DAVID McCLAY (deceased) was born December 28, 1854, a son of David and Margaret (McElroy) McClay, and was for many years one of the prominent men of his township. His boyhood was passed upon the home farm, and during the winter months he attended the district school, completing his education (as far as text-books were concerned) at the age of fourteen. But in those few years he had acquired that which is of far greater value than technical facts, an intense thirst for general knowledge, which increased in proportion to the information he had obtained. On January 23, 1873, he married Martha J. Paxton, daughter of Samuel and Martha Paxton, of Chartiers township, this county. Mr. McClay at once brought his bride to the old home farm, where they remained till 1877, when their present pleasant home was erected, to which they removed. The children born to this union were: Maggie E., James B., Albert J., Ralph S., Frank, and Earl (who died young). Mr. McClay was a stanch Republican, and took a deep interest in the political questions which occupied the attention of his party. He served as school director many years, and was one of the warmest friends of education to be found in the community. At an early age he united with the Disciple Church and was ever one of the most active, devoted conscientious members of that body. He was a man of fine physical development, and had always been an utter stranger to any form of ill health, until, stricken down by a fatal fever, he passed away, after a few weeks of suffering, October 27, 1889. A useful life was his, cut down in its very prime; a true friend and kind father was called away, and he was laid to rest in Washington cemetery, deeply mourned by his family and many friends.
Text taken from page 575 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).Transcribed June 1997 by George A. and Mary Ann Plance of Gainesville, FL as part of the Beers Project.
Published June 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.[ [Back to Beers Table of Contents] [Back to Beers Project Page]