The Callans and McClarys, by John Edward Callan - Callanworld

in his yard, which was also kept
very neat.
Sometimes when Bert is at
his mother’s house he still has
visions of his dad on his hands
and knees pulling weeds in the
garden or out of the cracks in the
sidewalk. He mowed the lawn
himself with a “push” mower,
and it was Bert’s job to mow
grandmother Gerhardt’s lawn.
Clinton didn’t have a “power”
mower until in the late 60s, when
he started mowing lawns for
other people. He still had two
children at home to support.
Clinton was kind, friendly,
and outgoing. He was a loving
person, although he did not
frequently express this verbally
or emotionally, except to Helen.
He was a faithful and loving
husband, and you could see the
love he had for Helen in the
manner in which he spoke to her
and treated her. He rarely
showed anger or used harsh
words about anyone or anything.
He was a faithful and active
member of his church, teaching
Sunday school for many years
and serving on the church
council and committees, and
living and raising his family in the
principles of the Christian faith.
He was an active member of the
IOOF lodge for almost 40 years,
serving as local Grand Master
several times and secretary for
many years, and served as master
of ceremonies for the 150 th
anniversary celebration of the
local chapter.
The IOOF is a Christianbased
fraternal organization for
blue-collar workers that
provides fellowship for its
members and support for
persons in need. Their
motto is “Friendship,
Love and Truth,” and
these are words that he
lived throughout his life.
He had many friends
from church, lodge, and
work. When he died at 79
years of age there were
almost 400 persons at the
visitation. Although he
didn’t express love verbally
or emotionally, it
was apparent from his
actions that he loved his
friends, family and all
persons. He was always on
the go, helping friends
and strangers alike, including his
mother-in-law and other elderly
women who had no spouse or
family close by. He learned to
know a number of elderly
women through his job with the
City, and was requested to serve
as pallbearer for some of them
upon their death.
It is probably an unusual
distinction that he served as
pallbearer for more than 100
friends and acquaintances, but it
emphasizes the personal respect
and friendship that so many
persons had for him, and it was
one last request he could honor
for them. Truth was also a
characteristic that was part of his
life, he always cautioned his
children not to lie, and it would
probably be difficult to find that
he ever intentionally made
untrue or misleading comments
~ 75 ~
about anyone or anything.
One chapter in Clinton’s
life that was very difficult for him
was the leaving of the family by
his father. Clinton was resentful
of this and would not visit Ray
and his new wife in their home
in Kansas City for many years.
However, Ray was welcome to
come to Boonville and the
children always loved to see him.
Millie never came with him to
Clinton’s home. Clinton never
made negative remarks about his
father or Millie, but the resentment
was there. However, in the
mid 1950s Clinton overcame his
resentment, and the family began
regular visits to Ray and Millie’s
home in Kansas City. Millie was
a very nice person and the
children always enjoyed the trips
to Kansas City.
Clinton and Helen cel-
The Callans and McClarys
Left , Helen Kathryn Gerhardt in
high school graduation portrait.
ebrated their 50 th wedding
anniversary in 1988 at the church
in Billingsville where they were
married, with the same minister
who married them and the same
soloist and attendant from their
wedding.
Clinton was very active in
the church and with other
volunteer groups both before
and after he retired. He sometimes
took the hammer that
belonged to his grandfather with
him when he did voluntary
repair work with a church group.
He was a long-time Red Cross
volunteer and a certified advanced
first aid and CPR instructor.
He never missed a Red
Cross blood drive and donated
104 pints of blood over about 30
years. After he could no longer
donate because of his health, he
assisted with the work. After his
retirement he was a bus driver
for a local school for handicapped
children, and when he
lost sight in one eye and was no
longer allowed to drive the bus,
he rode as an attendant. While
assisting a child on the bus he
sustained an injury that ultimately
required very extensive
back surgery, from which he
never fully recovered. He died at
home on March 15, 1993 with
his wife, Helen Kathryn
Gerhardt McClary, and several
children, at his side.
Helen Kathryn Gerhardt
herself was born on 1 Jan 1918
in Speed, Mo., a small rural