Because I interviewed the grandson of Columbus McClure, I discovered the details about his tragic death. I do have a few different versions of the story, but I had enough good clues to find the death certificate. I conducted this interview long before I actually got inspired to search for actual documentation.
According to oral history, he was walking or driving across a railroad track which was very close to his home in Birmingham Alabama and was hit by a train. It is not clear to me that he was walking. He was a driver for a landscape company, so I am not sure why he would have been out walking down by the tracks.
I was able to confirm the fact that he was struck by the train from the death certificate. A few years ago, I found the index at Ancestry.com. I had to contact the department of vital records to order a copy of the original.
I was happy to discover further details:
Birth: November 1881 in Alexander City
Father: Bill McClure
Mother: Jane
Burial: Woodlawn Cemetery
These details helped me to locate his grave and identify his siblings on census records.
According to oral history, he was walking or driving across a railroad track which was very close to his home in Birmingham Alabama and was hit by a train. It is not clear to me that he was walking. He was a driver for a landscape company, so I am not sure why he would have been out walking down by the tracks.
I was happy to discover further details:
Birth: November 1881 in Alexander City
Father: Bill McClure
Mother: Jane
Burial: Woodlawn Cemetery
These details helped me to locate his grave and identify his siblings on census records.
