Descendants of Reuben Rickabaugh

History of Marion County, Iowa

Narrative

TEXT Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1999 14:35:48 -0700

From: "Tom & Mickey Daniels"

To: RICKABAUGH-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <000501bf0930$448 dff20$3b0a8ea7@tmhfbred.netins.net>

Subject: [RICKABAUGH] RICHABAUGH, Hannah

Hi All, I found some more correspondance that my Gram Ricka baugh saved and as far as I can tell, I didn't include it i n my original "pages".

From "History of Marion County, Iowa" page 344,345 & 346.

JOHN WESLEY McCLAIN, Sr.

John Wesley McCLAIN, Sr., who died on the 7th of February , 1906, was for over six decades a resident of Iowa and fo r forty-six years made is home in Marion County, where he w as widely known and greatly respected. He was born on the 1 9th of July, 1834, in Hendricks County, Indiana, a son of P hillip and Rachel (JENKINS) McCLAIN, who removed to Wapell o County, Iowa, when their son John Wesley was but eight ye ars of age. Some years later the family came to this county , locating in Knoxville township, west of the city of Knoxv ille. Phillip McCLAIN owned a farm and resided thereon unti l his death, which occurred on the 6th of July, 1873, whe n he was about seventy-two years of age. His wife died in W apello county,m leaving ten children, all of whom are decea sed. John W. McCLAIN grew to manhood in this state and her e acquired his education. A great deal of his training fo r the duties of life was of a practical nature and gained b y work in the fields, as he early began to assist in the cu ltivation of the homestead. When he reached manhood he deci ded to follow the occupation to which he had been reared a s it was both profitable and congenial and in time he purch ased the home farm, five miles west of Knoxville. He live d there in all for forty-six years. At one time he owne d a quarter section and as he was efficient in the manageme nt of his interests and energetic in the cultivation of hi s land he received a good income from his farm. On the 18t h of March, 1855, Mr. McCLAIN was untied in marriage to Mis s Lucinda SAHA, a native of Jackson County, Ohio, born on t he 6th of August, 1837. Her parents, John and Hannah (RICHA BAUGH) SAHA, died in the Buckeye state when comparatively y oung. The father was a native of Ireland and the mother o f Virginia. She was a Methodist in her religious faith. Th e maternal grandfather of Mrs. McCLAIN, Reuben RICHABAUGH , served in the revolutionary army. Mrs. McCLAIN, came to K noxville in 1853 with her brothers, Jackson and James SAHA , both of whom died when about eighty years of age, whil e a younger brother, Franklin, who enlisted from Ohio and s erved under Sherman in the Civil War, died at Nashville, Te nnessee, of typhoid fever and was buried there. Mr. and Mrs . McCLAIN became the parents of seven children, four sons a nd three daughters. Richard T., born on the 2nd of Octobe r 1856, resides at Carlisle, Iowa. he married Miss Mary COU RTNEY, by whom he has had four children, two sons and a dau ghter who are still living, and a daughter, deceased. Willi am J., born April 9, 1860, owns and operates a farm in Pol k county, Iowa. He married Miss Fannie CHAFFEY and they hav e a daughter, and two sons. Flora E., who was born on the 3 d of December, 1862, is the widow of ]Edward Derrickson an d resides at Swan, this county. She has four daughters an d two sons. Lydia Ann, born July 29, 1868, is the wife of W illiam Hyer, a farmer living in Minnesota, and they have fi ve sons and two daughters. A sketch of John Wesley, Jr., th e next in order of birth, appears elsewhere in this work. C harles P., born Feb. 7, 1874, resides in Omaha, NE, and i s successfully engaged in the grain business. He married Mi ss Dora Murphy and they have one son. Mettie A., who was bo rn Dec. 10, 1876, resides with her widowed mother at No. 80 3 Robinson St., Knoxville. Both are members of the Methodis t Episcopal church. Mr. McClain exercised his right of fran chise in support of the democratic party and manifests a ci tizen's interest in public affairs. His boyhood was passe d amid pioneer conditions in Iowa but at the time of his de ath the state had become one of the most prosperous of th e Union and villages and cities existed where in the earl y days there was nothing but the prairie covered with wil d grass. He was not only an interested witness of the man y and swift changes which have wrought this transformatio n but did his share to bring it about, aiding in the agricu ltural development of his county and seeking always to adva nce those phases of civilization represented by the schools , church and state.

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