W. James McClelland

W. James (Jim) McClelland, age, 101 of South Strabane Twp., died Monday, August 2, 2021. Jim was born July 20, 1920 in Canonsburg and was the son of the late William B. and Martha Fife McClelland. Jim was a graduate of Canonsburg High School and after the bombing of Pearl Harbor enlisted in the United States Marine Corps where he rose to the rank of Corporal. Upon return from the Marines Jim started working on the family farm, White Hall Farm, which was started in 1831. Jim maintained as many as 12,000 trees and provided mainly apples as well as peaches, pears and plums. Jim retired in 2003 after 57 years as a farmer. Jim was a director of the Allegheny Co. Fruit & Vegetable Grower’s Assoc., charter member of Knouse Foods (largest apple processing company in the world), member of the Horticultural Assoc. of Western PA, member of Masonic Lodge No. 297 and Shriner’s Assn. In his years after retirement Jim became actively involved with the Horticultural Program at West Virginia University and was instrumental in the New Greenhouse Project. Private arrangements were entrusted to Pittsburgh Cremation & Funeral Care, McMurray, PA.