The Callans and McClarys, by John Edward Callan - Callanworld

The Callans and McClarys
book in his lap so nobody would
bother him.
Mama would go to town and
give music lessons, as a way to
supplement their income. Papa
was supposed to stay home and
take care of the kids and such, but
since he couldn’t hear and (he)
read all the time they probably got
into a lot of mischief.
Following are some stories
that Mattie Gough’s daughter Cary
recalled to Nancy McClary’s
mother, Mary Elizabeth (Davis)
McClary. Again, the “Mama” in
the story is Mattie Gough.
“Mama didn’t know much
about farming but she read the
Kansas Farmer faithfully and
followed what it said to do religiously.
If the Kansas Farmer said
to do something Mama would do
it. Or at least try. She decided to
plant strawberries ‘one time. She
planted not by the patch but by the
acre; well maybe not acres, but a
BIG BIG BIG patch.
“The strawberries were
coming along fine in April and
May. I had the measles, I remember.
The strawberries were just
beginning to ripen when Jack Frost
came along. Those strawberries
were frozen solid the next morning.
Mama was so mad, she was
standing at the foot of my bed and
was giving Dad the devil because
those strawberries froze.
“Poor old Dad, it was a good
thing that he couldn’t hear very
well, he just stood there and took
it.
“Mama was always ahead of
her time. She always had good
ideas and could talk to anyone
about just about anything. People
of all walks of life came to her for
advise. Everyone from local
politicians to old Negro freemen.
“There are many stories of
“Mama’s’ failed attempts at
farming. She tried her hand at
wine making and chicken and pig
raising and strawberry and corn
growing etc. I don’t think I have
ever heard a success story. Probably
because they don’t make as
good of stories.
“Grandma Davis was the
ruling force in the family and what
I have gathered didn’t ask
Grandpa Davis opinion.
“Cary said that after she
moved way and married, Mama
would send one or the other of the
boys to visit her. If they got to be
too much for her off they would
go to New MExico. From what I
gathered it seemed to be Dad that
got shipped off the most. He was a
lot less studious than Pug and
probably a lot harder to handle.
They had another brother,
Johnnie. He ran of and joined the
Army during World War I. He
got sick while in the Army and
never really recovered. He died at
an early age from complications of
his illness. There was another
brother, Robert, but he only lived
to be about eighteen months of
age.
““Mama was educated also.
She had been brought up a proper
Southern woman and knew music
and sewing and the finer things.
Mama put great store in education.
She tried to teach all of her
children music but it only took on
her eldest daughter, Nanelou. She
~ 84 ~
became a music teacher in her
adult life.”
Dolphin preceded her in
death by eight years, dying on 29
Jan 1928.l The text of the
newspaper report of his death is
reproduced at right.
The lineage of Mattie
Gough Bustin can be traced well
back into the 1500s. She was the
daughter of William Buestin,
was born in 1805. He died in
1878. He married Gough Ann
Whitaker in 1827. Gough Ann
Whitaker was born in 1806. She
died in 1875. She was the
daughter of Matthew Cary
Whitaker, who was born on 21
Feb 1762 in Halifax Nova
Scotia. He died in Jun 1814 in
Halifax. He married Elizabeth
Ann Coffield1768-1819) they
were married on 13 Mar 1787.
Mathew Cary Whitaker
was the son of Gough Whitaker
Gough married Martha Cary.
Gough Whitaker was the
son of John Whitaker and Sarah
Gough. Martha Cary was the
daughter of Miles Cary (1655-
1724) and Elizabeth Cocke.
John Whitaker was the son
of Richard Whitaker, dates
unknown. Miles Cary was the
son of Miles Cary (1620-1667)
and Anne Taylor.
Richard Whitaker’s father
was William Whitaker, who
died 1662. Miles Cary of 1620
was the son of John Cary, born
10 April 1583, and Alice
Hubson.
William Whitaker was the
son of Jabez Whitaker (1595-?
And Mary Bourcheir.
D.C. Davis,
a former rail
conductor, Dies
D. C. Davis, 62 of 326
north 3rd St. died at 10
o’clock this morning after a
lingering illness. He had
been in poor health since
last spring and was in critical
condition for two
months.
Mr. Davis had been a
resident of Arkansas City
since 1900. He was formerly
a Santa Fe conductor, with
a run out of this city. He was
a member of the local Order
of Railway Conductors, the
Masonic Lodge and the 1st
Presbyterian Church. Mr.
Davis was a native of Alabama
and came to this city
from Birmingham.
The widow and four
children survive. The children
are Miss Nanelou
Sweeney, Arkansas City,
Mrs. Gary Blair, Albuquerque,
N.M., Gough and Bubs
Davis, Arkansas City.
Funeral services are to
be held at 10:30 o’clock tomorrow
in the 1st Presbyterian
Church. Dr. Frederick
Maier will officiate. Officials
of the Masonic Lodge also
will have a part in the services.
Burial will be made in
Riverview Cemetery. The
Powell mortuary is in charge.
John Cary was the son of
William Cary (1550-1633) and
Alice Gaudall.
Jabez Whitaker was the son
of William Whitaker, 1548-1595
and Mrs. Dudley Fenner. And
this William Whitaker, born in
1548, is the most distant known
ancestor of Nancy McClary.