John Milton (McCLARY) McClary (1878 - 1965)

Born 25 Jan 1878 in Taney County, Missouri

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 8 Jan 1965 at age 86 in Taney County, Missouri

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Biography

John Milton McClary was born on January 25, 1879, in Taney County. He was the eleventh child of John and Emma McClary. At manhood John Milton married Rozetta Alice Pickett, one of David and Eliza Pickett’s children, on December 14, 1898.^[1] John and Rozetta eventually reared six children; Beva (presumably named after John's brother Clarence's eldest daughter), Cecil, Nezzie, Violet, Exie, and Owen (named after John's older brother Owen Alexander McClary).

A severe regional drought in 1901 caused this family to try Oklahoma for a new home. After three years they returned to the Ozarks to care for the ailing Eliza Pickett. John and Rozetta’s family lived on the Pickett homestead until 1909.

In 1901, John became very ill from a bleeding ulcer; he was bedfast and not expected to live. Following a particularly severe night-long bout with the ulcer, he left the house the next morning to hitch his wagon for Oklahoma. He felt his latter days would best be spent traveling. The family toured Oklahoma but John did not die. He and his family returned to Taney County where John’s daily diet for three years was a raw egg mixed with hot water. The McClarys resumed living on the Pickett homestead until 1912 when they moved to an adjoining forty.

From c. 1900-1920 the McClarys generally prospered. During that period the national per capita wealth tripled, signaling a strong economy. It was no different in the Ozarks where there seemed to be work for everyone.

In 1920, John moved to the old Forsyth Mill, which was about mile upstream from the mouth of Swan Creek, and operated it until the 1927 flood. In 1927, he bought a farm on Swan Creek at Hull’s Ford. Still later in 1950 he moved to Dickens, which was about one mile west of Taneyville. Finally, in 1961, he moved into a trailer house in the yard of his son Cecil.

During this first half of the twentieth century John never had much money and in many ways lived a comparable lifestyle to his own father. He raised corn, wheat, cane, and was of the last generation to raise cotton. His large garden contained the same foods and were preserved in the same manner as the previous generation.

Stock remained crucial to the farm operation, but more clothing and shoes were bought already manufactured. Leisure time was still spent visiting neighbors, participating in church-sponsored events, and "going to town." The early twentieth century saw an end to steamboat traffic on the White River as Powersite dam was built. Branson became Taney’s major town with the advent of the railroad and automobiles began to penetrate the rural countryside.

John Milton McClary was a Democrat like his father, but not as active. He too was a man of religious convictions, but did not belong to any particular denomination. He was however, deacon of the non-denominational Union Chapel, Taneyville. John died January 8, 1965, and Rozetta passed away December 1, 1966.

Sources

1. ↑ "Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:CTJ1-2TT2 : 17 May 2022), John M McClary, 14 Dec 1898; citing Marriage, Taney, Missouri, United States, Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City; FHL microfilm 007271626.

• Original biography was written by Andrew Hall, great grandson of John Milton McClary, and published by the White River Valley Historical Society in their quarterly's winter 1983 issue. Full article is available for online viewing here.

See also:

• "United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3H8-99H : Thu Aug 03 01:10:53 UTC 2023), Entry for John M McClary and Rozetta A McClary, 1900.

• "United States Census, 1910", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLMH-CP7 : Tue Jul 18 20:13:03 UTC 2023), Entry for John M Mcclary and Rosette A Mcclary, 1910.

• "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3TQ-WK1 : 24 December 2021), John Milton McClary, 1917-1918.

• "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M88N-DS9 : Fri Aug 25 03:17:42 UTC 2023), Entry for John M McCleary and Roseta A McCleary, 1920.

• "United States Census, 1930", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHVD-VLT : Thu Aug 03 23:01:48 UTC 2023), Entry for John Mcclary and Rose Mcclary, 1930.

• "United States Census, 1940", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K7WG-4QH : Wed Jul 26 21:05:24 UTC 2023), Entry for John M McCleary and Rozetta A McCleary, 1940.

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile McCLARY-16 created through the import of John the Elderged.ged on Sep 1, 2011 by Joe Bissett. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Joe and others.