From the files of Frank Clyburn Clyburn Family News Vol. 13, March 2001

Narcy Fae (Clyburn) McBain - Jan 20, 1919

I am Narcy Fae (Clyburn) McBain the ninth child born to Narcy H. and Stephen Franklin Clyburn. I was born on January 20, 1919 at Lime Gulch, Klamath River, California.

I was named after Mom and Fay Larkin. She was a little girl in Riders of the Purple Sage, a book by Zane Grey and one of my favorites. I read most of his books a long time ago and have my brother Jim's collection of the Zane Grey paper-back stories.

I managed to survive growing up on Lime Gulch with six brothers and one sister. I started to school in Merrill, Oregon. In the middle of the year during the first grade we moved back to the Klamath River. I finished elementary school at the Honolulu School at Gottville, CA. The Honolulu School was located several miles down the Klamath River from our home at Lime Gulch. The school house was near the mouth of Dutch Creek on the upper side of the road.

The teachers that I remember were: Elsie DeAvilla (Miss Freeman when she first came from Arcata, CA and before she married Jess DeAvilla.), Mrs. Collins and Dorothy Austin (Miss Austin later married Art Hippler and even later Chester Barton from Horse Creek.) I finished elementary school in seven years. Miss Austin put me through 6th and 7th grades in one year. I have a picture of all the students and Miss Austin when I was in 8th Grade.

After elementary school, I stayed home two years before starting to high school. There was no transportation down the Klamath River at that time. I graduated from Yreka High School in June of 1939.

I received a scholarship to Martin's Beauty School in Marysville, CA. I started my training to become a beautician in July 1939 and finished it nine months later. I then passed my California State Board Exam to become a licensed beautician in San Francisco and started working in Yreka.

Earlier during my Junior Year in high school I had been introduced to Ernest Elmer McBain while at a dance at Sawyer's Dance Hall. That hall was on the Klamath River Highway a few miles down river from Hornbrook, CA.

We fell in love and on August 25, 1940 Ernie and I went to Reno, Nevada with the intention of getting married. We were married at the Methodist Parsonage by a Presbyterian Minister. We were married for 33 very good years before he passed away in October, 1973.

During World War II we were both in the military. I was in the Army WAC's and Ernie was in the Navy Sea Bee's. I was given basic training at Des Moines, Iowa and was sent to Headquarters. 3rd Air Force at Tampa Florida to do service. I worked in the Air Corps Engineer's Office at the Armory Building in Tampa, Florida. It was very interesting duty and kept me busy.

October 1945 found me waiting for orders to go home. I had to go to Camp Beale in California to get discharged. While waiting I had a chance for a free ride to San Francisco on a B-25 Bomber. That was a real exciting trip! Another WAC was on the same plane and we had seats behind the bomb bay. She was on the left by a window and I was on the right sitting over a window where once a camera was installed. We had to wear coveralls. Her name was Marie and she was from San Francisco. Her parents also lived in San Francisco and worked in a shoe shop. We left Tampa and flew to Oklahoma City where we stayed overnight at the Will Rogers Field (in the WAC Barracks.) Next we flew to on to Colorado Springs and from there to San Francisco. I had intended to immediately catch a bus home to Yreka but the workers were on strike. Marie asked me to stay with her and we had a good time. Her folks were Italian and lived back of the repair shop in a nice home. Her mother treated us like visiting dignitaries -coffee in bed and food that wouldn't stop!

It was then time to fly back to Tampa. I spent one night in Los Angeles at my cousins (Carl Keys, Aunt Nannies boy), one night in El Paso, Texas and on to Tampa, Florida.

I went back to work on the base until the first of November. I left for California on the train. First rode to Chicago, Illinois then west to Sacramento. From Sacra-mento I took the electric train to Camp Beale for my discharge.

Ernie had received his discharge on the 27th of October, so he came to get me at Marysville, CA. We drove to Sacramento to shop for new "civilian" clothes and Jan 1st of 1946 found us moving our trailer to Mt. Shasta. Ernie then started working for the Fish & Game at the Mt. Shasta Fish Hatchery.

While at Mt. Shasta I worked for some months at a Beauty Shop in Dunsmuir, CA. I believe it was McCaulleys at the south end of Main Street. I liked working there but didn't like the drive back to Mt. Shasta in the evening. It was all two lane road and had very few turn-outs. If you got behind a truck, you had to follow it all the way.

We stayed in Mt. Shasta for five years. On February 4th 1947 Narcie was born. The hospital she was born at was in Dunsmuir, CA and she weighed six pounds and twelve ounces. After her birth I didn't work anymore until we moved to Yreka, CA where she started school. Narcie is now almost 54 years old and I have two grand children. Jason is 26 and Aimee will soon be 24. Jason is working on a PHD at Corvallis, Oregon and Aimee will receive a Bachelors Degree in Wildlife Studies at Humboldt in Arcata, California this spring.

My daughter Narcie Alexander now has a home in Medford, Oregon and spends her winter months in Arizona.

I worked at the Division of Highways Maintenance Office in Yreka from 1952 until December 1, 1971. I had almost twenty years there starting as a clerk and finishing as a Highway Field Office Assistant.

I spend my time at home in Yreka, CA. I have just turned 82 years old last January 20th and I'm starting to slow down. I don't go as much as I used too. I don't travel any further than Medford, Oregon or Redding, California.

I've done lots of traveling. In 1963 Ernie and I took our 16 foot Fireball travel trailer to Alaska for a month. Narcie was 16 at the time and helped us drive. During the fall of 1966 we went to Arizona and visited the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon in Utah. During the summer we spent lots of time on the Oregon Coast and once traveled as far as Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Ernie and I went on a tour to Europe in 1971. We visited nine countries in twenty one days. We had a wonderful trip and I have lots of slides to prove it. We also spent two winters in Quartzite, Arizona together before he died. We both were rock hounds and collected many pretty specimens.

After Ernie passed away I took the trailer and spent the winter in Arizona. I continued to do so for about five years. Since then I've went on various tours. I have traveled to the British Isles, Fall Colors on the East Coast, Canyon Lands of the Southwest and many other places. Perhaps the most enjoyable tour of all was the fourteen days spent in the Holy Land.

(As presented to Frank Clyburn by Fae (Clyburn) McBain)

Hi Folks. I have some very exciting news! Our cousin Gerald DeRose of Yreka has shared much with us. I personally thank him very, very much.

First off let me say that I will not put it all in this newsletter. There is simply too much information for that.

Remember our Grandfather (my Great Grandfather) James Howard Knight? I'm sure many of you having noticed that he was married before he married our grandmother Mary Eliza Kadwell. And if you're like me you've wondered what happened to the son that he left behind in Michigan. The son who was the product of that earlier marriage in which his wife died.

Gerald has done much research along these lines (he must be a very good genealogist) and came up with the following:

The child of James Knight and unknown wife was William Thomas Knight. He was born about 1863 and died about 1946. He died in Chase Twp., Lake Co. MI. He married Minna Goehrend sometime before 1886. He later married Ida B. (Unknown) about 1892. She was born in 1867 and died in 1937 in Chase Twp., Lake Co. MI.

Notes for William Thomas Knight: It is said that Thomas was upset when his father married a girl about his age and elected to remain behind when his father left for California. Thomas may have had a daughter named Theresa. I (Gerald DeRose) have a copy of a graduation announcement for a Theresa Knight that was among Mary (Kadwell) Knights affects. She told Violet (Knight) Payne that Theresa was James granddaughter.

There is a Thomas Knight age 45, on the 1910 Census for Chase Twp, Lake Co. He was married to Ida, age 43 and had a son Ira age 16 and daughters Hazel, age 14 and Gladys age 11. They had been married 18 years. Also the death certificate for Elizabeth Kadwell, who died on March 12, 1917, was signed by T.S. Knight, Registrar, on March 13, 1917. This was filed in Lake Co. MI.

Chase, MI, Chase Village Cemetery, lot 84, a large stone with "THOMAS KNIGHT FAMILY," 1863-1946. Small stone with cast metal "IN MEMORY , THOMAS KNIGHT" 1863-1946.

More about Ida B. (Unknown) Knight: small marker, cast metal in concrete, IN MEMORY, IDA B. KNIGHT, MOTHER, 1867-1937.

More about Ida B. Knight: Burial: Chase Village Cemetery, Lot 84, Chase, MI.

Children of William Knight and Ida (Unknown) Knight are: Theresa Mae Knight; Margaretha Augusta Knight b-8/25/1886, Baldwin, Lake Co., MI, godparents were August & Margaretha Goehrend.; Ira Knight b- about 1894; Hazel Knight, b-about 1896; Gladys E. Knight, b-1898-1937, buried Chase Village Cemetery, Lot 84, Chase, MI.

That's all that I have on the Knight boy that was left behind in Michigan folks.

If you have any other knowledge of this Thomas Knight please contact me ant let me know. -Frank C.

My wife Angie found some interesting information for me a few days ago. As you already know, my dad told me that I had a brother born who either was born dead or died soon after being born. That's all he ever said except that he was buried in Porterville, California. He only mentioned it once or twice while drinking.

My mother never once mentioned having any other children other than myself, Lynda and Darlene .

I've always been interested in knowing more about him but didn't know how to find out where he would be located.

Well in the Hillcrest Cemetery in Porterville is listed Woodrow Wilson Clyburn b- May 2, 1950 and buried May 3, 1950. Father is W.W. Clyburn, Sr. ....

So there you have it folks. I did have a brother for short while. Now I'll have to see about a marker for the grave if there isn't one...there may already be one because my dad always seemed very upset while mentioning the baby.

Thank you Angie for finding him for me and my sisters. (Angie and I visited this cemetery and my brothers grave the summer of 2002 - Editor's Note). --Frank Clyburn

Hi everyone. The biggest news is that Angie has had a heart attack. She was working one night at the hospital (she works in Mt. Shasta, CA) and started to hurt so bad that she had to go to the emergency room for the pain. They gave her nitroglycerine for the pain and it relieved it. They found out that she was having a heart attack.

The pain seemed like a burning sensation in her stomach to her and she thought ulcer or something but still it was her heart. They took her to Redding and after finally agreeing to be tested it was found that all major arteries in her heart were 70% blocked and the main right coronary artery was 100% blocked.

As a result of the cardiac cath they gave to test her they decided to do surgery. They gave her a 6 way bypass. They took arteries from her chest area and her right arm.

She is slowly recovering amid lots of intense pain. She's not supposed to be doing any lifting etc...I've got to watch her like a hawk! She's always's trying to get into trouble!

Angie's illness has brought me to the thought of dying..I want to be buried beside my dad Woodrow W. Clyburn) and Angie wants to be buried beside me (behind Lina) in the Clyburn Plot in Yreka. So if something should happen you'll all know my wishes!

One interesting thing that we did do was go to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. This is the genealogical capital of the world. I found this very interesting although I know virtually nothing about genealogy. Angie had fun and I'm sure has learned a lot. Maybe she'll share it with me and you sometime. Anyway I had fun trying to look for Clyburn's all over the place..ha...found some but don't know anything about how they fit into things..I'll leave all that stuff to Angela.

Another very interesting thing to me and even more so is that I've recently been contacting more Clyburn's from around the country than ever before. Even one from the UK. Also some Clyburn descendants that are children of Clyburn's.

The most exciting thing has happened recently also. Remember the story of Uncle John Clyburn that Aunt Fae talks about as leaving California and going back to Texas after his wife Lina Wilson Clyburn died (remember she is buried in the Clyburn Family Plot in Evergreen Cemetery in Yreka).

Remember the story of Miles Andrew Clyburn who was raised by the Wagner family and took that name after Uncle John left? Well I received an e-mail from a John Clyburn, who is the a son of Grandpa's (S.F. Clyburn) brother John in Texas. He's the son of Uncle John's third wife he tells me. He's going to send me some more information when he gets it gathered together.

I first got a message from a daughter of his, Kelly Miller. She saw our Clyburn Family News - Online and left a message there. She said that she had to quit and tell her dad about the site. She was so excited!!

Well here is the most exciting news in this newsletter. On October 17, 2000 Rayce Sorel Lee was born. He is my 4th grandson and Ronnie's first child. He talks to me on the phone sometimes! I don't know what he's saying but he's fun.

Above photo is of Ronnie and Bill Lee and their son Rayce. Bill Lee is from Texas. They live in Soldotna, Alaska (that's on the Kenai Peninsula, south of Anchorage).