Obituary of Carol Callie

Carol (Pysher) Callie died peacefully at home in Mountainhome January 16, 2014, surrounded by her loving family. Carol was born May 2, 1933. She was raised in Bangor by her mother Mae (Williams) Pysher and her uncle Nelson Williams. Carol was head cheerleader at Bangor High School, where she graduated in 1951. In February, 1952 she married Harry Delano Callie at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic church in Roseto. In 1952, she and her husband purchased a candy store/luncheonette in Bangor, later named Callie's Candy Kitchen. In 1972, Harry and Carol opened Callie's Candy Kitchen in Mountainhome; in 1985, they opened Callie's Pretzel Factory three miles away. Carol was an active partner in many aspects of the business; Carol's eye for decorating and her sense of style is present in the design and packaging in each store. As a member of the Retail Confectioners International (RCI) Carol received numerous awards for her gift for presentation and design. In addition to serving on the board of RCI, the organization became a source of lifelong friendships for Carol and Harry. As partner in the business, for many years Carol was also an active member of the Barrett Business Association; Carol loved to welcome Santa to town every year with the Association. Carol was always an avid reader and lover of libraries. She was a member of the Board of Directors of the Bangor Public Library and later the Barrett-Paradise Friendly Library. In addition to raising money, helping to set policy, and other typical board functions, Carol also hung wallpaper, aided in the renovations of the old library in Mountainhome and helped guide the design choices in the new library building in Cresco. In addition to reading stories, Carol loved to tell stories and write poetry. Perhaps her most well-known story is the children's book she wrote, 300 Brooms, about a witch who loses her broom. She was a gifted seamstress and self-taught carpenter. Carol was a Red Cross swimming instructor and for many years loved to play tennis. In later years she loved to play with (and beat) her husband at golf. She built enduring friendships, friends from her childhood "gang" in Bangor continued to be important to her throughout her life. Carol is survived by her daughters, Patricia Zimdahl, Lynn Callie, Gretchen Reisenwitz and son-in-law Mark Reisenwitz, who was like a son to her. She is also survived by three much loved grandchildren, Gregory Zimdahl, Bryan Zimdahl, and Heidi Zimdahl. She is also survived by three "adopted" daughters, Lisa Hill, Katie Bowman, and "Christmas" daughter Denise Hay. She leaves behind her sister-in-law Jean Callie and her family. She was preceded in death by her husband Harry Del Callie on October 24, 2013. She was also preceded by her mother, Mae Pysher, her uncle, Nelson Williams, and her son-in-law, Jeffrey Zimdahl. During the months preceding the death of her husband and her own death, Carol benefited from the skilled care and abundant compassion of the staff of Griswold Home Care, who became like family to us, and the care of Visiting Nurse Service Home Hospice. There will be a Mass of Christian Burial, which will be private at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you honor Carol's memory by making a contribution to Barrett Paradise Friendly Library or to a community organization of your choice.