McLauchlin was born in Bronson, Michigan on 9 January 1912 as the fourth of five children born to James and Charlotte (née Carter) McLauchlin. Her family moved to nearby Sturgis when she was a child. Her maternal grandmother lived to be 84. Her mother would make her a birthday cake every year, plus a sizeable dinner. She didn’t have friends over due to the amount of family members already present.

McLauchlin never married and had no children, saying she “never had time.” Following her father’s death in 1935, she helped to support the family. After graduating in 1931, she worked for A. H. Perfect Co., a grocery store, followed by Kirch Company in the credit department. She enjoyed the company of her coworkers, missing them after her retirement.

At the age of 104, McLauchlin moved to a nursing home in Centreville, Michigan. By her 108th birthday, she was living in Elkhart, Indiana in another retirement community.