The Callans and McClarys, by John Edward Callan - Callanworld

Nancy recalls, “she asked me
one day where I was going. I said
I don’t have to tell you. My boss
is dead. She slapped me across
the face and I ended up in the
living room with a bloody
mouth. I never back talked her
again.
Peggy laundered and
pressed the habits of nuns from
the convent across the street. She
worked in restaurants and she
worked as a seamstress. At one
time she did some seamstress
work for actress Kate Smith.
In June of 1954, with the
birth of Margery and Jack’s son
Bernard James Calln, Peggy
became a grandmother for the
first time.
In 1957, she met George
M. Gunkel, born January 23,
1904. He served in World War
I in France, and was a tool and
die maker, just like Jack’s father
and grandfather. They were
married on a Saturday, July 27,
1957. As Peggy’s first husband,
Edward, died when his daughters
were teenagers, George was the
only grandfather Peggy’s grandchildren
ever knew.
Linda Marie Callan
(Lowery), sister of Al, remembers
an old green car nan and
gramp had. “When I’d ride
home with them, I would love
watching the dashboard, because
the speed increased, the color
would change. I’d always say,
Make it Red, Gramp!” And
Nana would be sitting there,
saying, “Now George, you know
better!”
Married 17 years, 4 months
& 22 days, their marriage ended
on Dec. 19, 1974, when George
passed away at age 70, of pneumonia
and other complications.
He died in Springfield, Missouri,
and is buried there.
Peggy had many many craft
specialitys. Her sewing, her hand
made baby sweater sets, her Fry
cake doughnuts, oatmeal fduge
cookies, and of course her
special pie crust. There’s a
special story taught to her by a.
elderly lady, when she was first
learning to bake. Peggy in turn
taught it to Linda. It goes like
this, Linda says.
“There once a was King
looking for a wife. But he said he
would marry the most conscientious
. The first lady had enough
batter left to make another whole
cake.. That won’t do, said the
king. The second lady had
enough left to fill a cupcake.
That won’t do said the King.
The third had barely enough to
fill a teaspoon. The king replied,
“That will be my bride.”
Linda says that every time
she bakes, this story “pops up”
into her head, and so she always
scoops the bowl clean.
Peggy was an avid gardener,
and always had a large garden
filled with flowers and vegetables.
Her favorite flower was a “gloxinia.”
She had a saying about
giving flowers to others:
George Gunkle and Peggy (Messier Byrd) Gunkle, with two of their grandchildren, Linda
Callan, left, and Stephen Jeffery “Jeff” Callan, May 1961.
~ 53 ~
“If “If “If the the plant plant is is is given given with
with
love, love, it it will will bloom bloom forever.
forever.
If If the the plant plant is is given given given with
with
anger, anger, it it will will never never never bloom bloom a
a
single single flower.
flower.
The week before her
passing, Peggy talked with her
grand daughter Linda for a long
while on the telephone. She was
living in Florida by then.
“She always had a “sixth
sense” for knowing things,” says
Linda. “This was another time,
as if she knew. She asked that
when the time came, her last
wishes were to “Please let me
rest for eternity with Eddie.”:
“Please take care of my
belongings left in Missouri and
send everyone here something
that was special to them, to
remember me.”
The Callans and McClarys
After services in Florida,
where she was living at the time
of her death, Peggy’s body was
transported back to New York.
She is interred next to Eddie in
Mount Hope Cemetery in
Rochester. Her daughter Nancy
says she currently has plans to
have a neighbor, who does stone
carving, recreate for Peggy a
tombstone in the same style as
the one Peggy made for Eddie a
half-century ago.