The Callans and McClarys, by John Edward Callan - Callanworld

The Callans and McClarys
Everett Roscoe (Buster) and
Clinton Wilbur.
Ray worked mostly as a
farm laborer, rented land, share
cropped, was a blacksmith in
Blackwater, and delivered mail.
He also worked as a construction
laborer when U.S. Highway 40
was built through central Missouri,
and provided a team of
horses and a wagon to haul dirt.
They purchased a 300 acre farm
in 1928, but lost everything when
the holder of the note committed
suicide.
In 1932 Ray left the family
for about three months, and then
left permanently in 1937. He
moved to Boonville and worked
in construction. Ray and Stella
were divorced in about 1943.
Ray then moved to Kansas
City to work for Montgomery
Ward as a security guard. He
married Millie Cartner Carey
who was also from Boonville.
Ray was a big, robust man who
smoked and had a gruff voice,
but he was cheerful, smiled a lot
and had wavy gray hair. He
visited Clinton and his family in
Boonville periodically, but the
relationship was strained for
many years. When Bert was
younger he thought “Grandpa
McClary” was rich, though he
wasn’t. He did have a new car,
and during one of these visits
Ray left his wallet in the bathroom,
and Bert was tempted to
look through it. Bert discovered
Ray had a one-hundred dollar
bill tucked in the wallen’s hidden
compartment. Bert had never
seen one before. Ray and Millie
lived in the same house at 324
S. Lawndale until he died in
1967, the day after his first
grandson, John Kevin McClary,
was born.
Stella Brownfield’s father,
Abraham Abraham “Abe” “Abe” Brownfield, Brownfield,
Brownfield,
was born on 18 Jan 1838 in
Pettis County, Mo. He married
Surilda Surilda Margaret Margaret Gourley Gourley. Gourley She
was born on 10 Jul 1844 in
Trigg County, Kentucky.
Abe had one child,
Frances (Fannie), from his first
marriage to Frances Edwards,
and six children from his
marriage to Surilda M. Gourley:
These were Eva Lenora (Ev),
Henry Ernest, Margaret Ardella
(Del), John Waldo, Daniel
Arthur and Stella Ida.
Abe walked with a noticeable
limp and used a cane
throughout most of his life.
Stella said he had “rheumatic
fever” when he was 12 and one
of his legs never fully develope.
It is possible the disease was
polio.
As he was unable to do
hard farm work, his older
brother Thomas encouraged
him, and he became a schoolteacher.
He bought a farm
northwest of Pilot Grove and
built a new house on it in 1887,
which was completed just before
Stella was born. Abe taught for
27 years, mostly at the Clear
Creek school. Surilda would get
his old mare and bring it to the
house in the morning for him,
and he would ride the 2½ miles
from his home across the woods
and fields (much further by road)
~ 72 ~
Abraham Brownfield
to the school. In later years he
traveled mostly by buggy, frequently
visiting his children and
11 grandchildren.