Family of Claude Monroe* McCAIN

• Story. Half-sister Essie called him "Little Lord Jesus" because, in his father's eyes, he could do no wrong (because he was the only son) (recollection of Athae Mae).

• Census, 29 Jun 1900, Jackson Twp, Union Co, NC. ⁶⁰⁵
1) McCain, Mack, head of household, born Dec 1868, age 31, married for 3 years, born NC, parents born NC, farmer, can read and write, owns his farm free
2) McCain, J. Mary, wife, born Jan 1872, age 28, married for 3 years, 4 children, 3 living, born NC, parents born NC, can read and write
3) McCain, Claud, son, born Mar 1892, age 8, born NC, parents born NC
4) McCain, Cora, daughter, born Sept 1893, age 6, born NC, parents born NC
5) McCain, Naomi, daughter, born Nov 1896, age 3, born NC, parents born NC.

• Census, 4 May 1910, South Jackson Twp, Union Co, NC. ⁵⁸⁸
1) McCain, Harvey M., head of household, age 41, married for 2nd time for 5 years, born NC, parents born NC, farmer at general farm, owns his farm
2) McCain, Margaret, wife, age 41, married for 1st time for 5 years, 2 children, 1 living, born NC, parents born NC
3) McCain, Claud, son, age 17, born NC, parents born NC, farmer on general farm, attends school
4) McCain, Cora, daughter, age 15, born NC, parents born NC, attends school
5) McCain, Nona, daughter, age 12, born NC, parents born NC, attends school
6) McCain, Bessie, daughter, age 7, born NC, parents born NC, attends school
7) McCain, Essie, daughter, age 2/12, born NC, parents born NC.

• Residence, cir 1913, Jackson Twp, Union Co, NC. The property where Claude's farm was located was on the east side of Providence Road, across from his father's home. Perhaps this property originally belonged to his father.

• Appearance in Document: WW1 Draft Registration, 5 Jun 1917, Union Co, NC. ⁵⁶⁰³ Name: Cloud Monroe McCaine; City: Waxhaw RFD 2; County: Union; State: North Carolina; Birthplace: Union, North Carolina; Birth Date: 27 Feb 1892; Farming for self; Married, supporting wife and 3 children; Grey eyes, brown hair, medium height, medium build. Signature Claud Monroe McCain.

• Census, 13 Feb 1920, Jackson Twp, Union Co, NC. ²⁸⁶
1) McCain, Claud M., head of household, owns his farm on Providence and Potter Roads, age 28, married, can read and write, born NC, parents born NC, farmer on general farm
2) McCain, Della E., wife, age 28, married, can read and write, born NC, parents born NC
3) McCain, Willaim T., son, age 6, attends school, born NC, parents born NC
4) McCain, Atha Mae, daughter, age 5 1/12, born NC, parents born NC
5) McCain, Edna B., daughter, age 2 10/12, born NC, parents born NC
6) McCain, Irene, daughter, age 6/12, born NC, parents born NC.

• Census, 28 Apr 1930, Jackson Twp, Union Co, NC. ²⁶⁸
1) McCain, Claud M., head of household, owns his farm on "improved clay road," age 38, married first at age 20, born NC, parents born NC, farmer
2) McCain, Della E., wife, age 38, married first at age 20, born NC, parents born NC
3) McCain, Wm T., son, age 16, attends school, born NC, parents born NC
4) McCain, Atha M., daughter, age 15, attends school, born NC, parents born NC
5) McCain, Edna B., daughter, age 13, attends school, born NC, parents born NC
6) McCain, Irene, daughter, age 10, attends school, born NC, parents born NC
7) McCain, Sarah N., daughter, age 8, attends school, born NC, parents born NC.

• Story, cir 1932. Robert and Maxel Harkey (children of Della's sister Carrie) went to live with Mama and Papa after their parents died (perhaps from the influenza epidemic).

• Census, 2 Apr 1940, Jackson Twp, Union Co, NC. ²⁸⁰
1. McCain, Claude, head of household, owns his farm, valued at $1000, age 48, married, completed 7th grade, born NC, lived at same house on 1 April 1935, worked 60 hours during week of March 24-30, occupation farmer at farm, worked on own account, worked 52 weeks in 1939, wages $0 in 1939, received other income
2. McCain, Della, wife, age 48, married, completed 9th grade, born NC, lived at same house on 1 April 1935, engaged in home housework, unpaid family worker, worked 52 weeks in 1939, wages $0 in 1939, received no other income
3. Councilman, Atha Mae, daughter, age 25, married, completed 3 years of high school, born NC, lived at same house on 1 April 1935, engaged in home housework, unpaid family worker, worked 52 weeks in 1939, wages $0 in 1939, received no other income
4. McCain, Edna Boyce, daughter, age 22, single, completed 2 years of college, born NC, lived at same house on 1 April 1935, worked 36 hours during week of March 24-30, occupation sales girl at retail dry goods, wage or salary worker, worked 36 weeks in 1939, earned $648 in 1939, no other income
5. Hayes, John M., son-in-law, age 24, maried, completed 3 years of high school, born SC, lived in rural area in Lancaster County, SC, on 1 April 1935, worked 42 hours during week of March 24-30, occupation laborer on road construction, wage or salary worker, worked 42 weeks during 1939, earned $1050 during 1939, no other income
6. Hayes, Irene, daughter, age 20, married, completed 3 years of high school, born NC, lived at same house on 1 Apil 1935, engaged in home housework, nonpaid family worker, worked 52 weeks during 1939, earned $0, no other income
7. Harkey, Maxel, niece, age 21, single, completed 2 years of college, born NC, lived in same house on 1 April 1935, engaged in home housework, nonpaid family worker, worked 52 weeks in 1939, earned $0 in 1939, no other income
8. Harkey, Robert, nephew, age 19, single, completed 7th grade, born NC, lived in same house on 1 April 1935, worked 48 hours during week of March 24-30, occupation laborer on farm, worked on own account, worked 52 weeks during 1939, earned $0 in 1939, no other income
9. Councilman, Shirley, granddaughter, age 5, not in school, born NC, lived in same house on 1 April 1935
10. Councilman, Manly, grandson, age 3, born NC
11. Hayes, Richard, grandson, age 0/12, born NC.

• Story, cir 1940. Shirley (Councilman) Lindley says: When I lived in that neighborhood, the road in front of Papa's was still a dirt road. I don't remember when it was paved; probably around 1948. It was more than clay though; the state put a layer of gravel on it periodically.

• Story. ²⁷¹ In North Carolina the fourth year of high school was not required (or available, I suppose) until 1947; therefore those who finished three years of high school were high school graduates. Although Claude had only a 7th grade education, he read the Charlotte Observer every day and kept his own financial records. He taught his grandchildren to do cancellation of fractions when he taught them to compute board feet of lumber he had cut in his sawmill.

• Appearance in Document: Will of father Harvey McCain, 28 Jan 1942, Union Co, NC. ⁵⁸² In the will of his father, it states that his son, C. M. McCain, is indebted to him for over $200, but the will states that he should only have to pay back $50 to the estate and the remaining debt be forgiven.

• Story, cir 1943. During WW2, he ran a sawmill at Camp Sutton (Monroe), with POWs as workers. He told a story that one day during a break one of the prisoners carved himself a pair of wooden shoes. (recollection of Shirley)

• Occupation: Farmer, 1950. ⁵⁷⁶

• Census, 16 Apr 1950, Jackson Twp, Union Co, NC. ⁵⁷⁶
1) McCain, Claude M., head, 58, married, b NC, lives on farm on right side of road from Waxhaw to Hwy, more than 3 acres, agricultural questionnaire number 49, worked 40 hrs farming own farm
2) McCain, Vera M., wife, 52, married, b NC, homemaker.

• Story. Ran a portable sawmill, which he would take to wherever it was needed. Also had a threshing machine which he would take from farm to farm, sometimes being paid with a share of the crop. He also used the threshing machine on his own wheat. "Navy Mills" was a black man who lived on the property with his wife Ruby and many children; they had a home on the back side of McCain hill. Navy helped with the sawmill and threshing and grew his own crops. Papa farmed a little, and had some dairy cows. The cows were a registered herd. Papa did his farming following the guidelines of the County Agent, who would bring people to the farm to demonstrate the results. The cows were milked twice a day, and the milk was picked up in the morning by Carnation (Carnation would take the full can and leave another to be filled). To keep the milk cool between the evening milking and the time the milk was picked up in the morning, the milk can was kept in a barrel of water. The barrel was located just outside the kitchen door. The water in the barrel was pumped from the well, so it was very cold. Shirley remembers climbing into the barrel to jump and splash in the water on hot days. There was a motor to pump the water (this same motor could be connected to other devices, such as sharpening tools, to power them). Each night, the barrel would be emptied and refilled from the well, so there was a perpetual mud puddle next to the barrel. (knowledge of Shirley Councilman Lindley)

• Story. Was an avid fisherman. Manley tells stories about times when someone would stop by the sawmill and invite Papa to go fishing. He would send all the sawmill workers home (or they could join the fishing group), shut down the sawmill, and go fishing instead. Another time, his wife Vee was in the hospital, so he thought it would be a good time to go fishing. He went to South Carolina and did not get back until very late. By the time he got back, there was a group of people at his house, searching for him. They were worried that something had happened to him since no one knew where he was. A man who did not know him told him that "Mr. McCain was lost" but Papa said "Well, Hell, I'm right here!"

• Story. His house on McCain Hill on Providence Road outside Waxhaw did not have an indoor bathroom. They had a chamber pot, which caused a lot of confusion when the great-grandchildren visited one time, because one (Virginia Lindley) could not figure out how to flush it. I have slides of this home, and a picture of Papa and Mama in front of the home when it was first built in 1913, holding W.T.

• Story. Had a dog named Texas. When the dog died, he was buried on a hill, and Papa started calling that hill "Texas". When Papa later added more land to his property, he named a hill on the new property "Arkansas" because it was further away than Texas (even though Arkansas is not further away than Texas) (recollection of Shirley)

• Occupation: Farmer. ⁵⁷⁸

• Appearance in Document: Death Certificate, 5 Aug 1974, Union Co, NC. ⁵⁷⁸ Claude Monroe McCain, b 27 Feb 1892 in NC, son of Harvey Maxwell McCain and Mary Jane Neal, resident of Rt 4 Waxhaw, NC, married to Vara Belk, occupation farming, d 24 July 1974 at Union Memorial Hospital, Monroe, NC, informant Mrs. C. M. McCain, same address. Buried Walkersville Presbyterian, Union Co, NC.

• Social Security Number: 242-20-9775A. ⁵⁶⁹

Claude married Della Eugenia* HELMS, daughter of Evan Alexander* HELMS and Sarah Lavinia* REEDER, on 14 Aug 1912 in Lancaster Co, SC.⁵⁷⁷ (Della Eugenia* HELMS was born on 28 Oct 1891 in Union Co, NC,⁴⁷⁷⁴ died on 10 Aug 1941 in Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co, NC ²⁶⁶ ^,4774 ^,5605 and was buried in Jackson Twp, Union Co, NC ²⁶⁶ ^,4774 ^,5605.)

Noted events in their marriage were:

• Story, 14 Aug 1912, Lancaster Co, SC. ⁵⁷⁷ Claude Monroe McCain married Della Eugenia Helms on 14 Aug 1912 at Unity ARP Church, SC. It was a double ring ceremony with Claude's sister Naomi and Della's brother Raymond. Service was done by Rev Young, who's wife was Mae Young, hence Athae Mae.

Claude next married Vera Mae BELK, daughter of William Larkin BELK and Ida Jane BROOME, on 14 Aug 1912 in Lancaster Co, SC. (Vera Mae BELK was born on 19 Jul 1898 in North Carolina,⁵⁶⁸ died on 16 Sep 1984 in Monroe, Union Co, NC ⁵⁶⁸ ^,569 ^,570 and was buried in Monroe, Union Co, NC ⁵⁶⁸.)

McCAIN, Claude Monroe* 266,569,578

McCAIN, Claude Monroe* ²⁶⁶ ^,569 ^,578