Kate’s Notes: Clara Bell (Gilliland) Heaney was the daughter of Joseph and Adaline (Yothers) Gilliland. Hers is one of the pioneer Gilliland lines of Pennsylvania, recorded in many voumes of Pennslyvania history and in the published Cowden-Gilliland genealogy. Several biographical sketches of this family are in the library collection. Clara (Gilliland) Heaney is also the young Clara referred to in a letter from Joseph Gilliland to his own sister Mary; a copy of this 1874 letter and a transcription can found in our library’s collection of ephemera.

Why the headline for this obituary refers to a "Mary A. Heaney" and not to Clara is unknown to me.

From The Clearfield Progress, Clearfield, Pennsylvania
Wednesday evening, December 28, 1921

MRS. MARY A. HEANEY

   Mrs. Clara Bell Heaney, wife of James A. Heaney, of 265 Ohio Street, Moxham, died at 2 o’clock Sunday afternoon at her home of general debility, aged 53 years and 4 months.
   Mrs. Heaney was the daughter of Joseph and Adaline Yothers Gilliland and was born in Karthaus township, Clearfield county. The grandparents on both sides were pioneer families of that section and were representative citizens of Clearfield county, her father having served as an official of the county from 1870 to 1883.
   She was married to James A. Heaney at Pottersdale, Pa., May 3, 1892, and four children were born to this union. Adaline Gilliland died in infancy. The survivors are Mrs. Anne Ake, wife of Frank Ake, of Akron, O., and Joseph Gilliland and Mabel at home. Besides her husband and children she leaves a sister, Miss Lydia Gilliland, of Karthaus, Pa., two aunts, the Misses Hannah and Mary Gilliland, of Karthaus, and two uncles, Joseph Yothers, of Williamsport and Robert C. Gilliland of Snow Shoe. She had been a consistent member of the Methodist church for many years and lived the life of devotion to her family and church, her cheerful and pleasing personality being so pronounced in her character that her friends were dearly attached to her and even in her declining health of the last 10 months, she bore her suffering with that wonderful fortitude that characterizes a true christian life. Just a half hour before the end came she summoned all the family to her bedside and bid them good-bye, and with her familiar smile lay back to take the last sleep.
   The interment was in Grandview cemetery Wednesday afternoon with service at the home at 2:30 o’clock. The Rev. H. A. Bailey, of Second Presbyterian Church, Moxham, was [be] in charge.

-- Contributed by Kate Maynard