The Winterset Reporter
Winterset, Madison Co., Iowa
July 20, 1905

DEATH OF WILLIAM MCCLEEARY

This widely know citizen and pioneer of the county, died at his home
in Jefferson Township, July 13th, 1905. The funeral was on the 15th and
burial was at the Jefferson Cemetery, attended by a large number of
friends. All that is mortal of him now lies in a fine steel vault in
the old cemetery he helped establish in the early days.
His death was caused by cancer of his neck, from which he suffered
the past year and a half, but hastened by the swallowing of some
poisonous medicine through mistake. He had been some time in Kansas
City for treatment and on starting home, was given two kinds of
medicine, one to apply outside and one to take inwardly. This was on
Monday and he died mainly from the effects (from the wrong medicine) on
the Thursday following.
William MCCLEEARY, son of George and Sarah (TANNER) MCCLEEARY, was
born March 15th, 1830, in south Coshocton County, Ohio, where he resided
until May of 1856, when he came to Madison County.
A carpenter by trade, he followed it here for many years but also
carried on farming. He settled on the land where ever after was his
home in 1859 and in time, came to own a large acreage in the county.
He was married in the year 1857 to Mary Jane, daughter of Alexander
BALLENTINE, an early settler and prominent man of that time. The wife
survives him. The children born to them, in order of age, are: Sarah
Olive, who married Frank DILLON and resides in East Douglas Township;
Mary Catherine, who married Frank COOPER and lives at Lamar, Colorado;
George Albert, single, of Jefferson Township; William Allen, who married
Ida GOLDEN and is living in East Douglas Township; Margaret, who married
Worford GRIMES and is livng in Lucas County, Iowa; Ida May, who died in
infancy; Alexander Ballentine, who is single and lives at the old home;
Charles Asbury, who married Anna CLAYTON and is living in Lee Township.
The deceased was one of the organizers of Jefferson Township and on
of its first officers, frequently being elected to township, school and
road offices since. Until very late years he was always very active in
county politics as a democrat and sometimes a candidate on his party's
county ticket and often a delegate to state and other conventions.
He joined the Methodist Episcopal Church in Ohio in January of 1848,
and remained a member until his death. He was one of the charter
members of the old Jefferson class, organized in 1858, now the Grove
Church. He was always active and liberal in works of church and
charity. He contributed largely toward the erection of the new United
Brethren Chapel at Jefferson, in which a portion of his obituary
services were held, conducted by the Rev. E. W. CURTIS, assisted by
Goodliff BROOKER and Rev. YOUNG.