The Callans and McClarys, by John Edward Callan - Callanworld

calling her that once in awhile
but not often. It was when they
moved here that she started to
use her middle name, Elizabeth.
I don’t suppose many people in
Boonville knew what her real
name was. Dad tried to remember
to call her Elizabeth of Liz
but she on the other hand called
him Bubs till the day she died.
“Dad quit school for a little
while but Grandma Davis put
great store in an education and
Mom worked on him also. Gary
says that Mama used to say that
the only way Bubs finished
school was by her pushing and
Da Davis-Murra
Da Davis-Murra
vis-Murra
vis-Murray
vis-Murra
are are W WWed
W ed
Bibs pulling him.
The picture on the right is
of Dad taken probably around
his Junior year in high school,
which is the year he dropped
out, 1 think. He certainly was a
handsome young man.
“The story has always been
that Dad and his brother didn’t
like each other. There are
several theories about why. One
was that Pug was smarter and
Mama always said how wonderful
he was and how smart. That
may be why Dad didn’t like Pug.
The other side is that Pug didn’t
like Dad because he was better
looking and taller and more
successful with the women than
Pug. I quess we will never know
the real reasons. All I know is
that even in adult life they had
very little to do with each other
and when they did see each
other the fought.
“Since I was so much
younger that the boys (Bob and
John) I don’t know how they got
along with each other as little
boys. I can imagine that Bob was
not real thrilled to have a little
brother around to take up his
parent’s attention.
“There are a few stories
about Bob taking care of his little
brother. I never have gotten
straight if the curtains catching
on fire near John’s bed was an
accident or a purposeful act. You
may have to get that story from
Bob.
“Another story is how one
day Bob and John were playing
and found a gun shell and since
Bob didn’t know what gun
~ 89 ~
The Callans and McClarys
Dad in the front yard around 1958-59. “Dad really loved this place.,” sasy his daughter, Beth.
“I think he was as proud of owning this 23 acres as of any other of his many accomplishments.
He enjoyed sitting outside even when he got sicker. I can remember him in later years
getting on the tractor and just riding around in the pasture, looking at the cows or just looking
at the grass grow.”
powder looked like he thought
they should open it and see.
They were in a little fruit cellar
room and Bob got a hammer to
tap the shell to loosen it up. He
tapped it once and tried to get it
apart but it wouldn’t come apart.
He tried it again and it still
wouldn’t come apart. So he gave
it a pretty good whack.... He still
didn’t know what gun powder
looked like, but when Mom
came running she found them
both sitting back on their heels
against the wall of the fruit cellar,
their eyes as big as their fists, and
very likely not able to hear
anything she was yelling at them.
There is a story about Bob
out playing one cool Autumn
morning. He found some tar
they were using to tar the roof
with. He played in it for awhile, it
was stiff and made nice shapes
and balls, etc. He soon tired of
that and went off to do something
else. After lunch he decided
to go play In the tar again.
Instead of just playing with it he
decides to stand on it. Well,
quess what, it didn’t hold him up
anymore. I’m not sure but I
think he didn’t have to be
spanked because the gasoline