Katie NAUDE was born on Christmas Day 1884, in Kimberley, South Africa. She died at Klerksdorp, Transvaal, in February 1977.

She married David McCLELLAND on 1 October 1908 in Pretoria, five years after he arrived from Scotland.

David worked for the Department of Posts and Telegraphs. Once he was promoted to Post Master, they had no settled home for more than a few years at a time. He was Post Master at Rustenburg, Bloemfontein, Pretoria and Durban, and he finished his career back in Pretoria as Director of Posts and Telegraphs for the Transvaal.

He joined the Transvaal Civil Service on 31 May 1902 and by 1906 had taken no leave except 7 days' sick leave. In 1906, two years before his wedding, David was granted a six-month leave of absence (1 July to 31 December) from his post as "second class clerk in the Postal Department of the Transvaal", and went to Scotland to visit his family. 

He was at that time earning a salary of 260 pounds per year.  He was on  full pay for the first 4 months and on half pay for November and December.
(Information from SA National Archives, Pretoria, doc ref GOV 195 ref GEN 686/06 dd1906)

In 1912 he again took leave of absence to go to Scotland, this time accompanied by his wife and two children: three-year-old Dick and one-year-old Peggy.

Katie was pregnant again. On the journey back, the baby was born aboard ship on Trafalgar Day, 20 October, in the Bay of Biscay. He was named Nelson Martin McCLELLAND, after the Hero of Trafalgar and his grandfather Marthinus Casper NAUDE. (Interesting to note that the Great Man's name came first, taking precedence over Oom Martiens!)

The birth was probably premature, because they would hardly embark on a lengthy sea voyage knowing that she was due to go into labour before they reached home. The Bay of Biscay is known for its rough conditions and the whole experience must have been a nightmare for Katie.

The little boy, nicknamed Bunty, survived only one month and died in Pretoria in November 1912.

They had three more children: Robin in 1914, David (Boydie) in 1916 and Bill, the laatlammetjie, in 1924.

Katie suffered more tragedy when Boydie was killed in Italy during the last gasp of the Second World War.

Boydie's regiment was part of the South African Armoured Division that saw action on the battlefields of the Appenines. In the winter of 1945 South African troops held positions some 8km north of Castiglione, near Florence, Italy. Boydie fell on 18th April, tragically near the end of the War.

Dick also predeceased his mother, succumbing to heart and lung problems in 1975. The death of a child is a mother's worst agony: Katie had to endure it three times.

David McCLELLAND retired in 1946. He and Ouma Katie went to live on a three-acre property  at Henley-on-Klip, about 40km from Johannesburg, where they enjoyed many happy times with their visiting children and grandchildren. The extended family spent most holidays and weekends with them.

Oupa named the little "farm" The Clachan after his childhood home in Scotland.  His grandfather Robert McADAM was the tenant farmer at The Clachan farm and his father was employed at the farm. Oupa David must have had happy childhood memories of the Scottish Clachan and as he got older, perhaps he was homesick for the land of his birth.

Oupa David died, after his second stroke, in 1955 at 17 Cedar Avenue, Boksburg. His death notice gives his age as 72 and names Ouma Katie as his sole heiress. They had been married 47 years. The Clachan was valued at 4127 pounds sterling.