The son of Confederate veteran William Henry McClelland and Mahitable A. "Hattie" Cone Edwards McClelland, William Madison McClelland was born April 4, 1869 in Bulloch County, Georgia. An only son, he had five sisters. Through the Cone branch of the family, he was descended from Conn of the Hundred Battles, the first high king of Ireland.

A farmer who owned his farm free and clear of any mortgage, William married Manie (pronounced "May-Nay") Veranda Glisson McClelland on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1890 in Bulloch County, and they had ten children, one of whom (Gertrude) did not live past infancy: Gertrude McClelland, Pernell McClelland, Sr., Nevada McClelland Bell, Willie Clyde McClelland Moore, William Leon McClelland, Rufus McClelland, Maybelle McClelland Burnsed, Edna McClelland Floyd, Grace McClelland Clark, and Harry McClelland. At least as far as his sons were concerned, he believed that "sparing the rod" was not a good thing and that a "whippin" was an appropriate punishment for drunkenness. He loved his dogs who loved him. He was a devout Baptist.

William died at age 66 of a cerebral hemorrhage on September 4, 1935 in Bulloch County. He had leukemia and high blood pressure. William is buried at Old Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery, near Ivanhoe (Briar Patch), Bulloch County, beside his beloved wife Manie. His grave stone was added decades after his death. His ancestry was Scots-Irish. His granddaughter, Kathleen Bell Neely, whom he called his "Little Chinquapin,"was born on his birthday.

Thanks so much to his daughter Nevada McClelland Bell for much of this information. Any errors, however, are mine alone. Please go to the "edit" link on this site with any corrections or additions. Thanks to Robert Thompson for locating William's death certificate, Georgia Death Certificate (Bulloch County) #21726.