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John William McClaskey 1929
MILAN'S OLDEST BLACKSMITH DIED AT HIS HOME HERE JULY 18
Milan's Blacksmith died at His Home Here July 18
Wm McClaskey Had Wielded the Sledge and Melded Plow Shares for Fifty Years
"And he sang: 'Hurrah for my handiwork!'
and the red sparks lit the air;
Not alone for the blade was the bright steel made;
And he fashioned the first ploughshare"
Milan's village blacksmith is dead.
Probably, John William McClaskey, WHO DIED AT HIS HOME IN Milan, July 11, 1929,
was the oldest village blacksmith working at his trade in Missouri.
He was born in Sullivan County October 4, 1857, and was 71 years, 9 months and 4
days old. He was united in marriage May 2, 1875, to Miss Margaret Cochran and to
this union five sons were born, namely: Albert I McClaskey, who died in 1920; A.
R., J. W., Forrest R., of Milan, and James A. of Harris. January 28, 1920, he
was married to Mrs. Clevenger Williams. He had been in poor health the past
twelve years, but was only sick about a week. The immediate cause of his death,
being the attack of pneumonia, caused by catching a severe cold.
He had lived in Milan for fifty years and had worked at the blacksmithing trade
ever since he located here. He was an honest, hard-working and frugal citizen
and lived a Christian life, having been a member of the M. E. Church for thirty
years.
A wife, four sons, seventeen grandchildren and nine great grandchildren are left
to mourn his departure.
Funeral services were held at the home Sunday, July 21, 1929 at 2:00 p. m. Rev.
Wilson Bentley, pastor
*From a Milan newspaper
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