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Edward McCauley - RIP-Life Story
Moderator: Gillespie
Edward McCauley - RIP-Life Story
Our good friend and relative Ed McCauley left for the great beyond this morning. Ed's family has a long history on Beaver Island. He was a great story teller and lived an adventurous life to say the least! You might have seen him around in recent years sporting his cowboy hat and handlebar mustache. He was born August 25, 1931 in Petoskey, MI. Burial will take place at a later date to accommodate relatives from far away. Per his wishes his ashes will be interred in a grave next to his "Grandpa" and the cowboy hat placed on top. His instructions included a tune or two by Danny, Danny and Jim if available. Somehow I think that is going to work! God speed old buddy!
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AMVETS POST 46
- Posts: 305
- Joined: Wed May 26, 2010 2:34 pm
Re: Edward McCauley - RIP
Goodbye to another great veteran.
Re: Edward McCauley - RIP
I need to apologize for that! Ed was a proud Marine veteran who served in Korea!
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Sheri Timsak
- Posts: 357
- Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 9:38 am
- Location: Beaver Island, MI
Re: Edward McCauley - RIP
One of the most gentle souls ever!! He will be so missed!! Love to Shirley!!
Re: Edward McCauley - RIP
Ed will be laid to rest tomorrow at 1:00 PM, Father Jim Siler will officiate. If you want to see a moment of love and respect please come to the cemetery. There will be music and respect for a military veteran, honor guard and someone who came to love Beaver Island late in life even though he was instructed as a youngster to "stay away" but for sad reasons. Ed's Grandfather drowned in the harbor in 1906, as I recall and his father was later killed in the UP in a logging incident in the 40's? In any case his story as penned by his wife Shirley is below. We would loved to have your fellowship at the Holy Cross Cemetery tomorrow, again meet us at 1 PM. Blessings on your eternal journey Ed, you were one of a kind to say the least!
Edward Uriel McCauley
1931-2018
Edward Uriel McCauley went to his heavenly home on July 27th.2018. Edward was born
August 25,1931Edward was survived by his wife Shirley McCauley, sons Hubert McCauley,
Brian McCauley Three step daughters, Shelly Creviston, Carla Browning, Nicole McCulloch and six
grandchildren, Brandon Creviston, Brent Creviston, Eric Hartley, Aden Hartley, Ashley
McCulloch, Emily McCulloch. He was preceded in death by Brothers Lyle (Spike)McCauley,
Donald McCauley, Clement McCauley, Rita McCauley, Patricia McCauley.
Edward was born at Traverse City Michigan and raised around the lumber camps in the Upper
peninsula of Michigan. Some of his most memorable days were at Wildwood and Wolverine
Michigan and later on Beaver Island where his family Great Grandfather Black Pete McCauley,
who immigrated from Ireland and his grandfather Edward Pete McCauley and his father
Frances Uriel McCauley who sadly drowned in the harbor. The first time he set foot on the Island Ed said, he felt like he had finally came home. Ed continued to returned to Beaver Island for the next twenty years. He had bought land and planned to build a home when he found out he had cancer. He chose to spend his last days on the island around family and friends. He gave instructions on how he
wanted Rich Gillespie to handle his ashes. He wanted his ashes put in his cowboy boots
with his hat on top so that when resurrection came he would be ready to go. Ed was a member
of the Am Vets Post on Beaver Island. And a life member of and marched every year until the
last one. Now he is marching in heaven in a new body and no pain.
Ed’s family told the story about Ed’ dad telling the that Ed could make a snow ball in a desert.
His family said Ed tried his best to live up to that reputation. Ed left home when he was 15 to
work in a traveling carnival .But when the fall came he went back up with his dad to skid the
logs in the lumber camps. Sadly Ed's dad died in a UP logging incident
The next spring Ed told his parents he was headed out west. He started out with a friend in a
in an old car they bought together. They had to stop often and put used oil in they got from the
gas stations. It worked for a while but the engine quit on them. They sold anything they could
carry. His friend said he was going to re-enlist in the service. Ed said, he was going to hitchhike
out West but before that, he stayed there until he received his draft notice for the Korean War.
Shortly after he was discharged from the service in North Carolina he headed back out west
and then went to Alaska where he lived for 25 years until he retired to Arizona for almost 20
years. Ed had the life experiences that many people only dream about and he was always glad
to share his stories. He said, he didn’t want any tears that God had given him a wonderful life.
He loved the songs “I’ll Meet You At The Throne”, and “I'll Be Waiting On The Far Side Banks Of
Jordan”
Before he made it to Cheyenne for the rodeo he was picked up by a man who had been
drinking. The man asked Ed if he could drive. Ed told the man of course . The man not knowing
a tractor was the only thing he had ever driven. By the time the man found out, his car was in a
ditch full of water and a highway patrolman was looking down on them as Ed crawled out the
window on the drivers side. Ed didn’t make it to the rodeo that year. He was given half of his
money back and was told to move on. He told me at least he had made it to Cheyenne had
breakfast and a place to sleep that night. He said, he was a little scared when the drunks they
had picked up for drinking told him he would probably get a year because he didn’t have a
license to drive. He thought for sure he was stuck there.
Ed finally made it to Wyoming! Some cowboy! He went to work on a turkey ranch for the summer. One of the ranch hands was from Salt Lake Utah. They hitched a ride to his parents house Ed stayed on the closed in back porch. The both went to work as busboys at Utah Convention Center which is across from the Mormon Temple. He said he'd liked to have froze to death. They heard the Climax Mine was hiring so they took off again! Since they had experience in working in a kitchen that is where they were put. They knew that the big money was working under ground in the mine, Ed got to know the bosses and he was soon working underground. Ed said he was making so much money he still had money in his pocket when he got his next check. That soon ended when he got his draft notice to report to the nearest office which meant going back home to Michigan.
Ed said he didn’t
want to go into the Army because his Uncle Hubert was killed in War World Il. He didn’t want
the Navy and be stuck on a ship, so when they asked for volunteers for the Marines: he raised
hid hand. Ed said that was one of the smartest decision he ever made. He was stationed in
Korea for a year and a half. He was a wire-man. When a connection was broken to an outpost he would
walk and check the line until he found the problem or the telephone man either wounded or
dead. Most of the time he was alone at night with a spool of wire on his back. He figured one reason
he was the one to go at night was his ability to find his way. I would listen to his brother talk.
His brother would say do you remember how to get to such and such? Ed would say something
like, you go up that hill that has that pointed top. Turn at that tree growing out the rock and
follow that deer trail to the left and that takes you to the creek you want. He read the woods
like some people read books.
Ed’s brother Don would tell the story of Ed's dad saying Ed could make a snow ball in the
desert and that Ed spent a lifetime trying to prove him right. There wasn’t much Ed couldn’t do
once he made up his mind. Ed's father came home once and said he was a cement worker
because he had placed concrete that day. Ed remembered that and when there was no work, Ed
joined the cement masons union. He said they sent him out on a job and he just kept his mouth
shut and his ears and eyes opened. That was how he made his living for over 50 years.
When there were no jobs in Washington he went to Fairbanks Alaska to work. Ed loved Alaska.
But when we met and moved to Galena AK right on the Yukon River. That first summer he
bought a native built boat and a 50 ft fishing net. With almost 20 hrs of sunlight Ed and
Charlie a local native would head down river when the salmon were running. The night I went
with them they loaded the boat so full you couldn't walk without walking on king salmon. Once we got
the fish home after putting some aside for the elders in the village Ed’s share was 25 fish! They had
to be gutted and cleaned. Most of them were cut and stripped and hung in the smoke house Ed
had build for that purpose. Some were cut down the middle with the tail still on so you could
hang them over a pole in the smoke house for what the natives called half dried. Some we
saved for canning.
Next came moose season of course Ed went on a hunt down river with Charlie and his brothers and another friend of Charlie that drank too much and saw ghost all night and talked about the white man in camp. Ed wondered all night long whether or not he was safe. They shot two moose so Charlie took one in his bigger boat. Ed took the other one and his boat sat down in the water so low he couldn’t go very fast. Once moose season was over Ed went to trapping. Charlie told him where he should be able to trap but his traps were pulled and hung in a tree when he went back. He finally went across and down the Yukon River far enough not be ran off. That season he trapped twenty five martin and twenty beaver. We stayed in Galena until I took a job as a teacher in Nome Alaska. Ed was able to continue to work construction and snow machine in the winter and mine for gold in the summer.
Ed ask me if he could get a six inch dredge to mine for gold on the beach in Nome. I told him
as long as it was for fun. I told him if he got the fever just to tell me which gun to shoot him
with. As it turned out he almost killed himself. He had never dove before. Instead going off his
dredge backwards so his mask would stay on his jumped in with a wet suit and 60 lbs of lead
weights on. His mask and air hose came off under water. He hadn’t fixed his weights with a
quick release. If he hadn’t been in good shape he wouldn’t have been able to get a hold of his
six inch hose and climbed up to his dredge. Later he met up with two men that had watched
him. They told each other that man is going to kill himself. Like everything else Ed didn’t quit.
We left Nome for AZ with about 10 oz. of gold. In AZ his friend called to tell him he found a 40 oz nugget. He told Ed to come up for a while he would put him within 5 to 10 ft from where he found it. Ed said later he thinks Jono knew that a bear was around and wanted him out of the way so he could go after Ed instead! Jono had given me a gold ring with a amethysts stone in it, so Ed was a little jealous. I guess in hind sight I shouldn’t taken it but I didn’t want hurt his feeling. Back to the Grizzly
Bear. Jono put him with a few feet from where he had found the big nugget. Jono said he was
going on down the river prospecting for another place to mine. He got everything set up to
work the next day. Ed fixed himself a nice big steak and fried potatoes. The blueberries were
ripe so he picked a bowl full. He knew that bears could be and probably were around. Ed went
to bed in the cabin that had been built years ago. It was 12ft by 16 ft. Ed put a 2 by 4 under the
door handle. He slept with a shotgun loaded with a slug and a flashlight. Ed was asleep when
he felt and heard the cabin move and the door fly off its hinges. It was dark enough so that Ed
could only see above the horizon. Between the horizon and the top of the door you could only
see the shoulders of the grizzly bear. Ed sat up in bed and tried to get a hold of his
shotgun. He finally was able to shoot. People would ask what did you see or hear? Ed said
when shooting off a 20 gauge shotgun in a small cabin you don’t see or hear anything. Ed used
the flashlight he slept with he looked for blood or any sign that he had hit the bear. The cans
were off the shelf. The door off it’s hinges. The 2 by 4 was still under the knob holding one one
side slightly up. Ed went back to bed and finally decided the bear might come back. So he
went out to his truck and tried to sleep. He tried to sleep but he kept seeing the blueberry
Bushes move. He told me this was suppose to be fun and he was not having fun. He said he
could understand how someone could have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. For the next year
Ed would wake up from a dream he had of the experience. He just knew his friend knew that
bear was around. I couldn’t convince him otherwise.
.
It didn’t take Ed long to use his money up and have to walk around looking for a job. He had
one quarter he kept rubbing. Finally, he broke down as he passed a bakery the next day He
went in and ask how many donuts he could get for a quarter. The man filled a brown bag almost full.
Ed ate until his stomach hurt. He hauled hay that week and the rancher put him on for the summer. He endedup working for a turkey rancher. But he still got to ride horseback to gather up the horses and
cows out on the range the next year.
Ed went to Salt lake to work the winter with a another ranch worker. They got jobs at the
Salt lake convention center setting up banquets. They heard they were hiring at Climax mine in
Wyoming they were hired on in the cafeteria at the mine . Ed soon got to know the bosses and
was hired on for underground mining. He said he was making so much money he still had
money in his pocket from last week. He worked there until he got his draft notice to report to
the nearest office near his home . He went back to Michigan to see his family and sign up.
They told everyone wanting the Marines to raise there hand. He didn’t want the army because
his Uncle Hubert was killed in Army in World War ll. His other Uncle was in the navy and he
didn’t want to be stuck on a ship. He was made a wire-man after basic training. His time
running through the woods in Michael came in handy. Ed always had an uncanny ability to find
his way through the woods and back again. As a boy he practiced walking in the woods
without making any sound. If one of the boys stepped on a stick while they were hunting with
his dad, he always heard about it. Ed’s dad was away at the lumber camps, so Ed and his
brothers had to do the hunting season or not. Once his mother told Ed and his brother to go
see if they could get a deer. Ed saw one took the shot and his brother complained because
they had to carry 2 deer back. There was another deer on the other side, he killed them both with one shot! Ed said they always said the enemy was quiet. But said when he was hiding waiting for them to pass they talked nonstop. He had to carry a roll of wire a field telephone and his gun. He would follow the wire to see where the problem was and fix it but sometimes it was the outpost man was dead. He worked mainly after dark like I said he could lead me all through the woods and I would have no idea
where we were. After the war Ed when to South Carolina for 6 months. After his discharge he
married a girl from there and went to work as a bus boy. He carried Eleanor’s Roosevelt baggage and delivered a telegram to Pat Boone. Ed’s brother wrote him and told him they were hiring at South Dakota mines. So he packed up and went there with him. Ed worked in the mines there until they heard they we’re hiring in San Manuel AZ. They packed up Ed’s brother his wife and baby, Ed’s sister and her baby and Ed’s wife and headed to AZ. They finally found work there. Ed’s brother worked there until he died at age 78. Ed’s sister moved around and died at age 51 in Las Vegas. Ed almost got killed twice and when they were on strike, he went to the cement union and joined. He told them he could finish and whatever. He went to work and kept his mouth closed and kept his eyes and
ears open. He retired from there at the age of 67. He never had to worry about a job because
he ended up being able to do all the things he said he could do. Ed went to Fairbanks Alaska and worked construction from 1980 where we met and married Shirley in 1983.
We went to Beaver Island and fell in love with it. He said he felt like he belonged and wanted
to be buried there. For many years he discussed his final wishes with Rich Gillespie. There are so
many stories that Ed and I lived through. But this is a fast history of his life. I was so fortunate
to have been loved by him as hard headed as he could be. That is in part what made him live a
rich life. He was always trying to make that snow ball in the Desert. God willing I will join him in
God’s time. Written by Shirley McCauley with love.
(Note: I had originally contacted Shirley for some, mind you SOME! Information on Ed
as I wanted to put together a poem. Her stories were so compelling I decided it made
more sense to put the stories on paper! She typed it in excerpts and as thoughts occurred
so it took some effort to get them formatted. That said, there is a little duplication and repetition
but the stories are just too good to ignore, knowing Ed as I did the last 20 years
I can't help comment what a real man of the world this guy was. I was fortunate
to meet Ed and learned much from him, he always stayed busy, 2 years ago
he puttered the entire season with an old row boat and got it done!
In between he spent time repairing tombstones at the cemetery , Rich Gillespie)
Edward Uriel McCauley
1931-2018
Edward Uriel McCauley went to his heavenly home on July 27th.2018. Edward was born
August 25,1931Edward was survived by his wife Shirley McCauley, sons Hubert McCauley,
Brian McCauley Three step daughters, Shelly Creviston, Carla Browning, Nicole McCulloch and six
grandchildren, Brandon Creviston, Brent Creviston, Eric Hartley, Aden Hartley, Ashley
McCulloch, Emily McCulloch. He was preceded in death by Brothers Lyle (Spike)McCauley,
Donald McCauley, Clement McCauley, Rita McCauley, Patricia McCauley.
Edward was born at Traverse City Michigan and raised around the lumber camps in the Upper
peninsula of Michigan. Some of his most memorable days were at Wildwood and Wolverine
Michigan and later on Beaver Island where his family Great Grandfather Black Pete McCauley,
who immigrated from Ireland and his grandfather Edward Pete McCauley and his father
Frances Uriel McCauley who sadly drowned in the harbor. The first time he set foot on the Island Ed said, he felt like he had finally came home. Ed continued to returned to Beaver Island for the next twenty years. He had bought land and planned to build a home when he found out he had cancer. He chose to spend his last days on the island around family and friends. He gave instructions on how he
wanted Rich Gillespie to handle his ashes. He wanted his ashes put in his cowboy boots
with his hat on top so that when resurrection came he would be ready to go. Ed was a member
of the Am Vets Post on Beaver Island. And a life member of and marched every year until the
last one. Now he is marching in heaven in a new body and no pain.
Ed’s family told the story about Ed’ dad telling the that Ed could make a snow ball in a desert.
His family said Ed tried his best to live up to that reputation. Ed left home when he was 15 to
work in a traveling carnival .But when the fall came he went back up with his dad to skid the
logs in the lumber camps. Sadly Ed's dad died in a UP logging incident
The next spring Ed told his parents he was headed out west. He started out with a friend in a
in an old car they bought together. They had to stop often and put used oil in they got from the
gas stations. It worked for a while but the engine quit on them. They sold anything they could
carry. His friend said he was going to re-enlist in the service. Ed said, he was going to hitchhike
out West but before that, he stayed there until he received his draft notice for the Korean War.
Shortly after he was discharged from the service in North Carolina he headed back out west
and then went to Alaska where he lived for 25 years until he retired to Arizona for almost 20
years. Ed had the life experiences that many people only dream about and he was always glad
to share his stories. He said, he didn’t want any tears that God had given him a wonderful life.
He loved the songs “I’ll Meet You At The Throne”, and “I'll Be Waiting On The Far Side Banks Of
Jordan”
Before he made it to Cheyenne for the rodeo he was picked up by a man who had been
drinking. The man asked Ed if he could drive. Ed told the man of course . The man not knowing
a tractor was the only thing he had ever driven. By the time the man found out, his car was in a
ditch full of water and a highway patrolman was looking down on them as Ed crawled out the
window on the drivers side. Ed didn’t make it to the rodeo that year. He was given half of his
money back and was told to move on. He told me at least he had made it to Cheyenne had
breakfast and a place to sleep that night. He said, he was a little scared when the drunks they
had picked up for drinking told him he would probably get a year because he didn’t have a
license to drive. He thought for sure he was stuck there.
Ed finally made it to Wyoming! Some cowboy! He went to work on a turkey ranch for the summer. One of the ranch hands was from Salt Lake Utah. They hitched a ride to his parents house Ed stayed on the closed in back porch. The both went to work as busboys at Utah Convention Center which is across from the Mormon Temple. He said he'd liked to have froze to death. They heard the Climax Mine was hiring so they took off again! Since they had experience in working in a kitchen that is where they were put. They knew that the big money was working under ground in the mine, Ed got to know the bosses and he was soon working underground. Ed said he was making so much money he still had money in his pocket when he got his next check. That soon ended when he got his draft notice to report to the nearest office which meant going back home to Michigan.
Ed said he didn’t
want to go into the Army because his Uncle Hubert was killed in War World Il. He didn’t want
the Navy and be stuck on a ship, so when they asked for volunteers for the Marines: he raised
hid hand. Ed said that was one of the smartest decision he ever made. He was stationed in
Korea for a year and a half. He was a wire-man. When a connection was broken to an outpost he would
walk and check the line until he found the problem or the telephone man either wounded or
dead. Most of the time he was alone at night with a spool of wire on his back. He figured one reason
he was the one to go at night was his ability to find his way. I would listen to his brother talk.
His brother would say do you remember how to get to such and such? Ed would say something
like, you go up that hill that has that pointed top. Turn at that tree growing out the rock and
follow that deer trail to the left and that takes you to the creek you want. He read the woods
like some people read books.
Ed’s brother Don would tell the story of Ed's dad saying Ed could make a snow ball in the
desert and that Ed spent a lifetime trying to prove him right. There wasn’t much Ed couldn’t do
once he made up his mind. Ed's father came home once and said he was a cement worker
because he had placed concrete that day. Ed remembered that and when there was no work, Ed
joined the cement masons union. He said they sent him out on a job and he just kept his mouth
shut and his ears and eyes opened. That was how he made his living for over 50 years.
When there were no jobs in Washington he went to Fairbanks Alaska to work. Ed loved Alaska.
But when we met and moved to Galena AK right on the Yukon River. That first summer he
bought a native built boat and a 50 ft fishing net. With almost 20 hrs of sunlight Ed and
Charlie a local native would head down river when the salmon were running. The night I went
with them they loaded the boat so full you couldn't walk without walking on king salmon. Once we got
the fish home after putting some aside for the elders in the village Ed’s share was 25 fish! They had
to be gutted and cleaned. Most of them were cut and stripped and hung in the smoke house Ed
had build for that purpose. Some were cut down the middle with the tail still on so you could
hang them over a pole in the smoke house for what the natives called half dried. Some we
saved for canning.
Next came moose season of course Ed went on a hunt down river with Charlie and his brothers and another friend of Charlie that drank too much and saw ghost all night and talked about the white man in camp. Ed wondered all night long whether or not he was safe. They shot two moose so Charlie took one in his bigger boat. Ed took the other one and his boat sat down in the water so low he couldn’t go very fast. Once moose season was over Ed went to trapping. Charlie told him where he should be able to trap but his traps were pulled and hung in a tree when he went back. He finally went across and down the Yukon River far enough not be ran off. That season he trapped twenty five martin and twenty beaver. We stayed in Galena until I took a job as a teacher in Nome Alaska. Ed was able to continue to work construction and snow machine in the winter and mine for gold in the summer.
Ed ask me if he could get a six inch dredge to mine for gold on the beach in Nome. I told him
as long as it was for fun. I told him if he got the fever just to tell me which gun to shoot him
with. As it turned out he almost killed himself. He had never dove before. Instead going off his
dredge backwards so his mask would stay on his jumped in with a wet suit and 60 lbs of lead
weights on. His mask and air hose came off under water. He hadn’t fixed his weights with a
quick release. If he hadn’t been in good shape he wouldn’t have been able to get a hold of his
six inch hose and climbed up to his dredge. Later he met up with two men that had watched
him. They told each other that man is going to kill himself. Like everything else Ed didn’t quit.
We left Nome for AZ with about 10 oz. of gold. In AZ his friend called to tell him he found a 40 oz nugget. He told Ed to come up for a while he would put him within 5 to 10 ft from where he found it. Ed said later he thinks Jono knew that a bear was around and wanted him out of the way so he could go after Ed instead! Jono had given me a gold ring with a amethysts stone in it, so Ed was a little jealous. I guess in hind sight I shouldn’t taken it but I didn’t want hurt his feeling. Back to the Grizzly
Bear. Jono put him with a few feet from where he had found the big nugget. Jono said he was
going on down the river prospecting for another place to mine. He got everything set up to
work the next day. Ed fixed himself a nice big steak and fried potatoes. The blueberries were
ripe so he picked a bowl full. He knew that bears could be and probably were around. Ed went
to bed in the cabin that had been built years ago. It was 12ft by 16 ft. Ed put a 2 by 4 under the
door handle. He slept with a shotgun loaded with a slug and a flashlight. Ed was asleep when
he felt and heard the cabin move and the door fly off its hinges. It was dark enough so that Ed
could only see above the horizon. Between the horizon and the top of the door you could only
see the shoulders of the grizzly bear. Ed sat up in bed and tried to get a hold of his
shotgun. He finally was able to shoot. People would ask what did you see or hear? Ed said
when shooting off a 20 gauge shotgun in a small cabin you don’t see or hear anything. Ed used
the flashlight he slept with he looked for blood or any sign that he had hit the bear. The cans
were off the shelf. The door off it’s hinges. The 2 by 4 was still under the knob holding one one
side slightly up. Ed went back to bed and finally decided the bear might come back. So he
went out to his truck and tried to sleep. He tried to sleep but he kept seeing the blueberry
Bushes move. He told me this was suppose to be fun and he was not having fun. He said he
could understand how someone could have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. For the next year
Ed would wake up from a dream he had of the experience. He just knew his friend knew that
bear was around. I couldn’t convince him otherwise.
.
It didn’t take Ed long to use his money up and have to walk around looking for a job. He had
one quarter he kept rubbing. Finally, he broke down as he passed a bakery the next day He
went in and ask how many donuts he could get for a quarter. The man filled a brown bag almost full.
Ed ate until his stomach hurt. He hauled hay that week and the rancher put him on for the summer. He endedup working for a turkey rancher. But he still got to ride horseback to gather up the horses and
cows out on the range the next year.
Ed went to Salt lake to work the winter with a another ranch worker. They got jobs at the
Salt lake convention center setting up banquets. They heard they were hiring at Climax mine in
Wyoming they were hired on in the cafeteria at the mine . Ed soon got to know the bosses and
was hired on for underground mining. He said he was making so much money he still had
money in his pocket from last week. He worked there until he got his draft notice to report to
the nearest office near his home . He went back to Michigan to see his family and sign up.
They told everyone wanting the Marines to raise there hand. He didn’t want the army because
his Uncle Hubert was killed in Army in World War ll. His other Uncle was in the navy and he
didn’t want to be stuck on a ship. He was made a wire-man after basic training. His time
running through the woods in Michael came in handy. Ed always had an uncanny ability to find
his way through the woods and back again. As a boy he practiced walking in the woods
without making any sound. If one of the boys stepped on a stick while they were hunting with
his dad, he always heard about it. Ed’s dad was away at the lumber camps, so Ed and his
brothers had to do the hunting season or not. Once his mother told Ed and his brother to go
see if they could get a deer. Ed saw one took the shot and his brother complained because
they had to carry 2 deer back. There was another deer on the other side, he killed them both with one shot! Ed said they always said the enemy was quiet. But said when he was hiding waiting for them to pass they talked nonstop. He had to carry a roll of wire a field telephone and his gun. He would follow the wire to see where the problem was and fix it but sometimes it was the outpost man was dead. He worked mainly after dark like I said he could lead me all through the woods and I would have no idea
where we were. After the war Ed when to South Carolina for 6 months. After his discharge he
married a girl from there and went to work as a bus boy. He carried Eleanor’s Roosevelt baggage and delivered a telegram to Pat Boone. Ed’s brother wrote him and told him they were hiring at South Dakota mines. So he packed up and went there with him. Ed worked in the mines there until they heard they we’re hiring in San Manuel AZ. They packed up Ed’s brother his wife and baby, Ed’s sister and her baby and Ed’s wife and headed to AZ. They finally found work there. Ed’s brother worked there until he died at age 78. Ed’s sister moved around and died at age 51 in Las Vegas. Ed almost got killed twice and when they were on strike, he went to the cement union and joined. He told them he could finish and whatever. He went to work and kept his mouth closed and kept his eyes and
ears open. He retired from there at the age of 67. He never had to worry about a job because
he ended up being able to do all the things he said he could do. Ed went to Fairbanks Alaska and worked construction from 1980 where we met and married Shirley in 1983.
We went to Beaver Island and fell in love with it. He said he felt like he belonged and wanted
to be buried there. For many years he discussed his final wishes with Rich Gillespie. There are so
many stories that Ed and I lived through. But this is a fast history of his life. I was so fortunate
to have been loved by him as hard headed as he could be. That is in part what made him live a
rich life. He was always trying to make that snow ball in the Desert. God willing I will join him in
God’s time. Written by Shirley McCauley with love.
(Note: I had originally contacted Shirley for some, mind you SOME! Information on Ed
as I wanted to put together a poem. Her stories were so compelling I decided it made
more sense to put the stories on paper! She typed it in excerpts and as thoughts occurred
so it took some effort to get them formatted. That said, there is a little duplication and repetition
but the stories are just too good to ignore, knowing Ed as I did the last 20 years
I can't help comment what a real man of the world this guy was. I was fortunate
to meet Ed and learned much from him, he always stayed busy, 2 years ago
he puttered the entire season with an old row boat and got it done!
In between he spent time repairing tombstones at the cemetery , Rich Gillespie)
Re: Edward McCauley - RIP
Richie, Thanks for sharing your thoughts and Shirley's novel eulogy about a most novel man and character. If one had seen Ed on Beaver Island, not knowing who he was, they would swear that he was from central casting to audition for a singing cowboy movie. Fact is he could have played himself as Singing Sandy (John Wayne) in Riders of Destiny or even Sean Thornton (again, John Wayne) in the Irish film, The Quiet Man. Edward was a Irish singing cowboy thru and thru. Some might remember him singing at Music On The Porch with John McCafferty, another singing cowboy. If you had the opportunity to meet Ed face to face and looked into his eyes, you soon realized he was a man of a thousands stories and experiences and you wanted to hear each one. A thousand thanks to Shirley for sharing a few with us. As Ed makes his final ride into the sunset, I'm sure he is singing Irish ballads. 
Skull&CrossBones
Re: Edward McCauley - RIP-Life Story!
Gillespie wrote: ↑Fri Jul 27, 2018 10:28 am Edward McCauley.jpeg
Our good friend and relative Ed McCauley left for the great beyond this morning. Ed's family has a long history on Beaver Island. He was a great story teller and lived an adventurous life to say the least! You might have seen him around in recent years sporting his cowboy hat and handlebar mustache. He was born August 25, 1931 in Petoskey, MI. Burial will take place at a later date to accommodate relatives from far away. Per his wishes his ashes will be interred in a grave next to his "Grandpa" and the cowboy hat placed on top. His instructions included a tune or two by Danny, Danny and Jim if available. Somehow I think that is going to work! God speed old buddy!
Re: Edward McCauley - RIP-Life Story
Gillespie wrote: ↑Fri Jul 27, 2018 10:28 am Edward McCauley.jpeg
Our good friend and relative Ed McCauley left for the great beyond this morning. Ed's family has a long history on Beaver Island. He was a great story teller and lived an adventurous life to say the least! You might have seen him around in recent years sporting his cowboy hat and handlebar mustache. He was born August 25, 1931 in Petoskey, MI. Burial will take place at a later date to accommodate relatives from far away. Per his wishes his ashes will be interred in a grave next to his "Grandpa" and the cowboy hat placed on top. His instructions included a tune or two by Danny, Danny and Jim if available. Somehow I think that is going to work! God speed old buddy!