Clarence Edwin McClary (1861 - 1946)

Born 5 Sep 1861 in Gary, Indiana, USA

Ancestors

Husband of Dica Ellen (Pike) McClary — married about 1884 (to after 1890) in Missouri

Husband of Serelda Ann (Coggburn) McClary — married about 1902 in Taney County, Missouri, USA

Descendants

Died 23 May 1946 at age 84 in Taney County, Missouri, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jayme Hart [send private message]

Biography

Early Life & Family

Clarence Edwin McClary was born in the fall of 1861 to Mr. & Mrs. John Hannibal McClary of Ohio. He was their 3rd child, and 1st son.^[1] When Clarence was only 5 years old, his parents decided to pack the family up and journey West, ultimately settling in Taney County, Missouri.

About 1884, Clarence married Dica Ellen Pike, also of Taney County. It was also around this time that Civil War veteran Nathaniel Kinney (better known as "Nat") began to form his infamous and violent Bald Knobbers vigilante group. A couple of months after their marriage, when Dica became pregnant with their first child, the couple decided to homestead in Oklahoma where they felt that their family would be safe from the chaos & lawlessness of southern Missouri following the Civil War.

Shortly before having married and emigrated to Oklahoma, Clarence and his family took in a young orphan named Andrew Coggburn, whose father (and Taney County deputy sheriff) James "Victor" Coggburn had recently been shot & killed while in a neighboring county pursuing horse thieves in 1879.^[2] In the short time they had spent together, Clarence and Andrew became fast friends. Unfortunately, this friendship was not to last, as Andrew (Andy) was shot & killed by Nat Kinney in the spring of 1886.^[3]

Not long after settling in Oklahoma, Dica gave birth to a beautiful baby girl that the couple named Beva Viada (also known has "Ada"). The couple went on to have 2 more children (both boys, named Ernest Edwin and John William, respectively) between 1888 & 1890.

Widower at 28

By all accounts, Clarence & Dica (sometimes referred to as "Dicey") were happy and very in love. Unfortunately, in the summer of 1890, Dica unexpectedly passed away.^[4] Clarence suddenly found himself a widower with 3 small children at 28 years of age. Heartbroken and not very confident in his single parenting abilities, Clarence decided to move back to his parents' farm in Taney County.

When Clarence returned, Taney County was still putting itself back together after the death of Nat Kinney and the recent dissolution of the Bald Knobbers. Many members of Clarence's family (including his father) had been part of a group who called themselves the "Anti-Baldknobbers" and worked tirelessly to end Nat Kinney's reign over southern Missouri and northern Arkansas - even if it meant doing some of the very same things they had condemned Kinney's group for.^[5] While gone, Clarence had lost his good friend, Andy Coggburn, and presumably quite a few other people who were important to him. And though the Bald Knobbers' reign had come to an official end, lawlessness was still everywhere.

Second Marriage

Over the next decade, not much is known about Clarence's whereabouts or activities, except that he worked and resided on the McClary Homestead, probably occupying a room in his parents home.
Clarence, Serelda & Bernice
(c. winter 1904/05) About 1902, Clarence McClary married his friend Andy's little sister, Serelda Ann Coggburn (pronounced SH-rel-duh). Upon Clarence & Serelda's union, it would appear that they built their home on the McClary homestead in Taney County, where many of his siblings and their families also settled in the years before and after Clarence's 2nd marriage. In March of 1904, the couple welcomed their first child, a daughter they named Bernice Serelda. A couple of years after the birth of Bernice (and only 6 weeks after the death of Clarence's father), Serelda gave birth to another daughter that the couple named Buena Francis. Unfortunately, in 1908, Buena passed away only one day after her 2nd birthday.

After Buena's passing, the couple went on to have 3 more children; Mamie Agnos, Vernon Clarence and Oscar Payton.

Death & Legacy

In 1946, Clarence passed away, leaving behind his wife Serelda, six grown children, and over a dozen grandchildren & great grandchildren.

SOURCES

This biography was compiled from firsthand knowledge as remembered by Clarence's great nephew, Garland France, and great granddaughter, Pamela McClary, as well as extensive research done by Pamela's daughter, Jayme.

• "United States Census, 1880," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M6NF-MJJ : accessed 17 March 2015), Clarence Mc Cleary in household of John Mc Cleary, Oliver, Taney, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district , sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.)

• "United States Census, 1900," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M3HZ-PPP : accessed 17 March 2015), Clarence Mcclary in household of John H Mcclary, Newton & Oliver Townships, Taney, Missouri, United States; citing sheet 15A, family 298, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,240,905.

• "United States Census, 1930," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XHVD-Q1C : accessed 17 March 2015), Clarence Mcclary, Oliver, Taney, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 0010, sheet 9B, family 207, line 70, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1249; FHL microfilm 2,340,984.

• "United States Census, 1940," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K7WL-YNY : accessed 17 March 2015), Clarence Mcclary, Oliver Township, Taney, Taney, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 107-10, sheet 2B, family 38, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 2161.

• Clarence's death certificate may be viewed in the [source] images of this profile.

See also:

• Wikipedia: Bald Knobbers
• Absolution: A Bald Knobber Saga by Vonda Wilson Sheets^[6]
• FindAGrave Memorial# 40710734

1. ↑ John & Emma's first child, a daughter named Calista Ann, passed away in 1860 at less than 2 years of age.
2. ↑ According to McClary family "legend", John Hannibal McClary's son Alonzo ("Lonnie") was working alongside Victor Coggburn when he was killed, though no solid evidence has been found to support this story.
3. ↑ For more information on Andrew Coggburn and his murder, please see his WikiTree profile.
4. ↑ Oklahoma didn't issue death certificates until 1930, so the exact cause of her death is unknown, though it's speculated that she died of what was then called "child birth fever" several weeks after giving birth to William.
5. ↑ While John Hannibal was never an "active" member of the Anti-Baldknobbers, his name appears on several meeting attendance records. Also, after the Taney County Courthouse was burned down (supposedly by Bald Knobbers, though fingers were pointed in every direction), John spent many months reconstructing courthouse records; most from memory.
6. ↑ This book contains many references to the McClary family, and of course Andrew Coggburn and younger sister Serelda, who later went on to marry Clarence McClary.