often in adjoining counties and the State of Missouri. He remained on his farm till 1854, when he went to Decatur City and lived there until 1865, when he moved to Leon and bought the property where he lived continuously from that time until his death. Although not having the advantages of a collegiate education, still, by close application and wide research, and making his profession his life-work, he reached a high standing as a skillful physician.

He was very kind hearted and sympathetic and possessed those qualities which made his presence especially acceptable in the sick room. Though making all departments of medical science his study, physiology was his favorite branch, in which he made marked advancement. He also gave much attention to the subject of insanity and disease of the mind, and was a member of the Board of Commissioners of insanity of this county for fifteen years prior to his death. He was a member and most of the time President of The Decatur County Medical Association from its organization.

He joined the Masons January 3rd, 1850, and remained a consistent member of that fraternity from that time until his death. He was also a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge at Leon at the time of his death, and had been for many years prior thereto.

Dr. McClelland was a member of the Christian Church from boyhood until the time of his death, lived a consistent irreproachable life, and was a noble specimen of the Christian gentleman.

For forty years he so impressed himself upon the people of Decatur County by his upright and Christian character that all who knew him will feel that in his death, not only his family, the church, the medical profession and fraternities to which he belonged sustained a great loss, but the community As well. He suffered intensely for more than a year prior to his death, and had not been able to give any attention to his profession for nearly two years.

He leaves surviving him, his wife and three children: Mrs. Etta M., the wife of J.P. Hall, of Denver, Colorado; Edgar B. And Mrs. Emma G., wife of Willard P. Clark of the firm of Clark & McClelland, of Leon; and one grandchild, Etta G. Clark, four years old, who was a great favorite with the doctor and was his almost constant companion during his long confinement and suffering.

In his death we are again reminded that as the years go by, "friend after friend depart". Those that we have known in infancy, in childhood, in youth and in maturity, one by one pass from our sight.

Yesterday they were with us full of life and joy and love, today they are gone and our homes are desolate and our hearts are sad with a sadness for which earth has no remedy. The dearest and the nearest, the truest and the noblest pass from us in answer to the call of Him who doeth all things well.

[Interment was made at Leon Cemetery, Leon, Iowa.]

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, December of 2016