The W. R. McClellan Family - Family Histories

      Mr. and Mrs. McClellan, with their four children - Mary, Lela, Claud and Mildred moved to Coleman around 1890. W. R. was born at Washington-on-the-Brazos in 1845. His parents came to Texas from Tennessee and lived in Texas at Brenham, Giddings, Ledbetter, Burton, and several other places. Mrs. McClellan, Louisa Ratliff, came from Mississippi with her parents in 1865 after the War Between the States. W. R. and Louisa met and they married in 1867. He was a banker and a farmer. He bought land to build homes for himself, his son and two of his daughters on one block, and the other daughter lived down the street. He was very active in the First Christian Church and was a member of the legislature from Coleman for a brief time. They built a new home in 1902, which was a beautiful old Victorian house. It was there until 1949 when it was sold and torn down. In 1917, they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. W. R. died in 1921 and Louisa in 1930.

     All of the McClellan children went to college. Mary, went to Old Independence in Central Texas; Lela went to Baylor College in Belton; Mildred, to Kidd Key in Sher-man, and Baylor; Claud graduated from Add Ran (T.C. U.) in 1899 and was captain of the first football team there, then to the University of Texas, taking a law degree in 1900.

     Mary "Sister" married H.J. O'Hair. They had a big home one block from the railroad station, he had several farms which he watched diligently and worked in. He lived in town except during the First World War, when they lived on the farm. Mary was active in the First Christian Church, also a member of the Texas Federation of Women and of the Pen Women of Texas. In 1923, Gov. Pat Neff appointed her to the Board of Regents where she served as the first woman on the Board of University of Texas. She served with distinction for several years. The O' Hairs had one son, Will. His son, Rob, June 6, 1912-April 11, 1984, buried in Coleman, went to Texas Tech and the University of Texas where he received a law degree. He married Yvonne Thornton. One son, Rob. They live in Coleman.

     Lela "Whoodie" married Oscar Johnston. After several years they were divorced. After living alone for a number of years, she went to live with the 'Hairs in their home. Lela and Mary (Sister) had many trips. Their first trip was to Europe in 1914, later to Hawaii, Japan, China, India, South America, Greece, the Holy Land, Egypt, and Spain. Lela died in 1932, but during the time before her death, she with another friend in Coleman, Bishop Chambers (he was called Bishop because he was very active in the Episcopal Church) organized a Welfare League for Coleman, which was a great innovation. It was largely for the benefit of the Mexican community. Lela was a fine musician, had studied music a good deal, and played the flute at the church every Sunday.

     Claud lived an adventuresome life before he married. He had a fine singing voice and joined various groups of professional singers, singing and sang at the Christian Church wherever he lived all his life. He married Maud Lewis (see W. B. Lewis). They had two daughters, Frances Louisa and Mary Lewis. They all lived in Coleman until shortly after Mary's birth in 1913, when they moved to Dallas for about 16 years. Maud and Claud then moved back to Coleman. In the meantime both girls had gone through the public schools in Dallas, and both went on to get their degrees from the University of Texas. Frances married Sam W. Marshall, Jr. of Dallas and had two sons, Sam III and John McClellan. Mary married John B. Stigall, Jr. of Dallas and had two daughters, Mary Elizabeth Brittigan (Betsy) and Claudia. When Claud and Maud moved back to Coleman in 1930, he was the agent for the Texas Company there for several years, retiring due to poor health. He died in 1948. Maud sold her home and moved back to Dallas.

     Mildred married in 1907, Walter Woodward (see Woodward).

     Some of the social activities the McClellan sisters and Maud enjoyed were the DAR and the Thursday Bridge Club, and in the early days, the Self Culture Club. There was a library in Coleman and Sister O'Hair worked with Mrs. J.A.B. Miller on that. Other relatives of the McClellan family that lived in Coleman were the Sam Gilliland family. He was W. R.'s nephew (see Sam H. Gilliland and E. S. Mc-Clellan). Also, McCains (see Stanton Harold McCain) and Dunns who moved to the county. All of the first and second generation are buried in the Coleman Cemetery.