«Unfortunately, we know nothing about Joseph McClure (father of my grandfather) other than the name on the birth certificate. This is the family story...

Before my grandfather was born, his father, Joseph McClure, was killed in a train robbery. He supposedly worked in the mail car. The robbers attacked the train, killed him and threw him from the train along with the mail bags. His body was never found.

It was always assumed that my great grandmother and he were married. Not so. One of my aunts swears that her father, my grandfather, took them to the cemetery in the town of Nokomis and showed them the gravesite for this man.

Again, not so. He is not buried in that cemetery. After hearing that story, my Mom and I went back to Nokomis. We talked to the lady at the newspaper and then to the lady in charge of the cemetery. We looked at EVERY card for every plot and person in the cemetery. He just is not there. Who is there are my grandfather's grandparents and his mother. I am sure that is who my aunt is thinking of.

As for the Scottish name, McClure... it is under the McLoed or McLeod (not sure of the spelling) family. A branch.

I found a Joseph McClure in the census who matched with age and family origin and he lived in the same county as my great grandmother... about 10 miles away. Married another woman about 3 months before my grandfather was born. It may or may not be the same person. There is no way of knowing.

I am sure that the train robbery story was told to protect my grandfather. Heaven forbid that he be illegitimate! It really made my one aunt angry that I should even suggest such a thing. But I have the proof from his mother’s marriage license to my grandfather's stepfather. So it goes.

And that is the story of the McClures »