Nansemond County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....MacClenny, Wilbur E., 1950 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ Rites This Afternoon For Major MacClenny Funeral services for Major Wilbur E. MacClenny, 74, one of the South's noted historians, who died Friday night in a local hospital, will be held this afternoon at 3 o'clock at the Suffolk Christian Church. The Rev. Duane Vore, pastor of the Christian Church, will conduct the services. Burial will follow in Cedar Hill Cemetery. Mr. MacClenny was historian for the Christian Church throughout the Southern States. Death came to Suffolk's well-known historian and churchman after a lengthy illness. The Major was born in the Myrtle section of Nansemond County on April 17, 1876, the son of David and Ann Maria Holland MacClenny [sic; McClenny]. Graduate of Elon He attended the public and private schools of the day, and then entered Elon College, from which he was graduated with the Bachelor of Philosophy degree in 1897. He also studied at Washington and and Lee University in Lexington and in 1912, at the age of 37, he was honored with the Master of Arts degree by Elon College. Prior to this, he taught for two years in the public schools of Hobson and Cypress Chapel. His teaching was interrupted by the war between the United States and Spain. He volunteered as a private in Company G, 5th Virginia Regiment of Infantry at Richmond in 1898. His war service took him to Jacksonville, Fla., where he was transferred to a hospital corps and sent to Savannah. There he became acting hospital steward. Was Sent to Cuba From Savannah he went to Havana, Cuba, where he was finally discharged upon cessation of hostilities. Because of this military experience he was commissioned a second lieutenant of the Suffolk Home Guard organized during World War I, assigned to Company C. He was active in the organization of the Vaughan-Causey Camp of the United Spanish-American War Veterans in 1930, served as its commander. He was historian of the Virginia Department of this organization for years. For one year he served on the staff of the National Commander of the Spanish War Veterans. For 12 years he was secretary-treasurer of the Nathaniel Bacon Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution. A member of the Christian Church since 1888, he served it as a Sunday School teacher, as a deacon since 1915, as a trustee of the Suffolk Christian Church, and as historian of the entire Christian Church in Virginia and the South. Business Associations As a business man he was associated with the Lee Brothers and Company, Norfolk, in 1899, but in 1902 returned to Suffolk to be associated with the insurance firm of Harper and West. He was connected with the Farmers Bank of Nansemond County, Suffolk, and with the American Bank and Trust Company, also of Suffolk. He organized the Farmers Bank of Sunbury, N.C., and was its cashier during a number of years. He also was cashier of the Bank of Zuni, Zuni, Va. He was for a time secretary of the Suffolk Mutual Building and Loan Company. He was associated with West and Withers for 23 years. He was secretary of the Virginia Historical Society, and an associate member of the American Historical Society. Writer of Note As an author he had a wide experience. During the Spanish-American War he sent dispatches to the Suffolk Herald. He later wrote the Life of the Rev. James O'Kelly and the Early Christian Church in the South. He wrote the history of the Jones-Lee families of Nansemond County, Suffolk and Nansemond County's Part in the first World War, which was published by the Virginia War Historical Commission. He wrote the History of the Peanut, and a series history of Gates County, N.C. These are but a few of the things he has written. He had for many years been in demand for special articles for newspapers and other periodicals of the state and nation. Because of his seemingly inexhaustible knowledge of family history, he had long since been included in "Who Is Who In Genealogy." He married the former Miss Martha Irene Brothers, daughter of William R. and Martha Sarah Brothers on November 15, 1905. In 1939 he was commissioned a major on the staff of General Julian Howell, commander-in-chief of the United Confederate Veterans of America, who has since died. Surviving are in addition to his wife; three brothers, E.D. MacClenny, of Marion, S.C., Sidney L. McClenny, of Nansemond County and J.D. McClenny, of Suffolk; three nieces, Mrs. Golden Blackburn, of Marion, S.C., Miss Anne McClenny, of Hollins College, and Miss Virginia McClenny, of Suffolk. A request has been made by the family that floral tributes not he sent. [photo, captioned:] Major Wilbur E. MacClenney [sic; MacClenny] Major Wilbur Earnest MacCLENNY, banker, businessman & historian, Spanish-American War veteran, b. 27 Apr 1875, Myrtle, Nan.Co., d. 2 Mar 1950, at home, near Chuckatuck, interred in Cedar Hill Cemetery (Block A, Lot 31*), Suffolk, 4 Mar 1950, "Suffolk (VA) News-Herald," Vol. 26, No. 282, Sun., Mar. 5, 1950, p. 3 *Additional information: Cedar Hill list, an extension of the Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/cemeteries/cedar_m.txt Photos of his gravestone - added by Amber Gonzalez Steve Poole - are posted with Find a Grave Memorial #136103565. His parents are buried in the same lot. D.Cert. 5808 (Suffolk #66) He spelled his surname MacCLENNY, although his parents did not. A series of articles on the history of the Christian Church South, by Major MacCLENNY, focusing on founder Rev. James O'KELLY, ("Suffolk News-Herald," Apr. 4-8, 1941) is posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/history/chr_ch.txt Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by File Manager Matt Harris (zoobug64@aol.com). file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/obits/m245w3ob.txt