Robert Henry McLain 1893-1972

Robert Henry McLain is George Aday's maternal Grandfather. He is the source of the many Robert and Henry names in our family.

Robert Henry McLain (John Logan McLain4, William Carroll McLain3, John McLain2, James McLain - Mclean1) was born 25 Oct 1893 in Oak Hill, Arkansas, and died 18 Jan 1972 in Alpena, Arkansas. He married Florence Estelle Dewey 17 Feb 1917 in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, daughter of Cassius Marcellus Dewey and Rachel Christianna Annie McHarry. She was born 3 Aug 1890 in Kent, Ohio, and died 1 May 1979 in Berryville, Arkansas.

He commonly went by Henry.  His father John Logan McLain was born close to Denver, Colorado. He was a friend of the man that started Elk Ranch at Beaver, Arkansas and came to Arkansas to work on the ranch.  That is where Henry was born and as a young man he also worked on the ranch.

Henry McLain was tall and slender with dark hair and brown eyes. His occupation is listed as farmer on all his census records, but he never owned a farm and often worked at other occupations.  On June 5 1917, only a few months after his marriage to Florence, he registered for WW1 in Dixon, California.  He was employed at Brocks garage and he lists his wife Florence of Route 3, Green Forest, Arkansas as his contact.  In 1920,  the couple are in Dayton, Texas where some of Florence Dewey McLain's family were living.  I guess they were farming there, but I cannot now find them on the 1920 census even though I did find Henry's in-laws there.

From talking with George's Aunt Bobby Rohde and Aunt Louise Rohde, I know that the family lived at one time out hwy 103 north of Green Forest.  I have a photo of Pearl and Bobby McLain when they attended school there.  Pearl looks to be somewhere around 8 to 10 years old.  Henry and Florence at one time lived in the apartment house that my own Grandma Powell owned sometime in the 1920's or 30's.  Of course, that was long before Grandma owned the house.  I think it was after all the children left home when they lived in this apartment.  At one time around 1950, Florence's parents, Cassius and Rachel McHarry Dewey owned a house on Douglas Road just past the Douglas school house and I think Henry and Florence McLain lived with her parents, but I am not sure about that.  The last decade or so of their lives, they lived in a small house that was built for them by their daughter Roberta Rohde and her husband on their farm in the cove in the Concord Community off highway 412 north of Alpena, Arkansas.

John Logan McLain 1966-1942, father of Robert Henry McLain.

Henry McLain, tall man in the center with the 'newsboy' cap.  This was around 1920 in Carroll County, Arkansas working on the railroad through the county.

Florence Dewey McLain as a young woman

Henry McLain and his children.

Ben, Pearl, Henry, Bobby, Louise on Easter Sunday 1939

Ben, Florence, Henry, Roberta (Bobby)

May 1944

Henry, Conda Aday, Florence, Bill Rohde, Roberta Rohded, Wanda Aday, Pearl Aday

Florence Dewey McLain

Robert Henry McLain and Florence Dewey McLain are buried in Pickens Cemetery, Green Forest, Arkansas.