Marion Clark McClelland

Marion Clark McClelland was the next to youngest child of Alexander McClelland and Lucinda Rogers. He and his brother Otto were under the guardianship of Anna Mae's father, John Allen McClelland. Marion stood by his brother all through the Pond Murder court proceedings.

Marion was the only great-uncle my mother and Aunt Vivian remembered from their childhood. John Allen may well have named his youngest son, Marion Arthur McClelland after him. (My mother, Marion Virginia Villiger, carried on the name, a story I'll tell another time.)

Aunt Vivian told me her great-uncle moved his family to Urbana so his children could attend the University of Illinois, to save money. Marion worked on the Illinois Central, and though Chaaign-Urbana wasn't on his route, he could freely commute to his starting point. Both my Mom and Aunt Vivian knew him when they attended the University of Illinois. My Mom and Dad graduated there in 1937, Mom in mathematics and Dad in accounting.

Marion Clark McClelland

“History of the Illinois Central Railroad Co. and Representative Employees,” Page 306

Railroad Historical Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1900

MARION McCLELLAND, conductor on the Amboy division of the Illinois Central Railroad, entered the service of the road as a brakeman on the Clinton district of the Amboy division, September 9, 1888 and was promoted to conductor November 20, 1892, serving as extra for a time, and in 1896 took a regular run in the freight service, running from Clinton to Centralia, where he is still employed.

Mr. McClelland is a native of Centralia, where he was born in 1865. He is a member of Division No. 112, O. R. C., Plantagenet Lodge No 25, K. of P., and is a Mason in high standing, being connected with DeWit Lodge No. 84, A. F. & A. M., Goodbrake Chapter No. 59, and Commandery No. 66, all of Clinton, Illinois.

Source 5431: The Decatur Daily Review, Decatur, Illinois Saturday 12 February 1938 page 2 (Newspapers.com)

Former I.C. Conductor, Marion McClelland, Dies

By Staff Correspondent

CLINTON–Marion C. McClelland, 72, retired Illinois Central conductor, and a former resident of Clinton, died suddenly at 6 a.m. Friday in his home in Champaign of a heart attack.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete but will probably be held Monday.

Marion Clark McClelland

He was born June 4, 1865 and was employed as a conductor for the Illinois Central 47 years, retiring three years ago. He lived in Clinton 16 years before moving to Champaign several years ago.

He leaves his wife, and five children, Marion, New York City; Harold, Huron, S.D.; Robert, Gary, INd.; Mrs. Grace Armstrong, Davenport, Iowa; and Ednamaw McClelland, Dwight.

He was a member of the McKinley Memorial Presbyterian church and all Masonic orders in Clinton.