Obituary published in The Gospel Messenger, April 15, 1911, page 235:

DEATH OF BRO. A. L. CLAIR

Bro. Aaron L. Clair, son of Preston and Mary G. Clair, was born on a farm near Lena, Ill., July 25, 1866, and died in the Marshfield, Wisconsin, Hospital March 23, 1911, aged forty-four years, seven months and twenty-eight days.

As a boy and young man he grew up on his father’s farm and attended the district school near by. At the age of twenty-three he entered Mount Morris College and graduated from the Commercial Department in June, 1890. It was in the spring of this year that he gave his heart to the Lord and his hand to the Church of the Brethren at Mount Morris. In the fall of the same year he accepted a position in ta commercial college at Maryville, O., where he remained to the close of 1891.

June 16, 1892, he was married to Miss Elizabeth R. Albright, who had also been a student at Mount Morris College, and in September both returned to the college to continue their studies. In 1893 he became assistant principal of the Commercial Department of Mount Morris College. In 1895 he was chosen Principal of the department and Business Manager of the College, in which position he served with great credit nine years.

In June, 1904, Bro. Clair retired from active school work, and in 1906, he removed his family to Willard, Wis. Here he was busily engaged, during the last five years, in making a home for himself and family, and in promoting the interests of the new settlement of which he was a pioneer.

On Thursday morning, March 23, 1911, he met with the fatal accident that in twelve short hours ended his busy and useful life. His, seemingly, untimely death was a most distressing shock to his family and his numerous friends. While oiling some of the machinery of the sawmill in which he was interested, his right arm came in contact with the saw and was so badly cut and bruised that amputation was necessary, but, unable to rally from the shock, he died a few hours after the operation.

As already stated, Bro. Clair, at the time of his conversion, joined in fellowship with the church at Mount Morris. Ten years later the same congregation called him to the ministry. He was faithful to the call, and rendered acceptable service as a minister, but his most forceful ministry was rendered by his daily, exemplary life. His everyday Christian life was a sermon to all who came in contact with him – a sermon over twenty years long.

Brother and Sister Clair were blessed with seven children, and youngest but ten days old at the time of his death. A little son died while the family lived at Mount Morris. The other six are with the sorrow=stricken mother in the home at Willard.

Such is the brief history of our beloved departed brother – a faithful husband, a devoted father, a genial neighbor, an honest and trustworthy citizen – a faithful Christian!
*****
Fairchild Observer, Thursday, March 30, 1911

A. L. Clair of Willard died in a hospital in Marshfield Thursday night from loss of blood and the shock occasioned by an accident received while working with a saw on that morning when his arm was caught in the saw and cut off between the elbow and shoulder. A number of settlers in the vicinity of Willard had recently purchased a portable saw mill and were using it for work of their own and for others who desired. Tuesday morning Mr. Clair was assisting in its operation when he reached under the saw, it is supposed to remove some obstacle that was interfering with its operation. The saw was revolving with lightning rapidity and his hand was caught and the arm dragged and twisted until it was twisted off above the elbow. Those who were working with Mr. Clair rendered every assistance in their power until a doctor arrived from Greenwood who bandaged the wound. Mr. Clair was put on the train and brought to Fairchild on the noon train and from here taken to a hospital at Marshfield, but his weakened constitution could not stand the strain and he died at 10 o'clock that night, twelve hours after the accident occurred.

The body was returned to Willard the following day and the funeral was held from the home Monday afternoon, interment taking place in the cemetery at Greenwood. The death of A. L. Clair is a severe loss to Willard and this section of Wisconsin. Although he has lived here only four or five years he has become well known and his honesty and integrity, combined with splendid business qualifications, has brought him into prominence and the deep respect of all.

The writer, perhaps as intimately acquainted with Mr. Clair as anyone in this vicinity, through mutual friendship and different business deals, and if ever there was a Christian who lived up to the Golden Rule we believe A. L. Clair was one. His cheerfulness when disaster and misfortune came, his ability to see a silver lining to every cloud, his unbounded faith that all would come out well in the end was an inspiration to those with whom he associated. As a husband, he was ideal, as a father he was just, as a citizen he was to be proud of and as a friend his memory will serve to make those who were honored with that friendship better men and better women. Mr. Clair was a finely educated man and for several years before coming to Wisconsin he was a professor in an Illinois college. The continued in-door work was undermining his health and under the advice of doctors he came to Wisconsin, bought a piece of land near Willard and started out to clear the land and make him a permanent home there. He was one of the first settlers in that section and largely through him has that settlement grown until it is now in a thriving condition. He had unbounded faith in the future of this section of Wisconsin and was slowly but surely progressing to that point where his faith would be rewarded when his first hard blow was received. About one year ago his house caught fire and was burned to the ground. The loss was complete and there was no insurance. He immediately set to work to rebuild and had just completed a fine home. At the time of the accident Mrs. Clair was sick from the birth of a child a few days before, but we understand has stood up under the blow with remarkable fortitude. The F. N.E. Railway furnished a special train free to those from Fairchild who desired to attend the funeral and although the weather was exceedingly disagreeable, a number attended.

Mr. Clair was 44 years, 7 months and 28 days old. He was born in Lena, Illinois. He leaves a wife and six children the oldest about 15 years and the youngest about one week old.



Aaron Leslie Clair, son of Preston Clair and Mary G. Clair was born July 25, 1866 near Lena, Illinois and died March 23, 1911, aged 44 years, 7 months and 28 days. He grew up on his father's farm and attended public school. In 1889 he entered Mt. Morris (Ill.) College and completed a commercial course in June, 1890. In the fall of 1890 he accepted a position in the Maryville (Mo.) College where he remained until June, 1892. In June, 1892 he was married to Elizabeth R. Albright, also a student in the Mt. Morris College and in September of the same year he entered the college and pursued his commercial studies. From September, 1893 until June, 1904 he was principal of the commercial department and the last eight years he was also business manager of the college.

In April, 1907 he came with his family to Willard, Wis. and died in a Marshfield, Wis. hospital, leaving to mourn his sudden departure his faithful and devoted wife, six children, the youngest but two weeks old, a brother and sister, and his estimable step-mother, Mrs. Studebaker, of Lena, Ill., all of whom were present at the funeral. Also a half-brother who was not present at the funeral. One little son preceded him.

Those present at the funeral from a distance were Mrs. Lizzie Studebaker, Mrs. Almeda Taylor, the Misses Marie and Carrie Dammeier, all of Lena, Ill.

Mr. Will Clair of Williston, N.D., Dr. J. L. Albright, of Chicago, and Prof. J. G. Royer of Mt. Morris who conducted the services.