Clara Dell McDonel was born on June 6, 1879, in Philipsburg. She graduated from Granite County High School with the first graduating class of 1898. Her parent’s, Charles and Elizabeth McDonel moved to Montana in 1871, with their first two children: Robert and Mary.
Charles was born on March 9, 1837 in Ireland and came to the United States at the age of seven. The family settled at Beetown, Wisconsin. As a young adult he came to California in 1862, then returned to his hometown and married Elizabeth Hammond. Charles died on August 28, 1906, after a short illness, at his home on Montgomery Street. He was taken ill after dinner at the Hotel on Sunday, where he ate cucumbers and ice cream. A physician was promptly called, but complications set in and he died on Tuesday. He had a history of kidney problems and had been weak since suffering pneumonia, two years before. Survivors were his wife, Elizabeth, son Robert, currently chief of Police and daughters: Miss Clara of Philipsburg and Mrs. John (Mary) Cole of Anaconda. Rev. A.S. Buell of St. Paul Methodist Church performed the service at the home of his brother James on Broadway.. (His brother James was the first Mayor of Philipsburg and died at the age of eighty four at his niece, Clara Dell McDonel’s home, November 18, 1927.)
Clara’s mother Elizabeth, owned a millinery and Notions Store and in 1893 published a notice in the Philipsburg Mail stating “Mrs. E. McDonel would respectfully request those parties who have been stealing her wood for the past winter to please discontinue the practice, now that spring is approaching.” She obviously was an astute business woman with frequent sale ads in the local papers stating hats all at half price. Born in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania on November 23, 1846 to Mr. and Mrs. William Hammond, she married Charles McDonel during 1871, in Wisconsin. They left for the west, after the wedding, with a team of oxen and settled in Deer Lodge. Later they moved to Pioneer and then to Philipsburg in 1879. In her later years, she was the constant companion of her daughter Clara Dell McDonel. Elizabeth died at the age of seventy, from a heart condition on January 3, 1917, at the family home. Survivors were: son Robert, daughters: Clara and Mrs. John (Mary) Cole of Anaconda; nine grandchildren: John Elizabeth, Florence, Fan and Cathryn Cole of Anaconda, Mrs. C. C. Baker, Eva (May), Harold and Robert McDonel Jr., of Philipsburg; three sisters: Mrs. Joseph Hyde, of Seattle, Mrs. William Coleman, of Deer Lodge and Mrs. W.J. Matthews, of Butte; and one brother Mr. T.A. Hammond of Bloomington, Wisconsin. Elizabeth is buried next to Charles in the Philipsburg cemetery.
Miss Clara was very active in government affairs, including serving as Deputy Clerk of Court in 1901 and was nominated as Post Master of Philipsburg in April of 1916. She served in that position through WWI, but I have not been able to determine when or why she left the position. Clara ran for the office of County Superintendent of Schools in 1928, against long-term office holder, Lottie Irvine. Clara won the election 832 votes to 560. She ran unopposed the 1930 and 1932 election. She was President of the Sons and Daughters of Montana Pioneers of Granite County, for many years plus served as their Granite County historian. Clara was the retiring Chief of Honor, in Hope Lodge No.7 on July 14, 1899, so must have been active at a very young age, being only twenty when she retired the position of Chief of Honor.
In Albert Blumenthal’s book “Small Town Stuff”, he named a local woman Clara McDenry “…who is becoming recognized as the local historian…who witnessed the Golden Age which immediately preceded the panic of 1893”. Obviously this was the fictionalized name he gave to Clara, recognizing that she kept the towns history alive, during her lifetime.
Clara died on March 11, 1933. The Women of Woodcraft, held a service at her home on Monday evening. Tuesday the cortege took the body to the First Methodist Episcopal Church, where Rev. McKnight officiated at an elaborate service. Last rites were said at the Philipsburg cemetery.
Clara’s sister, Mary married the first sheriff of Granite County, John Cole. Her brother, Robert owned fine race horses and served as Marshall of Philipsburg 1895-1896 and was Chief of Police in 1906.
In the same issue of the Mail, as Clara’s death notice, it was reported thirty eight feet of snow had fallen at the Milwaukie Railway east portal on the Montana-Idaho border; also the 1933 Memorial Day celebration was held in the McDonald Theatre, because one foot of snow fell the day before.
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