McLuen / McCluen
Story of how William McLuen helped his brothers and sisters come to America.
This is a copy of a school report written by Lucy Reddig Clevenger in her own handwriting about her mother Sara McCluen (Sarah McLuen).
My Parents & The Early Days
My Mother was born in Strokestown, Rosscommon County. They had a family of 8 children. They had canopy beds, and they cleaned their wood floors with sand and rubbed their floors then swept it out. The oldest boy Will McCluen came to the US and worked for his Uncle in a Harness shop, and when the Mother died in Ireland, the Home burnt down and the father was sick and getting old he couldn't keep his family so Will sent money to have some of the children brought to the US. John, Delia, Sara, my mother, & Sue and the three younger girls were sent to a boarding school, my Mother was 11 yrs. old. Delia & John were older. Sue was younger. They came over on a sailing boat, and they got caught in a storm which blowed them off of their course. They were on the ocean for 10 weeks. A woman died on the ship and was buried at sea. They put her in a canvas bag with sand in each end. They put her on a plank and preached a sermon and buried her in the sea. Two days out from the US they ran out of water and had to use ocean water to cook with. John and the 3 girls were sent to Rock Island, Ill. where the girls got work in homes and John got work on a farm. My father folk, Mr. & Mrs. Edward Reddig, came from Holland and settled in Pennsylvania for a while, then they moved to Rock Island Ill., father had 2 brothers, 1 sister. My father, John Reddig, learnt the shoe making trade repair work and made his own boots and shoes and that is where my mother & father met. They were married in 1873. My mother belonged to the Espicol [sic
Episcopal] church, father was Catholic so the wedding was in the Catholic church. They lived in Rock Island untill [sic
until] 1880. Alice, Irving and Margarett were born & baptised in Rock Islan, then they started out for Kansas, 1880, by covered wagon to take up Homesteads. My folks and his brother and the father & mother Mr. & Mrs. Edward Reddig, they came in a covered wagon and through clow (sp?) which they said was so rough, just like a wash board. Mr. & Mrs. Young (Kate Young), neighbors of my father in Rock Island, came west also and took up a homestead. I can't remember if they came then or later.
Above left, John's death bill. Statement is dated Sept. 29, 1896, Stuart, Iowa and is written to the Estate of John McCluen, in Account with G. D. Eustis, "Furniture and Wall Paper. Undertaking a Specialty". Aug. '96, one Casket, $55; one Suit of Clothes, $15; Embalming $10; Herse [sic
hearse] $10. Total: $90. "I. G. D. Eustis hereby certify that the above bill is a correct and true bill against the Estate of John McCluen that the ?? is my property and is wholey unpaid. G. D. Eustis. Subscribed and sworn to by G. D. Eustis before me this 29th day of Sept. 1896. W. P. Heckman??, Notary Public. Received Payment G. D. Eustis.
Above right, from the
Guthrian, Thursday, July 3, 1879, pg. 3: McLuen Bros, at their blacksmith shop, Guthrie Center, are agents for the Walter A. Woods Reapers, and Harvesters. Farmers will find it to their interest to call and examine these machines and learn prices before purchasing.
NOTE: The above 4 images, along with a photo of
John and Ellen Reddig were found among the Guthrie IAGenWeb server files after the loss of previous County Coordinator, Carla McLuen Hilgren. Presumably Carla was in the process of placing them online.
Transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass, September, 2023.
