Obit taken from the Clay County Courier, Thursday, November 29, 1951

FORMER RESIDENT KILLED IN TRAGIC HIGHWAY ACCIDENT

Mrs. Iva Cecila McClain, age 40, daughter of Mrs Tom Leonard of Poplar Bluff and Mr. Leonard of Michigan, and wife of Lester McClain of Los Angleles, Calif., was killed instantly last Monday when the car in which she was a passenger, plunged off a cliff about 15 miles north of Los Angeles. She resided here until a few years ago. Mrs. McClain was returning to her home in Los Angeles from a trip in Northern California. Her son, Donald Ray, 19, was driving. A young lady friend was also in the car, when sideswiped by another car, forcing it off a 40-foot cliff. The youth, seriously injured, was in a coma and the girl also seriously injured, remained in the wrecked car for about five hours until she was able to climb to the highway and summon help.
Survivors, other than her parents and son, are her husband, Lester McClain, another son, Billy, five brothers, Bill Leonard of California, Clayburn Leonard of Sherman, Texas, Cleo Leonard of Chicago and Kenneth Ray of Poplar Bluff; five sisters, Mrs. Juanita Brown and Mrs. Dorothy Robinson of Poplar Bluff, Mrs. Ada McCollum of Michigan, Mrs. Gladys Coble of Michigan and Mrs. Georgia Eagle of Qulin. Mrs. Grace Reyno, of Los Angeles, sister of Mrs. E.H. Rice, accompanied the family here and with Billy, son of the deceased, is remaining for a few days at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Rice. Mr. McClain returned to Los Angeles after the services to attend his son, who was still in a state of coma Saturday.

The body was returned here Friday by train, to Irby Funeral Service, then to the home of her sister-in-law, Mrs. E.H. Rice, Route One. Services were held at the Moark Baptist Church Saturday afternoon, with H.W. Johnson, officiating. Burial in Corning Cemetery, Irby Service.