Charles Perry Cary, 90

Charles Perry Cary, age 90, died May 7, 2006, at the Callaway Good Samaritan Center in Callaway.
Funeral services will be May 12, 2006, at Wherry Brothers Mortuary in Pawnee City.
Born July 10, 1915 in Leroy, Minnesota, he was the third child of George and Alinda Jane (Gordon) Cary. In 1916, at the age of one, the family moved to Pawnee City. They lived on a small farm north of town.
His father moved the family in to Pawnee City after trying to farm for one year and went to work for the railroad until he passed away Sept. 26, 1926.
Alinda, who was called Jane, lived in town and worked to raise the four children. Charles went to school until the eighth grade and then he quit to find work to help his mother support the family.
Before the age of 20, he worked on the WPA building bridges with rocks and cranes. He could do math in his head so he was the time keeper as well as the site boss.
In 1939, he married Dorothy Mize of Pawnee City. They began farming in Pawnee County and raised eight children.
Charles believed in higher education. Five of his eight children attended college even though he only had a dry land farm and dairy cows to earn his living.
He believed in helping others, especially neighbors and friends. He helped take care of his mother and three elderly aunts when they lived in Pawnee City. He would go if anyone asked for help and then return to do his work.
He believed in finishing any job that you started, even if you were hoeing beans in the dark or picking strawberries.
After he retired from farming he spent his time growing a large garden, becoming a noted Rosarian, and coon hunting. Charles touched many lived with his roses. At one time he had 175 rose bushes that bloomed in one summer. He felt working women should start the week with a rose to make them smile.
His family could not call him on Saturday or Sunday because he was cutting the roses. You could not call him on Monday because he was delivering them. After the season was done, he gave away dried rose petals for potpourri.
Charles is survived by two sons, David (Wanda) Cary of Alvo and Lawrence Cary of Socorro, New Mexico; four daughters, Juanita Wesseler of Indianapolis, Indiana, Nadine Cary of Summers, Arkansas, Carol (Craig) Thompson of Dunning and Donna (Steve) Ross of Dickinson, Texas; daughters-in-law Rose Cary of Bonduel, Wisconsin, Judith Cary of Kent, Washington and Ruth Cary of Houston, Texas; 34 grandchildren, 52 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife Dorothy; two sons, Charles Jr. and Jerome ?Jerry?; his parents; one brother, Bill; and two sisters, Alice Tupa and Lillie Fischer and brothers-in-law, Chas Tupa and Ernest Fischer

Custer County Chief

May 12, 2006