Wilbur Calaway

GRAND SALINE—Wilbur Lee Callaway, 74, of Van, formerly of Grand Saline and Wills Point, passed away September 21, 2014 in Tyler, Texas. Services will be held at Main Street Baptist Church on Thursday, September 25, 2014 at 2 p.m. with Rev. Bert Fite officiating with Bro. Jerry Bob Phillips and Bro. Bill Stewart, and under the direction of Bartley Funeral Home.
A private interment will take place at Sand Flat Cemetery at a later time.
Callaway was born on February 17, 1940 in Grand Saline, Texas to William Milton and Ethel Lee Fritz Callaway of Grand Saline. He graduated from Grand Saline High School in 1958. Wilbur loved sports. The Grand Saline Indian football team nicknamed him Cab Callaway. During high school, his first job was writing sports for the Grand Saline Sun. He was also a sports writer for the Tyler Morning Telegraph, newspapers in San Angelo, Texas City, Galveston, the Kilgore News Herald, six years for the Austin American Statesman, six years for the Williamson County Sun in Georgetown, and also for newspapers in Olney and Henderson throughout his 50 year career. He was editor of the Wills Point Chronicle for 16 years and editor of the Grand Saline Sun for a short time, and retired from the Wood County Democrat in Quitman.
He met the love of his life, Wanda Harris of Chapel Hill in 1960 in Tyler before joining the army in 1961. He served three years as a military police and Sergeant E5 in Colorado, New Jersey, and North Carolina, He and Wanda were married in 1962 in Tyler. Wilbur attended Tyler Junior College, Kilgore College and the University of Texas at Austin and studied photography and journalism.
Between Austin, Georgetown and Wills Point, he received several awards in journalism including Texas Sportswriter of the Year, Regional Sportswriter of the Year, Texas Bowling Writer of the Year, the Texas Humanitarian Award for a series of stories written about Amy Harris of Wills Point in 1993, and numerous local awards. He especially enjoyed covering Texas Longhorn football in Austin.
Wilbur was a member of Main Street Baptist Church in Grand Saline. He was a deacon and a member of the Kiwanis Club, the Lions Club and the Rotary Club.
Wilbur was preceded in death by his parents; infant son, Kenneth David Callaway; brother, James Edward Callaway and sister-in-law Canetta of Quitman; uncles, Eugene Callaway and wife Coy, Alvin “Whistle” Fritz and wife, Emmer, R.V. Fritz, Albert Fritz, and Hente Edward Fritz, all of Grand Saline; aunts, Woodrow Callaway Foster and husband Jack, Leo Callaway Whisenhunt , and Ione Callaway Haught, all of Arp, Texas, Winnie Callaway Ogle and Oma Callaway Ricks, both of Fort Worth, Texas, Hazel Fritz Clark and husband Alvie, Fay Fritz Dickerson and husband J.T., Minnie Fritz Thompson Oldfield and husband Stanley, Mertie Fritz and Bertie Fritz Thorn Stringer, all of Grand Saline.
Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Wanda Harris Callaway of Van; son, Wayne and wife, Doris Callaway of Farmersville; daughter, Wendi Callaway of Wills Point; grandchildren, Jeremy Callaway, Jennifer Callaway, Stormy Moore, Ashton Moore and Brendan Moore; great granddaughter, Avelynne Moore; sister-in-law, Maurine Harris Reynolds; aunt, Buenia Fritz of Grand Saline; nieces, Donna Callaway, Debra Callaway, Cindy Callaway Dunn, and Cheree Callaway Brantley; nephews, Ricky Reynolds, Randy Reynolds and wife, Denise, Rusty Reynolds and wife, Shelly, and Rocky Reynolds and wife, Christy, all of Chapel Hill; and numerous other relatives and friends.
Pallbearers are Jeremy Callaway, Ashton Moore, Randy Reynolds, Rusty Reynolds, Rocky Reynolds, and David Barber.
The family will receive visitors at the funeral home at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, September 24. Memorials may be made to the Grand Saline Old School Museum or the American Diabetes Association.