OBIT: Henry Clay McKINLEY, 1932, Meyersdale, Somerset County, PA

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Meyersdale Library.
Transcribed and proofread by: Richard Boyer.

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HENRY CLAY McKINLEY

Veteran Henry Clay McKinley Garnered by the Grim Reaper

Venerable Physician and Patriotic Citizen Passes Peacefully Away After His 
Life's Work Was Done - Was Active and Picturesque Figure in Meyersdale Community 
for Sixty Years - One of Last Survivors of Local Post of Grand Army

  Doctor Henry Clay McKinley, Meyersdale's most venerable and picturesque 
citizen, passed peacefully away at his home on Salisbury Street at 8:10 p.m., 
Tuesday, March 29, at the age of 91 years, 5 months and 25 days.
  Funeral services will be held at the McKinley home at 2:30 p.m., Friday, April 
1, followed by interment in Union Cemetery.  The services at the cemetery will 
be in charge of McKinley Camp, Sons of Union Veterans named in his honor, and 
will be the regular G.A.R. service.
  In spite of his great age he was spry of step and mentally alert almost to the 
very end of his days.  Thru most of the past winter he was unable to leave his 
bedroom, and only at intervals could he leave his bed and sit in a chair.  The 
passing days were placing their mark upon him, physically, but he never fretted 
about his condition.  He faced the inevitable with remarkable fortitude and 
seemed to feel that since so many of his loved ones and his dearest friends had 
already gone to the great beyond, it was better that he should be going to them 
than to linger here far beyond man's alotted span of life.
  But the waning of his physical strength did not impair his mentality.  Always 
of superior intelligence and mentally alert, his brain continued to function and 
his memory remained undimmed until his days were almost fully numbered.
  During the last four or five weeks of his life he dictated his memoirs to a 
member of the Republican staff, and this dictation was completed only the day 
before he was stricken by the illness which finally proved fatal.  The final 
chapter and postlude of his memoirs will appear in this paper next week.
  Immediately after he had finished his dictation he seemed to feel that his 
work was done and that it was time for him to go hence.  The end came only a few 
days after he said farewell to the reporter who paid him weekly visits to take 
notes on his long and useful career.
  Readers of The Republican who have read the issues of March 2, 17 and 24, are 
by this time quite familiar with Dr. McKinley's long and eventful life.  
Therefore, an extensive obituary at this time is unnecessary.  However, the 
following synopsis of his career is given.
  Henry Clay McKinley, son of the late Arthur and Ruhamah Rowland McKinley, was 
born in Flintstone, Md., October 5, 1840.  He was a great-grandson of Henry 
McKinley who emigrated from Ireland to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in 1754.  This 
same pioneer was the grandfather of the late President William McKinley.
  Henry Clay McKinley at the age of 2 1/2 years came with his parents from 
Flintstone, Md., to Salisbury, Somerset County, Pa., where he spent his boyhood 
and got his primary education in the short-term country and village schools of 
those pioneer days.  His father, Arthur McKinley, was a saddler by trade and 
veterinary surgeon.  He was also the superintendent of the Reformed-Lutheran 
union Sunday School in Salisbury for many years and postmaster of Elk Lick 
postoffice under several Republican administrations, following the Civil War.
  Henry Clay learned the brickmaking trade during his boyhood and became an 
expert brick-maker, which was his first vocation.
  In 1855, at the age of 15, he went to work as chore boy for Dr. Stewart, then 
practicing medicine in Salisbury.  When the first railroad through Somerset 
County and what is now the town of Meyersdale, then known as Meyers Mills, was 
projected and work was commenced on Sand Patch tunnel, Dr. Stewart moved to 
Meyers Mills and his chore boy went with him.  In 1856 work on the tunnel was 
temporarily abandoned on account of the absconsion of a paymaster, and Dr. 
Stewart moved to Frostburg, Md., and started a drug store there. Young Clay 
McKinley went with him as his clerk.  When Lincoln became President, Dr. Stewart 
was appointed postmaster of Frostburg and his drug clerk became assistant 
postmaster.
  When "Father Abraham" called for volunteers to put down the rebellion, Clay 
McKinley returned to Salisbury and enlisted in the first company of volunteer 
infantry recruited in this county, Co. A, 10th Pennsylvania Reserves.  His 
regiment was assigned to the Army of the Potomac and was sent into Virginia to 
confront Gen. Lee's Army which was threatening an attack on Washington.  But 
before the command he was attached to become engaged with the enemy Clay 
McKinley contracted rheumatism and other ailments due to exposure and 
privations, and was sent to a hospital in Philadelphia, where after several 
months internment as an invalid, he was discharged from the military service on 
account of heart trouble and rheumatism.  He was but 21 years old when he was 
discharged from the army.  Returning to Frostburg, Dr. Stewart doctored and re-
employed him and eventually restored him to health.
  Although physically disabled for further military service young McKinley's 
heart burned with patriotism and he was intensely interested in the Union cause 
until the rebellion was crushed and the Union restored.  Patriotism continued to 
be the ruling passion of Henry Clay McKinley's life.  He was one of the charter 
members of M. C. Lowry Post, No. 214, G.A.R., and was the post commander during 
the greater part of its existence, and during the latter years of the 
organization was almost its sole active member.  For more than 50 years he took 
a leading part in all patriotic occasions and demonstrations in Meyersdale, and 
was the most punctilious of all residents of Meyersdale in showing proper 
respect for the flag and in inculcating patriotism in the rising generation.
  Dr. Stewart encouraged his clerk to take up the study of medicine as his 
profession and about the close of the Civil War urged and helped him to go to 
Philadelphia to hear medical lectures which was the method then employed for 
training young physicians.  In due time he secured a diploma and license to 
practice medicine.  He went to Stoutsville, Ohio, after his graduation as an 
M.D., and practiced there for two years, then was called back to Meyers Mills as 
this town was then still called, to practice medicine here.  He returned in time 
to help fight the great typhoid fever epidemic which raged here in 1869 and 1870 
and resulted in the death of many of the inhabitants.
  On Nov. 17, 1872, Dr. McKinley was united in marriage with Miss Lydia A. 
Beachly, daughter of Daniel Beachly, one of the outstanding, substantial 
citizens of this community for many years.  Miss Beachly was an estimable young 
woman who brought much happiness and many blessings to her husband.  Shortly 
after their marriage Dr. and Mrs. McKinley went to Waterloo, Iowa, to make their 
home there, but in 1876 returned to Meyersdale where they resided the remainder 
of their lives.  Mrs. McKinley passed away about fifteen years ago, mourned by 
the entire community, owing to her splendid character and many virtues.
  Two children were born to Dr. and Mrs. McKinley, namely Miss Mary Jessie, who 
never left the parental home, and who was her father's faithful housekeeper 
after her mother's death until he, too, passed on, and Daniel Arthur McKinley, a 
civil and construction engineer, who has made his home in Louisiana for many 
years, where he is at present employed by the U.S. Government on the levees 
which prevent the Mississippi River from inundating the city of New Orleans and 
surrounding country.  Owing to the river being at flood stage at this time of 
year, he was unable to get leave from his work to attend his father's funeral.
  Besides his children, Dr. McKinley is also survived by two sisters, Mrs. 
Thomasine McDowell, aged 88, of Salisbury and Meyersdale, and Mrs. Anna Hart 
Fuller, of California.
  One sister, Kearen, Mrs. Casper Wahl, died some years ago.  Three brothers are 
also deceased - William Shakespeare McKinley, who died of Civil War wounds; Dr. 
Daniel O'Connell McKinley, who practiced dentistry in Salisbury, and Stephen R. 
McKinley, who was a harness maker and postmaster of Salisbury for several terms.
  Miss Annie O. McKinley of Salisbury is a niece, and Dr. Oberlin McKinley of 
Salisbury and Herbert McKinley of Baltimore are nephews of the deceased 
physician.
  Dr. McKinley was a lifelong independent Republican and at various times was a 
reform candidate for legislative offices, including Representative of Congress, 
but never held an elective office.
  After the death of the late Emanuel M. Lichty five or six years ago, 
Congressman S. A. Kendall got Dr. McKinley appointed as a doorkeeper of the 
House of Representatives, which office he held until his death, although not 
able to attend to the duties of the office the last few years on account of 
physical infirmities.
  Dr. McKinley was one of the organizers of the Somerset County Medical Society 
and was its efficient secretary for more than 38 years, when he retired owing to 
failing health.
  He was also one of the charter members of the first Council of the Junior 
Order of United American Mechanics in Meyersdale and was an official in that 
organization for many years.
  He was a lifelong member of the Reformed Church, but in deference to the 
religious affiliations of his wife and daughter, attended the Brethren Church 
during the greater part of his life, and for many years was the teacher of the 
Ladies Bible Class of the Main Street Brethren Church.  The funeral services at 
2:30 Friday afternoon, at his late residence, will be conducted by Rev. Willis 
E. Ronk, pastor of the Main Street Brethren Church, and Rev. B. A. Black, pastor 
of Amity Reformed Church.

Meyersdale Republican, March 31, 1932