Early life and the first threads
I followed the threads of a small-town novel-like life. In the first decade of the 20th century, he lived with coal smoke and rail whistles before moving to mid-century California’s upheaval and promise. Born in 1904, married in the late 1920s, had a son in 1931, another in 1935, and died in 1965. Those dates were bones around which a family formed, broke, and reconnected for decades.
I was intrigued by census-style minutes, family stories, and other people’s memories. Despite his modest public footprints, he left a legacy in Hollywood, editing rooms, and a few live descendants who carry his blood and stories.
Family roots – spouse Clara Clapp
She appears in the records as the steadfast partner who carried the household through its everyday dramas. Married in the late 1920s, she raised two sons and later carried a new surname after marriage changes typical of her time. She was the household’s quiet conductor, the person who made continuity possible while careers and relocations tugged at the family fabric. I imagine her hands at the ironing board, a ledger in one drawer, photographs in another, stitching generations together.
Children and careers – son the actor Doug McClure
One son stepped into the light and never quite left it. Born in 1935, he became a recognizable face on the screen, a figure whose name and image outpaced the quiet life of his father. The contrast fascinates me – a father who is cataloged in genealogy, and a son who is cataloged in marquee lights. The elder’s role in shaping that son’s early years is evident if you read between the lines: it was the soil that produced wildflowers and movie stars alike.
The younger son – the editorial life of Donald Reed McClure Jr.
There is a younger son with the same name whose path diverged into editorial rooms. Born in 1931, he is recorded as having worked for decades in the world of newspapers, shaping opinion one column at a time. I picture him in a smoky newsroom, typewriter clacking, surrounded by stacks of proofs and a radio for late night bulletins. It is poetic that two brothers with the same roots chose such different magnitudes of public life – one in the glare, one in the bylines.
Later generations – descendants Valerie McClure and Kayla Arendts
The family continues through grandchildren and great grandchildren. A granddaughter by one name and a great-grandchild by another carry fragments of the family story into the present. I do not meet them in person; I meet them in lineage charts and family recollections that speak of birthdays and holiday tables, of recipes and heirlooms passed from hand to hand. They are the living punctuation to a line that began over a century ago.
Career and finances – the small imprint of ordinary lives
The elder patriarch leaves a small career milestone trail. The younger guy who bore his name began a decades-long editorial career. Acting brought contracts, residuals, and fame for the other son. The older generation doesn’t hear about business empires or public wealth. If they existed, estates are discreet issues handled in county courts or private ledgers. It reminds us that cultural capital—manners, a sense of place, and family stories—are not always financial.
Timeline table
| Event | Date | Person or Role |
|---|---|---|
| Birth of the patriarch | 1904 | family patriarch |
| Marriage | Late 1920s | spouse and mother |
| Birth of younger son | 1931 | future editorial figure |
| Birth of actor son | 1935 | future screen actor |
| Recorded death of patriarch | 1965 | family patriarch |
| Recorded death of younger son | 2003 | editorial figure |
Houses, letters, and the small archives
I have walked through the idea of an archive that is not in any museum. It is a shoebox of letters with fading ink, a photograph curled at the edges, a newspaper clipping with a date penciled in the margin. Those fragments turn a name into a person. They reveal personality in small details – a quirk of spelling, the tone of a condolence note, the list of places someone traveled for work. I imagine family bibles and probate envelopes, the kind of paper trail that hums when you hold it.
Character sketches
He is shaped in my mind as someone practical and reserving. The spouse is the steadying figure. The actor son is mercurial and public. The editorial son is methodical and articulate. The later generations are custodians of memory, often the only people to know which stories are true and which are familial fictions. I find a rhythm in those contrasts, like watching different instruments play the same melody.
Why these lives matter to me
I write with the conviction that ordinary lives matter because they make the tapestry. Great events and famous names are only part of history. The rest is made of the daily acts of living – going to work, reading the morning paper, teaching a child to tie a shoe. Tracing this family makes me feel like a gardener who has dug under the surface of a lawn to find a root system complex enough to support many trees.
FAQ
Who was the central figure in this family
He was the family patriarch born in 1904 whose lifespan bridged major social and technological shifts. His life is recorded most clearly in family records and in the trajectories of his children.
Who were his spouse and children
His spouse, married in the late 1920s, raised two sons. One son became a well known actor born in 1935. The other son, born in 1931, worked in the editorial field for decades.
Are there living descendants
Yes. The family extends to grandchildren and great grandchildren who maintain the family story and household memories.
What did the younger generation accomplish
One son became a public figure in entertainment with a career spanning television and film. The other carved out a quieter but meaningful life shaping public opinion through editorial work.
Are there detailed financial records or large estates associated with the patriarch
No major public fortunes are attached to the patriarch. Financial traces are modest and typical of middle class households of the era. Any detailed probate records would be held in county archives.
What is the lasting legacy of the family
Their legacy is less about headlines and more about human continuity. It is present in a name passed down, in careers that touched public life, and in grandchildren and great grandchildren who still tell the family stories.
