YORK, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – Christmas is just a few days away and for one York family this holiday will be tougher than most. A couple who passed away just 10 days apart in 2021 would have also celebrated a big wedding anniversary this year.
Jessie and William McClain passed away this year amid the pandemic loved ones sharing they were known and loved by many in York and the surrounding areas. The couple passed away within 10 days of one another earlier this summer. 80-year-old Jessie on May 8th and 88-year-old William on May 18th. With Christmas just a few short days away this family is remembering them and finding ways to honor their memory this holiday.
Granddaughter Quantesia McClain share, “One person passing is just enough but two of your loved ones passing 10 days apart has just been very rough for us and the family.”
Christmas Day will mark Jesse and William’s 59th wedding anniversary and this family says that they plan to celebrate every moment that they had together.
Quantesia says, “This will be challenging, you know I’m not going to lie about it. I’m definitely struggling with this Christmas this year and the holidays because it was just, it was always me and granny’s favorite. Like granny loved Christmas. It was always the cooking and just enjoying family.”
Grandson Kejuan McClain says, “It’s Hard to not have them during the holidays because most of the time the holidays is where they like shined the most.”
Now, the family this couple left behind, six children, nine grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren — will remember their lives through stories, songs and even old Christmas cards they’ll share with each other. They say they changed so many lives, including their own, for the better.
Great-Grandson Zayden Coffey, says, “My grandma she was always there to do something like if I needed to talk to somebody she was there and the same for my grandpa. My grandpa would always take me somewhere and always had me doing work to make me a better man.”
“We’ll talk, we’ll get together and just you know reminisce about them and just remember, you know how much love we had when they were here and how much we still have even if they’re gone,” says Quantesia.
In the video above, CN2’s Rachel Richardson is speaking with the family about what this year’s holiday means to them.
