John Alan Callarman

John Alan Callarman, 91, was born in Ponca City, Oklahoma June 16, 1935 to Cora May Humphrey Callarman (1910-2009) and Cecil Clarence (C.C.) Callarman (1905-1987). He was the second of seven children, six boys and one girl. When he was about six years old the family moved to Corvallis, Oregon where C.C. was a professor of business education at Oregon State College.

John was graduated from Corvallis High School in 1953, and attended Oregon State for two years before joining the U.S. Army. While he was in the army, in 1956, the family moved to Canyon, Texas where C.C. became the Dean of the School of Business at West Texas State College, later University and now West Texas A&M University. John joined the family in Texas after his service and later was graduated from West Texas State with a degree in journalism.

His love for journalism, both radio and written, started when he was in high school in Corvallis. He wrote stories about the high school sports teams, primarily. This continued while at Oregon State, as he wrote for the student newspaper and he broadcast some of the sporting events. While in the army, he was also a reporter for the army newspapers. While growing up in Corvallis he also developed a love of men’s fast pitch softball. His father coached kid league teams and John was a part of those teams. While in college, John both played and coached intramural softball teams. When stationed in Germany, he coached softball teams as well, and traveled around Germany. Two of the many stories he would tell revolved around these travels inside Germany. One, he traveled to Hamburg, Germany and experience Rauschbier, a German dark beer. Two, he traveled to Berlin, circa 1956, and managed to tour it before the Berlin wall was erected. Later in life, he and his brother Tom, along with their wives, traveled back to Germany, where he renewed the experience with Rauschbier and traveled to Berlin after the wall had come down.

After graduating from West Texas State, he began his journalism career in earnest. He worked for several radio stations in Amarillo (KIXZ), Hereford and then Pampa, as a disc jockey and later as a news reporter. It was during his time as a reporter in Pampa that John met Orpha Janice Cole, a schoolteacher in Pampa. Janice was from Krum, Texas, and that is what led them back to Krum when they both retired. They married in Krum, on July 17, 1968 and enjoyed a 55 year marriage until Janice passed in 2023. John worked at a radio station in Houston before he and Janice moved to the Boston area, where he also worked in radio and Janice taught school. In 1970, they moved to Mt. Vernon, Illinois, where he again worked for a radio station and Janice taught school.

While in Mt. Vernon, one of his highlights was broadcasting the Centralia High School Christmas tournament. He won several awards over the years for these broadcasts, and in 2012, he was inducted into the Mt. Vernon High School Hall of Fame for his work at the radio station and later as the city editor for the Mt. Vernon Register News. He and Janice retired in 2000 and moved to Krum, where they moved into the Cole family house.

After moving to Krum, he volunteered to write a column for the Krum News, as the “Krumudgeon.” He also covered Krum High School Sports, and especially was fond of the Girls’ basketball, volleyball and softball teams. After the Krum News quit publishing, he continued to cover sports and published detailed accounts of all games and matches on Facebook. He also covered all of the City Council meetings and reported to the newspaper and then to Facebook. Who cannot remember his tape recorder being on display at the City Council meetings? John was always an active member of service clubs and other organizations, all of his adult life. In Krum, he was a member of the Lions’ Club, where he always “reported the news,” and served on the Board of Directors of the Krum Heritage Museum.

John was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Janice Cole Callarman, his older brother, Charles Albert, and brother William Glen (Bill). He is survived by brothers, Thomas Callarman of Amarillo, Texas, James Callarman and wife Diane of Devine, Texas, Don Callarman of Denver, Colorado and sister Mary Elizabeth Callarman Mahtani of Cleveland, Oklahoma, numerous nephews and nieces, and many members of the Cole family.

In lieu of flowers donations could be made to the Krum Heritage Museum, Krum Lions’ Club, or Krum High School Ladycats.