https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/17/460/Families-D.pdf f431ccbf3424cef5e314f08b53c34427 PDF Text Text Scratching at the earth wasn't really Cuckow's dish of tea, however. In the early 1900's he started a Garage business in Flagler which later turned into a parts shop. In the 1920's and 30's he sold Case tractor parts, an honorable enough business proposition but somewhat fiampered by the fact that there were precious few Case tractors or other implements in or around Flagler. His shop, on Main Street, now occupied by Steven's Garage, undoubtedly saw days when less than a dollar changed hands. Cuckow lives at the back of the shop which had somewhat primitive toilet facilities but, you can be certain, no bathtub. Or at least you would have been certain if you had had occasion to visit Cuckow in those days. Then there was Cuckow's dog whose na-e, unfortunatply, is lost to history. It would be unfair to say that this dog was of indeterminate breed as there were probably 50 or 60 separate breeds in that mutt. The dog was about knee-high and the only adequate description of him would be that he was a scroung'y, flea-bitten mutt but all of that is quite beside the point -because Cuckow loved him and would tell any and all who would listen that the dog had extraordinary intclligence. For instance, the dog (according to Cuckow) heartily disliked Republicans and could distinguish them by smell. A familiar sight on a Saturday evening was Cuckow and his dog slowly walking up the street to the theater where Cuckow would lay down the 15 or 20 cents that it then cost to go to the movies and he and his dog would then go in and watch it. The following Monday Cuckow could tell all visitors not only what he thought of the movie but what his dog thought of it. At any rate, sometime in the 30's the Republicans arranged to rent the theater, mid-week, for a big election year rally (probably Alf Landon versus FDR in 1936). Cuckow claimed that his dog wouldn't set foot in the theater until they fumigated it and, as far as recollection serves, he did not. Cuckow had many dislikes or pet-peeves. He was outspoken about two in particular, however and they were W.H. Lavington, the town banker and without question the richest man in the community and the other wag women in general and "high school girls" in particular. The term high-school girl, understand, included anyone under 30. It is not "character" to satisfy the whole town and western end of Kit Carson Countv. in the fall. by Donald Page CURE - POOLE FAMILY works at home. She also officiates volleyball Er42 Bill was born in Burlington, Colorado. He was the sixth of eight children born to Bunny and Ernie Cure of Stratton. St. Charles Academy was the site of Bill's first six years of education. Continuing his schooling at Stratton Public School, Bill became a member ofthe football, wrestling and track teams. As a senior, Bill was na-ed to the All-State Football f,sam, became State Heavyweight Wrestling Qlampion in helping the team bring home the State Championship and placed second throwing the shot-put at the State Track Meet. He graduated in 1974. During the years following Bill became engaged in farming and ranching with mem- bers of his family. The second of four children. Janet was born in Oklahoma in 1961 to Jim and Nora Poole. They moved to Bethune in August, 1964, where he (dad) accepted the position of superintendent of schools. Janet received all Dex and Sadie Poole, daughter of Janet's older brother Dave, share the sarne "lucky" birthdate, Friday the 13th, February 1987. Bill is still farming and ranching with his brothers Ed, Mike and John. His sisters include Jane Hubbard of Hugo, Kay Unrein of Eaton, Colorado, Mary Bohnen of Stratton and Theresa Cure of Aurora, Colorado. Presently, Janet's brother Dave and his family Janet, Sara and Sadie are in Homestead, Florida. Dave is in the Air Force training to be a fighter pilot in the F-4 Phantoms. Her sisters are Sharon Green of Simla, Colorado and Kristy Liming of Kirk, Colorado. by Janet Cure DANIEL - KYLE FAMILY It was Aug. 7, L954, that Raymond and I were married at St. Charles Catholic Church in Stratton. Colo. Raymond Urban Daniel was the youngest twelve years of education under the watchful eye of her dad! Participating in many activi- son of Frank and Gertrude Daniel, his two older brothers being John and Robert. He was born April 18, 1925 at Burlington, Colo. and spent his childhood on the farm with his ties, including volleyball, basketball, track family five miles south of Burlington. This and cheerleading she graduated valedictorian in 1979. Two years later, Janet transferred farm was where his Grandfather John Daniel came to in 1906 from Crete, Nebraska, and being a carpenter, he built the house and barns that are still on the place. Raymond and his brothers spent many hours playing in the hay mows of the barns and it is told that one of them made some wings and tried to fly out the hay mow door and consequently suffered a broken arm. It was on very rare occasions that the family ever missed Sunday from Colorado State University, Ft. Collins to the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley. Graduating with a teaching degree in 1983, she accepted a position teaching kindergarten in Burlington. In December of 1983, Bill and Janet were mamied. Blessed with their first son, Luke, in March 1985, Janet continued teaching, but only half-time. Dex was born almost two years later. Janet has since resigned and Mass. Raymond attended school in Burlington and graduated in 1943. He did spen ' difficult to conclude why the poor dislike the rich (and Republican to boot), but the source of hie hatred for women lies buried with the man. If he had ever loved but lost, he didn't divulge the fact to anyone. On any given spring or summer day, however, you could find Cuckow at the front of his shop uttering low-down remarks about "high school girls." One short ditty that was current in those days was attribut€d to Cuckow but was unquestionably written by someone else - Cuckow never ghowed any such literary "f,slslf,s" at any rate, it went like this: The gum chewing girl and the cud-chewing cow, yet, different gomehow Somewhat alike - it now Ah! yes, I remember It's the intelligent look on the face ofthe cow. Well, every family should have in it's background some ancestor who qualifies as a real "character". A small town is very much like an extpnded family and one Leroy Cuckow, born Nov. 9, L872, qualifies as a predecessor or ancegtor with enough Fl43 Christmas 1987, BiU and Janet Cure with their children, Luke and Dex. �a little over a year in the army during World War II. I, Kathryne Louise Kyle Daniel was the seventh child of Loyal and Emma Kyle and my sisters and brothers were Mamie, Mildred, Evelyn, Lois, Robert, Thomas, and Imogene. I was born April 4, 1929 at the family farm thirteen miles northeast of Flagler. I remember how we all had to help with the chores such as milking cows, turning the seperator to seperate the cream from the milk, picking up cow chips to burn, helping our mother prepare dried corn, can the meat after butchering, rendering the lard and making soap. It was always eo much fun when we would get to go to a neighbor's house for dinner and really a treat when we got to spend the night with our cousins and for a number of years our family, the Sidney Huntzinger family and the Charles Kyle family always spent Christmas together because everyone was close by. We decorated our Christmas tree with cranberries and pop-corn we had strung on a string and had little metal candle holders that clipped on the tree to hold since we had no electricity. I attcnded grade echool at Liberty, a country school a half mile north from my home, and carried my lunch and water in little tin buckets. When I was ready for high school I had to stay in Flagler since there were no school buses and I graduated in 1947 and then went on to nursing school and graduated from St. Lukes Hospital in Denver, Colo. in 1950 and came to Burlington to work at Kit Carson Co. Memorial Hospital which was a pretty new hoepital at that time. I was the firgt Public Health Nurse in Kit Carson County and that was in 1953. Raymond and I both worked at the hospital aftpr we were married and in 1958 moved to Colo. Springs where Raymond worked at the Air Force Academy and then back to Burlington and in 1964 we opened Grace Manor Nursing Home. We and two other couples had built the home and we sold it in 1974. We moved to the Daniel farm south of town where Ra5mond had grown up and in the fall of L974 we both began working for the Burlington Public School. We had three children, Stephen who married June Radebaugh and they have children Staci and Brandon; Donald who married Glenda Borden, and a daughter Sue. Raymond died suddenly of a heart attack Jan. 5, 1984. by Kathryne Daniel DANIEL, VINCENT AND ALICE SULLIVAN Ft44 adobe house. That fall she began teaching at a small school 7z mile north of her homestead. Lonelinees contributed to Alice convincing her sister, Gertrude to come to Colo. and live with her. They were two lonely sisters, miles from a town, with no means of communica- tion. They did their grocery buying at a nearby trading post, known as Cole, Colo. The two girls met two Daniel brothers at a barn dance. In 1920, Alice married Vincent and Gertrude married Frank. Vincentmoved to the homeetead with Alice. Within the next few years their children arrived, 3 boys and 2 girls. In the early 40's they were forced to buy some more ground to add to the one-fourth quarter of homestead. They paid an average of $6.50 an acre for a section of ground. This allowed them to farm halfofit and have the other halffor cow pasture for a large herd of cattle. The family milked around 30 head of cows by hand. This allowed the money to buy their groceries, etc. We kids remember many hardships when we were VouB, like the dust storms in the 30's. The dust seemed to sieve straight through the windows. Our mother hung wet sheets over the windows to help catch the dust. Prairie fires would burn right up to the farm before they were whipped out by farmerg with gunny sacks. Then in 1942, the farm was hit by a tornado. The windmill was destroyed. Joe Williams, a neighbor, rode a horse over to the farm every day until he got the windmill rebuilt and set up. The children all went to school at Smoky Hill School from grades 1 thru 10. We rode a bus and thought it was a long route, maybe 50 miles long. May Blodgett, now retired, was one of our favorite teachers. Sunday was always the "Lords Day," on which we nearly always went to church. After church, we rushed home as our parents had nearly always invited some company for dinner. Our mother loved to cook big dinners with all the trimmings for her family and friends. In 1968, Alice's health forced them to retire at 75 years of age. They had a lovely home built in Burlington. She passed away in 1969, after surgery. Vincent has lived in nursing homee for several years, and now lives in a nursing home in Oregon. He is 91 years old and in good health. Two children passed away, Gerald and Margaret. Elizabeth and husband, John Cheslock, live in North Bend, Oregon; Gene and wife, Vera (Shade), live in Arriba, Colo. and Joe and wife, Mary Lue (Williams), live in Burlington. by Mr. and Mrg. Gene Daniel DAVIS FAMILY F145 In 1917, Frank Kelley gave up hig homestead 16 milee south and 2 east of Burlington. Thie homestead consist€d of a small 2 room adobe house and a hand dug well that you pulled your water up in a bucket with a rope. At that time Alice Sullivan, a couein of Frank Kelley, arrived here from Halmon, Illinois. She had heard that her asthma would be better in Colo. Alice took over the homestead and hired John Murphy and Henry Fansleu to build her a new 2 story E.G. Davis, Sr. Family It was summer in 1886. From the northeast, following the Republican river upstream from Alma, Nebraska, 3 covered wagons and some trailing livestock, approached the wide meadow in the valley. Elias Griffith Davis, Sr. had selected the location a year earlier. His doctor in Missouri had advised him to seek a higher, drier climate to benefit the health of his second son, E.G. Davis, Jr. who was "sickly". While looking for a location Davis was making one of his long trips from Missouri to Denver by rail. The route via. Cheyenne, Wyoming was the only rail Iink from Denver to the east. A fellow passenger was his friend and neighbor, Henry C. Brown. Most of their conversations relat€d to opportunities and problems afforded by the developing west. Brown's homestead was locat€d near what is now the corner of Colfax and Broadway in Denver. years later he was to build on this homestead his Brown Palace Hotel, which remains today one of the world's great hotels. Davis had the opportunity to settle on an adjoining claim. However he decided that he preferred ranching to mining. He also believed that a ranching environment would be a better place to raise a family than in the rowdy, frontier mining snmp of Denver only about a mile away. So saying good-bye to his friend Brown, he began the search for a location in eastern Colorado He finally selected the green valley ofthe little Republican River in an area soon to be open to homesteaders. The land was unsettled except for an occasional headquarters for a few large cattle outfits. These were located along the river to provide water for the thousands of cattle which grazed the uninhabited prairie. Davis' only neighbors were two such headquarters, the Tuttle ranch about 4 miles upstreem and the Cox ranch about the s"me direction down strenm. The long trek from Missouri began in 1885. E.G. Davies, Sr. was born in Abervale, South Wales, on Oct. 15, 1841, the son of John Davies, grocer. Davies attended college, studied music and taught singing in Wales before he made the decision to move to the new world. He became a pattern maker in Joliet, Illinois. Several years later he moved to Macon county, Missouri where he became a pattern maker in a railroad foundry. It is not known when or why Davies changed his name to Davis. He used the nn-e Davies on his marriage certificate and on his naturalization certificate. both in 1872. His petition to become a mason was signed Davies when he was 30 (18?1), but a dimitt issued by the sqme lodge dated Dec. 20, 1889 is signed Davis. There is not record of the use of the name Davies aftpr 1885. E.G. Davies married Leah Glass, daughter of John Glass in Glaston, Missouri on July 1, 1872. (John Glass, 73 lived in Glaston, Missouri. He was born in South Wales on Feb. 1, 1812. Leah Glass was born in Merthrtydvil, South Wales, on Aug. 27 , L847 .) To this union four sons were born by the time the decision was made to "Go West". Three farm wagons were purchased. Canvas tops were made and the wagons loaded with a small cook stove, several pots and pans, a table and chairs, tools, bedding, bookcase and books and other necessities. A plow was strapped to the side of one wagon, and a barrel of water secured to another. Supplies included staple groceries, grain for the horses il1d nrls grease for the wagons. Horace Greeley was preaching "Go West, Young Man." These pioneers were not all young, John Glass, 74, drove one wagon. Another was driven by E.G. Davis, Sr., 45, with his pregnant wife, Leah as passenger. The third wagon was driven by John Jay �Davis, 29, fost€r son of John Glass. None had ever farmed! Four Davis sons, John Glass, 11; Elias Griffith Jr., 9; Louis Glass, 7; and David Edmunds, 3, brought the population of the caravan to 8, Several weeks after leaving Miesoud the family stopped to spend the winter and to await the anival of Leah's fifth child at Abna, Nebr. The fifth son, Rosser Beynon Davis was born April 16, 1886 in Alma. The family raised hogs, traded cattle, harvested hay and planted a grove of walnut trees. Meanwhile E.G. Davis, Sr. drove on to their destination in Colorado. Two of the younger people accompanied him to the location which had been selected earlier. They scoo- ped out a dug-out where they lived while building a small sod house. They planted and fenced in a small field of feed for their livestock, then returned to join the family in Nebraska. by Wm. A. Davis DAVIS FAMILY was before telephones. Since there were no schools, the children were taught in the home, from books brought from Missouri. Soon a gchool district was organized and a school house built about six miles from the ranch. Then a school was built only three miles away. The younger children all "graduated" from the eighth grade. Welsh. By the early 1900's the German Settlement developed. They claimed most of the remaining land between the ranch and Sunday school, also was first held in the Davis home. then as other settlers arrived, it was rotated nmonB the various homes. Aftcr The names Adolph, Schlichenmayer, Weber, Schaal, Stolz, Stahlecker, Bauder, Dobler and others and were all very good friends of the Davis family. Elias Griffith Davis Sr. died at his ranch near Tuttle on Jan. 25, 1913. He is buried in Burlington. His was indeed a very active life. Morton was the first child in the family to attend High School which was located in Stratton. Annie was the first in the family to attend college. That was the Colorado State Teachers College (Now the University of Northern Colorado) in Greeley. the first school house was built, Sunday school was held there. E.G. Davis, Sr. was the first Sunday School Superintendent. He was later succeeded by Mrs. J.J. Pugh. Occasion- ally an itinerant preacher would stop by to preach. Later either the Reverend Mrs. Mary Bevier from Burlington, or the Reverend Mr. Peter Raemussen from Seibert would make the long trip by horse and buggy fairly regularly. E.G. Davis, Sr. and Leah were F146 ing towns and the whole countryside were noteworthy events. Early neighboring families included the Richards, Evans, Pugh, Corliss, Newberry, Burr, Woods and others. Many of these were Burlington. They were thrifty, hard working people who rapidly improved their farms. He led the way in the development of schools, churches, community life and government in the struggling new country. Leah (Glass) Davis died in Burlington on Jan. 5, 1935 at the age of88. Deeply religious, she was a loving mother, a resourceful leader and a stern disciplinarian who successfully raised a large fanily under unbelievably difficult circumstances. Leah is buried in Burlington beside her husband and father. members of the Congregational Church. For many years he served as Secretary for the E.G. Davis, Sr. Family Preparations were made for the final move to Colorado. John now 12, rode a pony to keep al Churches. When the Kit Carson county was formed, in 1889, the Gov. of Colorado appointed Davis to the original Board of County the ten head of cattle following the wagons. Griff 10 and Glass 8, walked the entire distance from Alna, to Tuttle driving a sow Commissioners. He was reelected twice and served as Chairman. By that time the Court House had been built, and all original county and her piglets. Times were unbelievably tough. Their only cash income for the first year cnme from the records were set up. Before the Courthouse was built the County offices met on the gecond floor of the F.D. Mann building. badger or wolf pelt. The bones were hauled to Haigler, Nebr. and sold for $8.00 per ton. Griff said they drove many, many miles over prairie searching for bones, and that it took an awful lot of bones to weigh a ton. For food the only staples were purchased: e.g., flour, salt and sugar and sugar or molasses. Flour cost $.75 for a 48# bag. Leah said she was not border of Cottonwood trees enclosed a 10 acre sale of buffalo bones and an occasional particular about the flour, but carefully select€d the brand which was packed in the best, and most durable bags, from which she made the childrens clothing. Crops failed every year until an irrigation syetem was perfected in 1892. Thereafter a fine stand of alfalfa yielded 3 or 4 cuttings per year, ercept when it hailed. John and Griff supplemented the family income by corking in the coal mines some 170 miles to the west. Glass worked as a cowboy for the Roy Best ranch near La Junta. Ed rode for the Cox ranch. Mail was received at the Tuttle Post office, it came by stage from Cheyenne Wells. Aft€r a few years the Pogt office was moved to the Davis ranch with E.G. Davis, Sr. as the post master. There was a counter with a snall grilled window. A drawer was provided for the stamps and cash. Several pigeon holes on the back wall held the patron's mail. The entire post office occupied a space about 5' X 5'in a corner of the Davis living room. The Post office in the home afforded the opportu- nity to visit with their neighbors most of whom called for their mail about once a week. When a letter came from "back eagt" it was proudly shared with the Davis'es and other neighbors. Much later the Weekly Kansas City Star or Capper's Weekly brought news from the outside world because ofcourse this by Wm. A. Davis Eastern Colorado assembly of Congregation- The ranch wae gradually improved. A farmst€ad. With their roots reaching the shallow, water bearing sand, they quickly grew to form a 75'high windbreak around the buildings, garden and orchard. The little sod house was replaced by a large two-story sod house in the north end of the grove. A huge milk room with an adjoining root cellar, was served by a pitcher pump which supplied fregh well water directly to the house. A nearby smoke house waa used for curing meat. A large concrete and wooden barn was built to replace the small rock barn which located north of the West pond. The new barn was home for many work horses and a purebred Shire stallion. Riding and driving horees, among them Liddy, Prince and Traveller were also stalled there. Haying was highly mechanized. Two mow- ing machines, two dump rakes, two buckrakes and a stacker operating simultaneously attracted many onlookers. The machines, of course, were all powered by horses. The horses were shod, mowing machine cycles sharpened and machines repaired in the ranch blacksmith shop. The Weet pond mentioned above was one of three small lakes formed by a dam at the east end of East Pond. Connecting the East and West ponds and extending southward was the South pond. With many fish, water fowl, muskrats, raccoons, quail and other wildlife, the headquarters assumed a part like appearance. this becnme a favorite picnic spot. Many family reunions were held here. The general public, too, ceme here for Sunday or holiday relaxation. Independence Day celebrations with people from neighbor- DAVIS FAMILY Fl47 E.G. Davis, Sr. Family The first son of E.G. Davis, Sr. and Leah, John Glass Davis was born in Macon county Missouri on April 3, 1873. Amelia Homrigaus was born April 19, 1878, in Tingly, Iowa. John and Amelia were married and lived on John's homestead near Kirk. They later moved to a ranch in Kit Carson county, then to Burlington when John was elected Sheriff. John died in Burlington July 25, 1930. Amelia died in Arvada, Colo. Aug. 5, 1930. Both were buried in the Kirk cemetery. Louis Glass Davis, son of John and Amelia was born near Kirk, June L7, L907. Louis married Margarette Johnstone ofVancouver, B.C. They have no children. "McGee and Lou" now live in San Diego (Rancho Bernardo). Eleanor daughter of John and Amelia, was born near Kirk, Dec. L3,19L2. Eleanor married J. Ross Mclaughlin (who died in Byers, Co. July 6, 1982). Eleanor now lives in Denver. Eleanor and "Mac" have one son, John Ross Mcl,aughlin born June 4, 1939. John married Margaret Elizabeth O'Rouke. Their children: James Ross, Dec. 24, 1965; and Margaret Amanda, July 18, 1970, live with the family in Florida. Elias Griffith Davis Jr., (Griffl was born Jan. 27,1876 in Macon county, Missouri. Zebna May Ackelson was born at Winterset, Iowa, Sept, 30, 1881. Zelma and Griff were married Dec. 23, 1901. They lived on Griffs homestead near Kirk where Willia- Ackel- son Davis, Aug. 5, 1903, and Violet May Davis, Jan 3, 1905 were born. 8.G., Zelma and the two children moved to Burlington in 1905, where Griff managed a Livery Stable. He was elected Sheriff in 1908, and served until 1914. Susan (she later changed to Suanne) on Feb. 26, l9[7; and Leah, Jan. 25, 1911, were both born in Burlington. Griff established the first Ford car "Agency" in �Burlington. He built a new building on Main Street and called the firm Griffs Garage (rhymed with carriage). Griff died, April 5, DAVIS FAMILY Fr48 1939; and Zelma died May 17, 1954, both were buried in the Burlington Cemetery, William A. Davis married Jessie Shaw (Feb. 26, 1902) on Oct. 25, L925. Jessie died in Denver on Nov. 4, 1977 and is buried in the Goodland Cemetery. Jessie and Bill have three sons. Jack Presley Davis born in Denver, Mar. 14, 1928. Jack married Wilma Daise in Goodland and theyhave one daughter, Cheryl Ann, Jan. 3, L952. Cheryl married Gene Schremmer, and they live in Hoisington, Ks. and have three daughters: Kristi,l-12-77 ; Danah 7 -980;and Jackie Sue, 1l-8-82. Jack and Wilma live in Goodland. The second son William Shaw Davis was born in Denver in April 6, 1931. Bill manied Evelyn Domingo in Mexico City. They have one daughter Jessica Dono- van Davis born May 2L, L969. They all live in Goodland. Eugene GriffithDavis, the third son of Jessie and Bill, was born in Denver, Jan 15, 1934. Gene married Evelyn Lohr and they have three children. Judith Ann married Mel Wagoner and they have two daughters; Heather, 11-10-76, and Nicole, 10-10-84. The Wagoners live in Colorado Springs. Donald Griffith Davis, 12-12-55, married Debroh Downen and they have three children; Jason 4-7-77, Summer, 8-27-78, and Tyler, 5-L-82, they all live on a farm near Burlington. Marlyn Jane Davis, (5-30-59), married David Eves and they have two sons: Joshua, S-25-84, and Jesse Davis 5-13-86. The Eves live in the Denver area (Littleton). Violet May Davis, "Vi", daughter of Griff and Zelma, married Earl G. Ormsbee and they have two daughters, Donna Coleen, 9-26-29; and Bonnita Rae. Earl "Hap" died July 13, 1963 and Vi died June 23, t975, both were buried in Burlington. Donna married Weldon Eugene Vance and they have two children; Robbie Lynn, 6-23-52 (manied Dave Fearon. They have a daughter: Kacy,6-5-71) and Michael Griff Vance, 11-6-56, (married Sharon Koop. Their children are Annie Renee and Griffith James). The Fearons live in Burlington and the Vance family live on a farm northeast of Burlington. Vi and Earl's daughter Bonnie married Lloyd Laudenschlager. They live in Edgecliff, Tex. They have two children; Shelley who lives in Denver and Wade Eugene who lives near Denver. Susan, Griffs third child, manied John Carmine and they have one son, Colton. John and Sue were divorced. Sue an invalid died in 1963 and is buried in Burlington. Colton married Evelyn Blakenship and they have three children. Colton Jr., 2-3-53, married Susan Fogal and they have two children: Michelle and Colton III; Christopher 10-25-55, unmarried; and Stacey Marie, 3-15-59, married to Randy Beintema and they have one son, Nicholas, 6-24-82. Colton and Evelyn were divorced and'each remaried. Evelyn (Mrs. Robert) Patterson and her children all live in Alemeda and San Joaquin counties, Calif. Leah, fourth child of Zelna and Griff married Robert Portennier, they have no children and live in Pueblo, Colo. by Wm. A. Davis E.G. Davis, Sr. Family Louis Glass Davis was born Aug. L2, L878 in Glaston, Missouri. Glass married Minnie Homm of ldalia. They lived on their homestead near Kirk. They have two children: Edgar and Roberta. Glass, Minnie, and Edgar are deceased and buried in Kirk. Edgar's widow, Ilda, lives in Kirk. Roberta (Davis) Ellison lives in Canon City, Co. Rosser Beynon Davis married Katherine Nowak and they have twin sons born Feb. 4, 1929. Katie died in 1967 and Rosser in 1978. Stanley Max Davis married Lucille Chalfant. They have two children: Brian Lee, 10-28-60, and Stacy Winn, 1-15-63, they all live in Colby, Ks. Russell Elias Davis married Alene Marcum, they have three children: Michael Scott (who lives in Longmont), Kenton Lewis (married Teni Butts and they have two daughters Tessica Danielle and Leah Ann,and live on a farm east of Burlington), and Jennie Kay Davis who is married to Tom Swanson and has two sons: Jacob Keith and Dylan Elias, and live in Montrose, Colo. David Edmunds Davis was born July 24, 1883, in Glaston, Missouri. "Ed" manied Jennie Jones, 2-1-1883 of Hugo, Colorado. They have one daughter and four sons. Edith Viola born at Kirk, Feb. 5, 1909, married Leonard Fehrenbach and they have three children: Ruth Lavone Robertson, 3-16-28, Kenneth William (Bill), 6-2-31, and Robert Davis, 10-4-33. Leonard passed away and Edith lives in Stratton. The Sons were: Harry Edmunds born at Kirk, 8-24-10, died 4-3-11; Robert Griffith, 10-14-12, died at Stratton, 829-73; David Earl, 1-30-17, (married Jeanne Gowdy and they have four children: David Earl Jr., 11-20-46, lives in San Francisco, Cynthia Ann 8-9-49, lives in Arvada, and the twins Douglas and Debroah, 3-14-53); and Earl Jones born in Stratton, 5-15-22. Earl lived many years as an invalid and died in Stratton on March 26, L957. Morton Harrison Davis was born at Tuttle, 9-24-1888. He was the first white child born in what is now called Kit Carson county. Elizabeth Powell was born at Rhayder, North Wales on Feb. 1, 1889, and came to America in Jan. 1913. Morton and Betty were married June 27, 1917. Their daughter Beverly (5-20- 19) married Fred Geis of Julesburg, Co. Beverly and Fred have six children: John in Hanover; and Karen Betsy born 5-20-58, in Hollywood, Calif), Del and Betsy live in Northridge, Calif; and Lowell, the youngest son of Anna and William born 4-4-22, in Correctionville. He was a member of the United States Air Force when he was killed in action on March 24, 1944. The seven Davis children except Annie who lived in lowa, live and died in Kit Carson county. The seven children died in the order of their birth. Eight members of the 7th generation of the family live in Kit Carson county at this time. They are Kacy Fearon, Annie and Griff Vance, Jason, Summer, and Tyler Davis and Tyler and Michael Taylor. by Wm. A. Davis DAVIS FAMILY F149 John Glass John Glass (1812-1892) was 74 years old when he arrived at Tuttle.He was active in founding and operating the ranch with Elias Griffith Davis Sr. Born in Wales in a family of merchants with strong religious and moral values, he pioneered in several midwestern states before joining in the Colorado adventure. John Glass died at the ranch, Nov. 11, 1892. He is buried in the Burlington Ceme- tery. John Jay Davis, foster son of John Glass, accompanied the Davis familyto Colorado in 1886. He later returned to Missouri for a visit. This roundtrip of about a thousand miles must have taken at least 40 days by covered wagon. John Jay contributed greatly to the building and operation of the ranch. He later homesteaded in Yuma county. He never married. John Jay died on August 10, 1943 at Burlington. Born November 26, 1857, he spent exactly half of his life in each the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Jav is buried in Burlington. by Wm. A. Davis DAVIS - ACKELSON FAMILY Fr50 Owen,L-7-42; Juliann, 4-8-43; Leah Jean,68-44; Fred Lloyd, 1-46; Don Paul,5-2-47; and The following article appeared in "The Burlington Republican" in Jan. of 1902: Catherine Jane, 10-20-48. Elizabeth Powell Davis died April 23, 1949 at Goodland and "Another wedding in this burg and although the young party kept their intcntions somewhat secret, the near neighbors, to the number of thirty-five, young and old, got wind ofit and very kindly gave their presence and assistance to make the occasion an enjoyable one. This time itwas E.G. DavisJr., and Miss Zelma Ackelson. The ceremony wag performed in the house of the parents of the groom by Rev. M.A. Bavier. On Monday Dec. 23, 1901 about ten a.m. friends began to gather where social chats and songs were Morton died at Burlington on 10-5-79. Anna (Davis) Stelck was born May 25, 1889 at Tuttle, Colo. William Stelck was born Jan. L6, L877 at Moline, Illinois. Annie and William were married in 1911 and moved to Correctionville, Iowa where they raised four children: Helen (Dillon) born at Cushing, Iowa,l-2-L2, (She now lives at San Fernando, Calif.); Gerald W. born at Correctionville, Iowa 4-10-18. (Gerald and Mary Ellen have two children: Jane Ellen, 8-16-46, and Michael Lowell, 3-11-56, both born in Des Moines); William Ardell born at Correctionville, 8-30-20, (Del and Betsy have three children: Lisa Ann (Boeger) 8-17-46, born in Hanover, N.H.; Kristen Lynn,5-28-56, born indulged in. Mrs. A.B. Book very kindly presided at the organ. The climax was reached when at high noon she struck up a wedding march in such a masterly manner that the strains reached the ears ofthe bridal party in an adjoining room, who responded �t*'. : ji Griff Davis. The first Ford Agency in Burlington. by marching to the music and taking their places; little Annie Pugh leading them. Rev. Bevier then performed the services and tied the marriage knot in an impressive manner, ending with a fervent earnest prayer for Heaven's richest blessing on the union. Congratulations to the young couple were followed by a dinner. Songs were again rendered until late afternoon and Rev. Bavier dismissed then in another impressive prayer." began their life together . - Sowas Griff Davis born in Macon Co. Mo. on Jan. 27. 1876 and came to Colo. with his parents, Elias Griffith and Leah (Glass), five brothers and his Grandfather, John Glass. They settled on a pre-emption and tree claim on the Republican River near Tuttle in 1886. His sister Annie was born here. The buffalo were mostly gone by then, but Griff and his brothers drove a team and wagon many miles over the prairies gathering the bones to sell. There were plenty of antelope and lots of wild horses. Many times he chased a herd of these wild horses, and once in a while would capture a good one; but as a rule they were too light for farm work. Quite often they would trap the gray wolves that stalked the cattle and killed the young calves. Sometimes they sold the pelts and again they would tan them and make them into rugs. In 1898 he filed for his own homestead near that of his parents. Zelma May, daughter of Wm. and Susan Ackelson was born near Winterset, Ia., on Sept. 30, 1881. In 1893 she moved with her Irish father, Welsh mother, brothers and sisters, by covered wagon to Colo. where her father had filed on a relinquishment situated on the "divide" between the Republican and Arickaree rivers. After she and Griff were married they lived on his homestead for about five years, moving to Burlington in 1906 where Griff operated a livery barn on the north end of Main Street. They bought a small house and some land three blocks west of the livery, and soon enlarged and remodeled their home. This house is located at l7L4 Martin Ave. In November of 1908 Mr. Davis was elected sheriff of Kit Carson Co.. and served for three terms. He started Griffs Garage, later known as Davis Auto Co., a dealer and garage for the first Ford cars. He built his first building in 1913, later expanding it to its present size. This building now houses the Ben Franklin store at 469 14th St. He poured the foundation for his second building on April L7,LgI9, and this building is also still being used today as the business offices for The City of Burlington. It was known for many ye€us as "The Old Armory". They raised their four children William A., Violet (Mrs. E.G. "Hap" Ormsbee), Suzanne, (Mrs. John Carmine), and Leah (Mrs. Robert Portenier) in Burlington. Bill and his wife, Jessie (Shaw) made their home in Goodland, Ka. He and his sons Jack, Wm. S. and Eugene have been involved in the implement business as well as ranching and farmings. For many years Bill was very active in politics, and was honored by the citizens of Goodland in Sept. of 1982 with a "Bill Davis Day". Violet and her husband Hap lived most of their life in Burlington. Hap in business and law enforcement where he served as County Sheriff; and Vi in her beloved teaching. They raised their two daughters, Donna and Bonnie here. Suzanne, an invalid to arthritis, lived most of her life in Burlington, also spending some time with her son Colton in Calif. Leah and her husband Bob chose the Arkansas Valley as home, now living in Pueblo where Bob is retired from his Real Estate business. Griff and Zelma watched with much interest the growth of Burlington, the businesses, E. G. Griff Davis and hie bride, Zelma May (Ackeleon) Davis. the churches, and the schools. How pleased they would have been at seeing our three modern schools. Two of their daughters, Vi �and Leah were teachers in the county, and one of their great-granddaughters, Robbie Vance Fearon ie now teaching in Burlington. They both believed strongly in education and knew its vdue. Griff and Zelma ca-e to the new state of Coloradoas children in covered wagons. They attended school in a vacated "soddy", Griff using books his farnily brought with them from Missouri. They saw the wild horse herds running free acroes the endless prairie, and they watched the same prairies being fenced and plowed. How beautiful grandson Gene Davis fields of wheat and corn would seem to them ifthey could see them today. They saw the railroad cane to Kit Carson Co., and they brought the firet Ford car to Burlington. There were good times and bad, as there were for all the pioneers, but good or bad, there were always songs to sing, and a book to read, older girls were leaving home to work in Denver, generally in the houses of Capitol Hill, or to establish homes of their own. Other memories of these early days was of trips across the grasslands to the store at Friend with eggs which brought three cents a dozen but still an important income to purchase tea, coffee, sugar and sometimes a length of material for home sewing. The girls also helped with the gathering of buffalo chips for fuel and dried bones to sell. But all was not work. My mother and her sisters Elizabeth and Anna once accompanied their father on a trip by wagon to Denver and then on to Colorado Springs by way of Cherry Creek and down the valley of Monument Creek. The big thing was climbing Pike's Peak in their long white dresses and wide brimmed hats, high topped shoes, and carrying coats and enough food to see them and an Irish jig to dance across the kitchen floor. In later years, sometimes in the evening, Griff would sit at the kitchen table, peeling an apple so the skin stayed all in one long piece. He'd hand this to his grandchildren to eat as he told stories of the early days. Zelma doing supper dishes at the sink would add her through the day. . . and a long day it was! The clothing for this day's adventure had been packed in a trunk for safe keeping. Along the way they camped out, cooking memories to his. Stories about the large herds of cattle that grazed the country; there were no fences to hold them, just miles and miles 1900. of prairie grass. The country dances with Dave Manley playrng the fiddle; the young cowboys, Griff and some of his brothers nmoDg them, coming all dressed up, but taking off their guns before going in. The Camp Meetings, with the baptisms in the Republican River. The terrible blizzards, the terrible dust stotme, and the prairie fires; but he always ended every story with "I don't know of any place I'd rather live." by Donna C. Vance with their father nearby, and wearing calico dresses and sunbonnets. But it was adventure that not many girls had in about the year Early in 1900 my mother married John G. Davig and they first lived in a two story sod house which my father had built near Kirk; it still stands in 1986. There they set up F161 The grey wolves still howled on the prairies of eagtern Colorado when my mother, Amelia Homrighaus, came to Colorado from Tingley, Iowa with her parents, Louis and Elizabeth Homrighaus, to eettle near Kirk and not far from the old settlement of Friend. She was the second of four girls who ca-e with their parents by train and box car to Benkleman, Nebraska, and then on to their new home by wagon and horses. Later two brothers and a sist€r came to this pioneer family. Early recollectione of my mother were of the protection of the stock necessary at night to keep the wolves away. Even after a good rock barn and yards had been built, the horses and cattle had to be watched. As soon as the girls were old enough they homesteaded land near their parents and there were memories of long dark nights in their homegtead shacks sometimes frightened by storms or the howling of the wolves and coyotes. But they all stayed with it and later their land was farmed along with the exemption and tree claim of their parents. They had come to Colorado in the early 1880's and by the turn of the century, the these first picturesque structureg were replaced with frame buildings but there were many memories of the fun that went on at the first school. . . a meeting place for dances, box suppers, and the first polling place for the community-minded citizens. And there many a romance began and later children and grandchildren attended the school but in a few years only a pile of rocks, a bit of wall remained to remind them of their pioneer families. It is hard to separate the stories of some of these families according to county lines and it is interesting to know that my brother Louis has a Kit Carson County birth certificate and mine is Yuma County, but we were born in the same house. Corrections were made in lines over the years. A bit of the Republican River came to Kirk when the sod house was built from virgin sod turned near the river bottoms. And so it went as the country developed; fanilies of the area intermarried and started new families; gifts were exchanged in the families or among neighbors and so the lives ofthe people in the whole area beceme intertwined. In writing as a descendant ofthese people, I find it difficult to separate various facets of their lives. Memories don't stop at a line shown on a map! by Eleanor Davie Mclaughlin housekeeping and farmed the drylands. My brother, Louis, was born here in 1907 and I followed in 1912. But the lands of the Republican River called my parents and we went to the river to live around 1913 or '14. Their story there is told in another section of this heritage volume. Among the early memories of the Homrighaus girls, when not homesteading or working away from home was that of learning the household arts from their German born mother. She brought with her in steerage some fine linens and taught the girls sewing and handwork as soon as they were old DAVIS HOMRIGHAUS FAMILY beside the trail and sleeping under the wagon church. It was near Friend and the Homrighaus "kids" could walk to school. Lat€r enough. She had loved nice dishes, too, and n-ong the few things she kept with her on the long trip was a glass berry set, a bowl and 12 dainty serving dishes. Two remain in my possession to remind me of her, a lady I only dimly remember. Before coming to Colorado she had gathered other nice things to the family and they ca'ne the long way to the west where they were used and cherished at family DAVIS - POWELL FAMILY Fl52 Morton Harrison Davis, first child of Elias G. and Leah G. Davis to be born in Colorado, was born Sept. 24, 1888, on the Republican River in what was then Elbert County. As soon as he was old enough, he worked forthe Homm Ranch, first as awrangler, then as a rider on their Smokey Hill River range. He often spoke of his riding companion, Lew Beck. When he was of age, he homesteaded l,and adjoining the home ranch. He and brother Rosser took over the home ranch, having the first registered cattle and horses in the area. On June 27,L9L7, he and Elizabeth Powell gatherings and shared with neighbors and friends. Grandfather Homrighaus, only a memory for me of an elderly gentleman with a long flowing white beard, had carpentry training and he built a fine two story frame house on the exemption claim where the family grew and from where they spread their wings. The were married in Burlington by Judge Wyatt Boger. Elizabeth Lewis Powell was born Feb. 1, father along with farming the land. There was a pump organ in the family and the youngest brother, Charlie, played it well but was best known for playing accompaniments for dance mugic or singing. He and his brother went to dances far and wide in the countryside where they were well known for helping with farm work, especially at hawest time, and for their cowboying when they could be spared from Birminghnm, England. Here, as well as boys learned many handy arts from their the home pLace. This family all attended a school built in the community from rocks which made sturdy buildings and fences. The whole neighborhood helped with the school and a 1889, in Rhayader, Radnorshire, Norih Wales, the oldest daughter of David and Catherine Jane Lewis Powell. She spent her early life on a farm but after the death of her mother, she went into apprenticeship in a store and tailor shop in learning business methods, she learned tailoring and dressmaking. In 1911, her father'e cousin, John J. Pugh and his daughter, Leona, ofTuttle, Colorado, were in Wales on a visit. In January 1912, Elizabeth accompanied them back to Colorado. Many of the families had a number of daughters wishing to be stylishly dressed, so she stayed with each family while replenishing their wardrobes. There were quite a few wedding trousgeaus made over the years. Sometime in 1914, she was stricken with �acut€ appendicitis. There being no hospital, she went by train to Mercy Hospital in Denver where Dr. Scherrer of the Bar T Scherrer's performed the operation. Range land was being taken up by homesteaders, so Mr. Pugh had several people take up land he was grezrng with the agreement hewould buythem outwhen the parcels were "proved up - on". Her Homestead did not become a part of the "Tuttle Ranch", however, until the 1960's when Tom Price purchased it and the ranch of Morton and Elizabeth. After their marriage, they began life together on their joint homesteads, later purchasing a few adjoining parcels of land. Here they lived thru hail, drouth, dirt storms and a big flood of May, 1935, which wrecked havoc with the river ranches. Their only child, Beverly, was born May 20, 1919. After a brief teaching career, not in Kit Carson County, she married Fred Geis of Ovid, Colorado, in 1941. Elizabeth died in April, 1949. After selling the farm in 1964, Morton moved to the Hotel CoUing in Stratton where he lived for several years before moving to Burlington, where he died in Oct. 1979 at the age of 91. None of their descendants live in Kit The Ford Garage Ed Davie operated in Stratton Carson County. 3 granddaughters: Julie Jacobs, Jean Chadwick, Katie Van Deren; 3 grandsons: John, Fred and Don Geis; 7 great granddaughters: Linda Younger, Shelly Thomas, Colette Jacobs, Mandy Jacobs, Joni Geis, Tami Van Deren, Melody Hayes; 7 great grandsons: Frank and Bill Jacobe, Jo-es and Robert Chadwick, Donn and David Van Deren, Tristan Geis; 3 great greatgrandsons: Cole and Nickolae Younger, Eric Davis; 1 great greatgranddaughter: Nicole Thomas. by Beverly Geis DAVIS, ED AND JENNIE Ed and Jennie Davis This story told by David Edmunds Davis was recorded January 3, 1934. I was born on July 24, 1883 in Ethel, Missouri and moved to Alma, Nebraska with my parents. In 1886 we emigrated by covered wagon train to Tuttle, Colorado, where father located on a homestead. Our ranch was on the Republican River and we located a good spring from which we got water for some years. A good substantial sod house was built and additions made as our family grew. What education we received was by attending the little eod school house in the community. I helped my father and older brothers on the ranch until I was thirteen years old, then I went to work for Harry Cor, owner of the then fanous "Cor Fl63 Ed Davis with Fred Weibel in the Ford Garage office Ranch" and I worked for him for thirteen years. There were large herds ofcattle all over this county then, and no corrals or fences, During our yearly round-ups we had to stand guard over the cattle to keep them from stampeding or getting away. Each cowboy took his turn in standing guard for two hours each night. The regular crew employed at that time was ten or twelve men, but during the round-up and branding season we would have as high as eighteen or twenty. Each cowboy or rider had his own bed, blanket and clothing. I still have the mattress that I used during the time I worked for Mr. Cox. It is as good as ever, altho'a bit faded from repeated washings. That is about all I �have left of my range riding days. We always had plenty to eat and had good eats, too. I guess our riding made us hungry and food tasted good to us then. ofcourse, the standby was bacon or salt pork, but we usually had plenty of good beef too, and always plenty of beans and corn bread. There were no fences, no roads, nothing but cattle trails over these stretches of prairie. The country around the river is rather hilly and there was plenty of grass and water and good places to hide. We found some Indian skulls. lots of beads and an old rifle that we plowed up when we were making a dam on the river. It was in a clump of trees and was about four feet under the ground. This rifle was given to a J.W. Gardner who is now living at Hugo, Colorado. We found any number of arrow heads. I never saw any Indians or buffalo, but there were herds of antelope and a number ofgray wolves that got so bold they broke into a corral and killed some of the horses and colts. Lanterns were hung around the corrals to keep them out, but despite the lanterns, they broke in one night and killed a colt before the men could get out to the barns. This happened on the Tuttle Ranch. Wolves were never known to attack men, but they were bad on the livestock. The winters were very severe, and we had such terrible lightning and hail storms in the summer time. But we had to be out in all kinds of weather, so we got used to it. Good grub, plenty of exercise in the open air, and the care-free life we led kept us healthy and happy. Dancing was our chief amusement, and when a bunch of cowboys went to a dance, they went in full regalia: spurs, pistols and chaps. But we usually removed our spurs and turned over the pistols to the hostess before we began dancing. I did not dance much, but enjoyed the fun the others got out of it. We were always on the watch for prairie fires, for usually a fire was hard to control and it took everything in its path. One big fire started at Lusto Springs, north of Limon, and burned down to the Republican River. It kept us busy plowing fire guards to protect the ranch and feed stacks. The following story told by Jennie Etta Jones Davis was also recorded on January 3, 1934. I was born in Shelton, Nebraska on February 1, 1883, and cq-e to Colorado with my parents in April, 1892. We arrived at Limon by train and at that time Limon was composed of a hotel, the section house, a small store and post office and one or two houses. Father took a homestead sixteen miles north of Limon near Walks Camp and we built our sod house and settled down to live on the prairies. Hugo, Forty miles away, wan our nearest town and doctor, so we did not dare to get sick. We could buy no furniture, so Father made what we needed from packing boxes. Whenever we got newspapers we would put them on the walls, thus saving all reading matter, and keeping our house warm. We got our water from a well and from springs close by. We always enjoyed living water, and never had to drink from water holes like many another pioneer in this county. I remember of Mother selling eggs for three cents per dozen, and butter for three cents per pound. We could not get any more for it, and perhaps if it had been higher people could not have bought it, for there was very little money in the country then. When we first came to Limon the "trail herds" used to pass our place about a mile east of us, great herds of from five to eight thousand head of long-horn Texas cattle on their way north to Montana to grass and pasture for the summer. There was plenty of water near us, and the crew always camped there over night. There were usually about eighteen cowboys, a chuck wagon and the supply wagon. My brother-in-law worked with this outfit for three summers and we always felt interested in the trail herds. We have seen a steady line of cattle moving north from daylight to dark. I often think of the great herds that used to pass over the prairies where now there are fields or fenced pastures. As you know, there were no trails or roads or fences in those days, and it was so easy to become confused as to directions, and lose your way on the prairie. I was a little girl about twelve years old, as my brother was working in the field, I was sent to bring home the cows. I was riding horseback, and started out in plenty of time to get the cows home before supper-time. They had wandered rather far that day and it was hard to get them turned homeward until sunset and it got too dark for them to eat. By this time I did not know where I was, and drove the cattle in the opposite direction from home. It got cold and soon began to rain, so I got off my horse and put the saddle blanket around me. I had bare feet. as it was warm when I had left home and we always had to go barefoot as soon as weather permitted and save our shoes. I got so cold and frightened and did not know what to do. About ten o'clock that night my folks and some of the neighbors began hunting for me. They built a big bonfire on top ofone ofthe hills, and then took lanterns and followed the gulleys or draws, calling me all the while. When I saw the bonfire, I rounded up the cattle and started towards it, but soon came up to where my brother was, and Oh, how glad I was to see him. I know the night was no darker than many another night, but to me it seemed so dark and the prairies so big and lonesome. I was very fortunate in that a severe storm had not come instead of a gentle, drizzling rain. Through much planning, saving and hard study, I managed to get an education and became a teacher. I taught school at the Lanchman School, also known as the Regan School from the fall of 1905 until spring of 1908. I was teaching there when I met my husband, Ed. Ed and Jennie were married April 26, 1908. They homesteaded five miles southwest of Kirk, Colorado. While on the homestead four children were born there: Harry, who died in infancy, Edith, (Davis) Fehrenbach, Robert G., and David E. Their fifth child, EarlJ., was born in Stratton, Colorado. Jennie insisted that the children must have an education. The school in Kirk, five miles away wan not very good, so they moved to Burlington in 1917. Ed went in business with his brother Griff, in the Ford Garage. In 1920 they moved to Stratton where he operated the Ford Garage and was associated with The First National Bank. They resided in Stratton until their deaths.. Ed passed away May 13, 1967 and Jennie passed away November 18' 1967. by David E. Davis DAVIS, ELIAS GRIFFITH, II Fl64 I was born in Macon County, Missouri on Jan. 27, 1876 and went with my parents to Alma, Nebr. in 1865 for one year. My father Elias G. Davis and a cousin came out to Colo. in the late fall of 1886 and liking the looks of the country filed a pre-emption and tree claim on land along the Republican River bottom. Here they built a soddy and made ready a home for the family. My cousin returned to Nebr. for my mother, Leah Davis, my grandfather (my mother'g father) and we five boys in late March 1887. We traveled in covered wagons and drove ten head of cattle and 5 pigs. We went to Haigler, Nebr., then across to old Jacqua, Kan., then followed the Republican into Colo. We brought a few household furnishings, our bedding, some food supplies, and a small cook stove. After father proved up on the pre-emption, he took a homestead right across the road east of the old location. There was no railroad thru here then, and so our nearest trading point was Haigler, Nebr. or Wray, Colo. I never saw any buffalo; I guess they had been pretty well hunted out before we arrived. But there were buffalo bones on the prairies and we used to eather them and take them to Haigler to se'il for $8.00 per ton. There were plenty of antelope on the prairie and lots of wild horses that used to coax our domestic horses away. I have chased many a wild herd and once in awhile would capture a pretty good one, but as a rule they were too light for most farm work. We used to trap gray wolves and sometimes sell the pelts or tan them and use them for rugs. Our mail was brought from St. Francis once a week by a carrier with a horse and btggy, and was taken to the postoffice established on the Tuttle ranch. About a year later the postoffice was changed to our home and my father made postmaster. He held this position for several years. The mail was the brought from Wray, Colo. When the county was first organized, my father was appointed one of the members of the first county commissioners. There was no court house at that time, so the county offices were located in the west rooms of the N.R. Brown building (the first two-story building in Burlington). I remember once father asked me to go with him to Burlington and bring the team back home. I had no shoes presentable for town wear, as it would not be proper for the son of a commissioner to go to town barefooted. So mother solved the problem by letting me wear a pair of her shoes for the grand occasion. I remember how proud I was when I got to Burlington and displayed my button shoes to the admiring natives. Can you imagine a boy of today wearing his mother's shoes? I went to school in a vacated house about 6 miles from our home. We had homemade desks and benches and used books brought from Missouri and Nebr. Our first teacher was Miss Celia Miller, and the next J.F. Gilmore. We had a three month term of school at that time. Later a sod school was built and the regular desks installed. Sunday school was held in the homes of different neighbors in the community until after the school was built, then we held our �meeting there. We had church once or twice a year. We were always glad when a traveling minister came along. Later the Rev. Peter Rasmussen and Rev. Mary Bevier both preached in our community, driving long distances to do so. I remember a young girl died and the funeral sermon was not preached until several months later, as there was no minister near tur. We moved to Burlington later and I married Zelma Akelson. We have 4 children. I served two terms as County Sheriff and was engaged in the garage business several years until I sold to the Reed Bros. by Janice Salmans DAVIS, JOHN AND AMELIA Fl66 The two story frgme home built on the John Davis Republican River Ranch, northwest of Burlington, in 1913. This picture shows Amelia Davis showing her new home to visitors, possibile some of her sisters. A screened in porch does not show in this photo. It was used as protection against rattle snakes for young daughter going on two years. was the oldest of the family and he had ridden The ranch buildings and tree plantings were placed below the rock rim of the drylands to the north of the river and on a stead sit€ ahead of the rest of the family, leaving them behind near Alma. A sister of immediate farmyards. Rattlesnakes were plentiful in the beginning and I spent my first Leah's lived nearby and helped the ggghring: family. The men built a soddy home and some outbuildings and prepared for the arrival of the rest of the family in the summer of 1887. On this river land the brothers and their sister grew to adulthood, working on the ranch or about the community as work could be found. By the turn of the century the young men of the family were seeking land of their own away from the river ranch of their parents, most of them establishing homes and families. One brother stayed with the old ranch until its ruination by the flood of 1935. My father, John, first farmed on the drylands near Kirk where he built a two story sod house, still standing. He married Anna Homrighaus, of a pioneer Kirk family but she Taken in the meadow at the John Davis Republican River Ranch in the summer of 1916. Eleanor Davis (left) and Louie Davis (right) ages 4Vz and. 10 years. Ranch My paternal grandparents, Elias G. Davis and Leah Glass Davis cnme from Macon Co., to the Republican River Valley in 1887, settling near the old post office of Tuttle, nestled on a rocky hillside above the river. Grandpa Davis had visited the site of the preemption claim before bringing the family west by covered wagon and he had chosen to settle near the river where a tree claim was planted. He had also observed the lush grasslands along the river and in time 'haying'was a part ofthe ranching operation. There were six of the Davis brothers, the fifth being born near Alma, Nebraska in a dugout home on the move west. Later the last brother and a sister to join them in the soddy home on the Republican. My father, John, year around. My mother was a famous cook! horeeback or walked the miles from Missoud, herding the livestock along the way. He and one or two of the brothers and their Grandfather Glass went with Elias to the home- died of diphtheria after only five months as a bride. A few years later, Amelia Homrighaus, a sister of Anna's married John and they also lived in the two story sod house. There my brother, Louis, was born in 1907 and I followed in 1912. My parents farmed the in the Kirk area for several years but the river lands called them and they moved to the Republican River northwest of Burlington, near the post office of Hale. I was a year old when they built a lovely frn-e farm house, substantial farm buildings, planted windbreaks, an orchard and gardens and established an irrigation system from the river. Two gardens were part ofthe homestead. one near the house and the other near the orchard area. One of the delights of this garden system was an extensive strawberry bed, the fruit of which we loved, the work we hated: picking the fruit in quantities was not a favorite chore but we loved the shortcakes, the bowls of berries with thick crearn, fresh strawberry ice cream for the ranch had an icehouse, and the preserves that appeared on the table almost bench above the meadowlands south of the year or so at the ranch in a big screened porch built across one side of the house . . . there wasn't time to watch my activities all hours of the day. As time passed the unwelcome rattlers were thinned out near the buildings but always made their homes in the rimrocks to the north. Watchful eyes were always out in the gardens, potatoe patches, the farmyard and especially at haying time in the meadows. 'Haying' was a big part of the ranching operation, furnishing feed for livestock but farming was also diversified and corn crops were also raised for ensilage to fill the big cement silo and alfalfa supplemented the native hay of the meadows. My parents were early pioneer cooperators of the Extension Service. Land was looked after, animals raised by suggestions of the specialists and hundreds of cans of food were put up, following safe methods of the service. I have many memories of the haying time when neighbors arrived to help, later to be helped in their operations. There was bustle in the kitchen where plentiful and wonderful food was prepared for the crews, and the farmyard was a busy scene with the coming and going of men, horses and machinery. I longed to go into the meadows for a closer view of all that went on. But that was forbidden and I could only watch from the yard while my brother hustled about keeping the men supplied with cool jugs of water from the well house. Memories of haying time are kept fresh by the accompanying picture of my brother and me taken by a friend of the family's out from Burlington for a Sunday visit. She chose to pose us in the delightful setting of the meadow grasses and take a snap of the Davis 'kids'. The days of living on the ranch were over by the early twenties when we moved to Burlington where my brother and I went to school and our father became the second of �the Davis brothers to serve as sheriff of Kit Carson County. by Eleanor Davis Mclaughlin DAVIS, MABEL DAVIS, ROSSER AND KATIE Fl67 Fl56 fanily was school. He received his education at the Tuttle school which was held in an abandoned homestead house. In 1907, when Rosser was twenty-one, he filed for his own I em Mabel, the middle one of nine children, born of Mr. and Mrs. Jas. (Jimmie) Winfrey. I was born June 1, 1918, on their homestead which was located about 3 milee south of the Republican River where the Bonny Dam is now. It was Yz mile eouth of the Kit Carson and Yuma County line. I remember how long the 2L miles into Burlington seemed in our Model-T Ford. In those days cousins grew up knowing their coueins as most of them lived within walking distance of each other, not so today. Even though my parents had six boys, I *e1s eyslalls a lot and worked in the fields with two. four or sometimes six horse teems. My pride and joy was my saddle horge nnmed Spot. I rode him a lot and onejob was to bring the cows in from the pasture. My dad used to call me his cowboy. We milked lots of cows by hand, morning and night, and all of us had a part in that sooner or later. I attended lst through 8th grades at the Cook School, 3 miles north. We rode horseback, took the horse and buggy or sometimes walked. I went to Idalia, Co. for the 9th grade. The lfth grade I went to Happy Hollow, a country school 4 miles south, which taught first through 10th grade. My 1lth grade year, I stayed in Burlington, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Royden Hook and worked for my room and board. They were a nice family with 5 children so it seemed like home. My senior year, I went back to Idalia. My younger sister, Lola, was ready for the llth grade so we lived in a house at the Helling farm about 1 mile from the school, (which was in the country south and east of the town then). We walked back and forth and were the school janitors to help pay our tuition. That was in the "dirty thirties", so lots ofyou know our job wasn't an easy one. But this gal was determined to get her high school diploma and she did. I graduated in 1935 from Idalia, Co. On April 17, 1938, I married Wade Davis, a good guy, who was born and raised in Kanarado, Ks. He worked for the Co-op and was the manager of the gas and oil station for 23 years. We raised five sons: Gerold, Gail, Richard, Jimm and Neil. The first four homestpad located in the breaks north of the Republican River. Except for working for a few ranches in the Stratton and Tuttle area in his youth, Rosser's entire life was expen- ded ranching and farming for himself. Katie Nowak was born near Seneca, Kansas, on December 24, L896. In 1910, Katie journeyed by train to Burlington with her mother, brothers, and sisters. They arrived on Thanksgiving Day and joined the children's father, Max Nowak, who had home- steaded shortly before on 320 acres ofland 15 miles northwest of Bethune. During the first years on the homestead the family members spent any spare time they had gathering cow chips for fuel. They also had to learn to be constantly on alert for rattlesnakes - something the Nowaks had not been accustomed to in eastern Kansas. Katie received most of her education in Katie and Rosser DAvis with twin sons Stanley on left and Russell on the right. Picture was taken in Iate 1929 or early 1930. Remembering his younger days, Rosser laughed when he said, "The parents of my good wife, Katie, homesteaded in our pasture. They made us take down our fences." It was several years after Katie's parents had staked out their homestead that Katie Nowak came to work for Rosser and his mother on the old home ranch. An aged ledger book shows that in January of 1920, Katie was receiving only eighteen dollars a month, but by fall her wages had been raised to thirty dollars a month. No records are available for 1921, so one can only speculate that Rosser thought it would be cheaper to marry Katie. At any rate, on September 30, 1921, Rosser and Katie secretly went to Denver where they were manied, much to the surprise of family and friends. Thus began Mr. and Mrs. Rosser Davis' loyal marriage that lasted forty-six graduated from Kanarado. In May 1965, we sold our home in Kanarado and moved to Burlington. At that time I was employed at Mac Lloyd's Clothing Store, which is now the Men's Shop. Wade was and still is the sales representative for the Memorial Art Co. of Salina, Kansas. Neil needed to finish his schooling but it was rumored the Kanarado School would be closed. It was a few years later. Our sons are now all married so now we have four daughters-in-law, 14 grandchildren years. Rosser was born near Alma, Nebraska, on April 16, 1886. His parents, Elias Griffith and Leah Glass, along with his five older brothers, with Grandfather Glass, and with an orphaned cousin, John Jay Davis, had started west whole gang", very much. This is 1987 and my sister, Lola Rhoades, and I are the only ones of the nine member family still residing in the Burlington area. raska, in the late fall. The winter months were spent with relatives who lived there. Soon after Rosser was born the party pushed on. by Mabel (Winfrey) Davis settled on a pre-emption and on a tree claim and 5 step-grandchildren. We enjoy "the on the south fork of the Republican River not far from Tuttle. Rosser grew to manhood on this ranch. When he and his brother, Morton, were boys, they caught two young antelope, a buck and a doe, and raised them on cows' milk. These antelope were fanily pets for several years until they ran away with a large herd of antelope that happened by. Another facet of Rogger's life as a youngster in his from Macon County, Missouri, in 1885. The traveling party included three wagons, a few cows, and even some chickens and hogs. The group forded the Missouri River then went west overland till they reached the Republican River, in south central Nebraska. They followed this river and reached Alma. Neb- When the baby was six weeks old the travelers reached their destination. They Kansas; however, she did graduate from the eighth grade at the Tuttle school near the Harvey Wood ranch. Sometime after finishing the eighth grade and before being married Katie took a course at Barnes Business School in Denver. Although she might have worked a short time for a lawyer in Burlington, Katie primarily labored as a hired girl on the nearby ranches. Miss Nowak grew to young womanhood in the Tuttle community where she took an active part in community affairs and social events. Rosser and Katie lived on the Davis ranch close to the Republican River until 1935 when a Memorial Day flood took the lives of many of their cattle, horses, and hogs. The flood also destroyed most of the haying equipment and ruined the hay meadows. After this disaster the Davises moved to a rented ranch south of the river. Then in 1942, they purchased a new farm and home east of Burlington where they resided until retiring and moving to town in 1960. Rosser and Katie raised twins, born in 1920. Stanley is involved in veterinary supply sales and now lives in Colby, Kansas, with his wife. the former Lucile Chalfant. Russell married Alene Marcum of Las Animas in 1951. They have farmed and ranched in the Burlington area since their marriage. In 1915, Rosser and his brother, Morton, started a registered Hereford cattle herd. The two also raised registered Clydesdale horses, and at one time owned an aged stallion that had been a champion at the Chicago International Livestock Show when he was a young horse. The brothers'partnership was terminated sometime in the 1920's. Rosser dispersed his registered horses in 1934; however, he was involved with Hereford cattle until his retirement. Katie passed away after a lingering illness in 1967. Rosser lived an active life until shortly before his death in 1978. They were �both laid to rest in Fairview Cemetery in Burlington. by Russ Davie DAVIS, RUSS AND ALENE Fl68 brother Stan, started school at the Tuttle School which was then located about 1% diversified because sometimes it's rather miles north of the Harvey Wood ranch. In the fall of 1934, when they were five years old, much too young to start the first grade, they started school. Even in those days, state or county aid was available to only those who an agricultural base. qualified by having so many students. In the spring of 1935, they were flooded out by the Memorial Day flood and then moved to a ranch south of the river and 13 miles northwest of Bethune. The next seven years, they attended school at District 22 which still stands 12 miles straight north of Bethune. In L942, they moved to a farm 4 miles east of Burlington. They graduated from Burlington High School in 1946. Russ then joined the U.S. NaW serving most of the next two years at the Naval Air Station at Corpus Christi, Texas. Soon after being discharged from the Navy in 1948, he enrolled at Colorado A & M which he attended until spring of 1951 when he and Alene were maried. Their mariage was at the Presbyterian Church in Las Animas on June 3, 1951, the hard to ride the "booms and busts" with onlv by Russ Davis DEVITT . GEMMELL FAMILY Fr59 ss-e day that Jim Gernhart held his first funeral here in Burlington. Those that at- tended the wedding missed the event that attracted national news coverage. Gene Penny stated that he missed out on being a pallbearer because of going to the wedding. Through the years, Alene and Russ have kept busy raising a family, farming, and etaying active in community affairs. They are both active in the Methodist Chuch where they are both on the board. They are also members of the Caroueel Toaetmast€rs Club and both enjoy traveling whenever they can. Besideg raising a family, Alene is interested Alene and Rusg Davig still smiling after nearly 36 years of marriage. Taken in March 1987. in reading, playrng bridge and oil painting. In the post war years ofthe late 1940's, the ratio of men to women students at Colorado A & M College in Ft. Collins was around 9 to Burlington Woman's Club, Pink Ladies and the United Methodist Women. For the past 36 years, Russ has been farming and ranching. He raised Registered Polled Herefords from 1952 until dispersing in 1967. He also started irrigating in 1957 and began raising 1. Withthis statistic in mind, Russ Davis wag quite relieved when a fraternity brother had arranged a blind date for him with Alene Marcum, a quiet blue-eyed Kappa Delta, for the Alpha Go-ma Rho spring formal dance. This was how Alene and Russ became acquainted in the spring of 1949. Alene was born in Lamar, Colorado to Floyd and Jennie Marcum who now live in Las Animas, Colorado. She was reared in Prowers and Bent County where her father farmed & her mother taught school. Alene graduated in 1947 from Bent County High School. That summer, she attended La Junta Jr. College and earned an emergency certificate. She then taught school for one term at a rural school in Bent County. In the fall of 1948, she enrolled at Colorado A & M which she att€nded for a year and then transferred to Colorado State Teacher's College much to the relief of Russ as the ratio at Greeley was even. After a year there, she taught the fourth grade at the Helen Hunt Elementary School in Colorado Springs for one year. She then moved to Burlington because she and Russ were married in 1951. After living in Burlington for a year, she was again employed a kindergarten teacher for Burlington schools. Rws was born in Stratton, Colorado, one of twins, to Rosser and Katie Davis. The first six years of his life were spent living on the old Davis Ranch along the Republican River northeast of Stratton. He, along with his twin She has been active in Modern Homemakers, Mae and Alex Gemmell. 1947. sugar beets in 1958 which was the second year they were raised in Kit Carson County. He had beets every year until the sugar factory at Goodland was closed in 1985. In the early years of their maniage, Russ helped in 4-H, was a volunteer fireman, member of the Lion's Club and Soil Conservation Board. In the late 1970's and early 1980's he was on the Kit Carson County Planning Commission. From 1974, until sugar beets were no longer grown in the Burlington area, he was a director of the Mountain States Sugar Beet Growers Board and was on the Great Western Growers Joint Research Committee from 1975 to 1980. He is presently serving as president of the board of the Burlington Equity Co-op and is on the board of the United Farmer'g Marketing Association. Alene and Rws have three children. Mike and Ken farm with Russ on the Davis farm east of Burlington. Mike attended college and worked around the Boulder area for several years. Ken married Terri Butts of Edson, Kansas. They have two daughters, Tess and Leah. Jenny married Tom Swanson of La Junta. They live in Montrose, Colorado and have two sons, Jacob and Dylan. Russ and Alene feel that Kit Carson County has been good to them. They hope that in some small way they have given something back in return. It's their hope that the economy in the county can become more Dad's home in Stratton. Alexander D. Gemmell was born June 25, 1879 in Moosic, Pennsylvania. He had six sisters. At age 21 he went to Stratton, Colorado to try ranching or some other work. He settled in Stratton because he had an aunt and uncle living on a homest€ad two or three miles south of town. They were Archie and Bessie Dargavall. One of the first jobs Alex had in Stratton was working as a helper drilling wells with a Mr. Messinger. Mary (Mae) Alice Devitt, born November 13, 1889 on the south side of Chicago, had three brothers and two sisters. Her father passed away when they were young. She and her family moved to Stratton for her sister �Hazel's health. They thought she had quick consumption, which we now know as tubercu- losis. Her three maiden aunts came with them. They settled on a homestead about three miles west of town and south of Rock Island Railroad. I don't know their reasons for settling in Stratton. One of her three aunts, Mary Murry, married the postmaster Joseph Smith in 1903. Another aunt, Elizabeth, was a dressmaker and the third aunt, Helen, taught at the public school. Mary and Joe Smith owned and operated a hotelboarding house in town one block west of Main Street and two blocks from the depot. Mr. Messinger was hired to drill a well on my grandmother's homestead. Alex Gemmell, his helper, went along on the job. While working there he met Mae. He courted her for a time and they were married November 26, 1906. Alex then applied for a homestead close to Mae's family. Their homestead did not have modern facilities but they were happy. They lived there for a year or two after the wedding, then Mae's family and one maiden aunt moved back to Chicago. At the snme time Mae and Alex moved to the Dargavall place, which now belonged to Alex as his aunt and uncle had passed away. Their nearest neighbor was Jeppie who owned the dairy works a mile and one-half away. Mae and Alex had two children by now. I, Agnes, was born in 1910. Alex was now working at the coal chutes for the Rock leland Railroad and their third child was born while Mae was visiting her farnily in Chicago. Soon aftpr her return, they moved into town to a small house one block east of Main Street and one block south. Around 1914 or 1915, Alex started working for the Continental Oil Company (this is now Conoco Oil Co.). He was a wholesale distributor and his territory was around a 50 mile area. Sometime after this, they started to build a home that we resided in until we moved from Stratton. Mae and Alex designed and drew the blueprints for this home. It is located on the corner of Main Street across from the public school and the Catholic Church. It was a two story four bedroom home with all modern conveniences. We had a large windmill in the back yard for our water supply and we piped some to the cistern. From there, we children were supposed to pump the pressure into the tank that had been filled from the cistern, so we could have the pressurized water in the house. Sometime around 1916 Alex was elected Mayor, which was a non-paid job. This with his oil business, kept him busy, but he always had time for his family. Both he and Mae were very active in town. Mae was busy in the Catholic Church and school affairs and sang in the choir as well as singing solo. She also sang for the Knights of Pythians, and many other social affairs. As Mayor, Alex was instrumental in getting the water tower in town and the electricity, which came from Burlington, 18 miles East of Stratton. This was a very active small town, Main Street ran from South to North about two blocks. There was Sundberg's Garage, a dentist, a General Store, a butcher shop, Drug Store, The Bank, Bakers Mens Store, Newspaper, Post Office, Holloway's garage, Black Smith Shop, and a Crenmery. At the end of this block, running East and West was the Rock Island Depot, a grainery and lumber yard, the Continental Oil Co. and across the tracks, the Coal Chutes. Going from our house South, the Catholic Church, the Prieet's house and the Catholic School. Across from the school was Dr. Beachley. Dr. Beachley delivered five of the six children Mae and Alex had while living in Stratton. One child was born in Chicago and the other three were born after they finally moved to Chicago. One of the highlights of our life in Stratton was Stratton Days, a Fair, usually lasting two days, Friday and Saturday. A time that stands out in my mind was when Alex went outside of town and set off dlmnmite to start the Fair. He also rode a white horse and led the parade. The public school was given Friday off for this but the Catholic School did not, as Father Munich would not sanction it. My father permitted us to go to school in the morning but not in the afternoon, and as the Father had warned us, we received 50 in deportment. Another highlight of the Fair was a Beef Barbecue which took days to prepare in the ground. My friend and I would head straight for the Barbecue Stand, and I can taste it to this day. This being Friday, the Catholics had a rule of no meat on Fridays. The worst had to happen to me, while walking along eating the forbidden fruit, I came face to face with Father Munich. Stratton was a very active community and it should have grown and become a nice small town. About 1923 or l924,tbe Klu Klux Klan got a toehold in town and influenced some of the people in joining. They decided to have a parade down Main Street and burn a cross on the steps of the Catholic Church but some of the church members blocked their way at the corner with their cars. They then started a rumor that the church had a regular arsenal in the root cellar, so the Klan turned the corner by our house and went West. Mae seeing this, went to the side of the house where she had a hose and turned it on the men in their "magnificent" white robes and hats. There being only dirt roads, the mud was splashed all over them and they not only got dirty, but cold as well. She knew some of them from their walk or shape, and she called them by name. Our dog, Sparrow, got loose. He didn't like these strange outfits so he began nipping at their heels. All in all, you can be sure they were glad to get away from history as a former Stratton resident and pioneer. by Mrs. Paul Goes DILLON, THOMAS H. AND JESSICA L. (KELLOGG) F160 Thomas H. Dillon, Jr. came to Burlington, Colorado in 1906, from Springville, New York. He ceme with an uncle and Morgan horses. One of the horses, a stallion, they walked and led from ranch to ranch breeding mares. He spent a few days at the Norton Ranch eight miles south of Bethune. He filed for a homestead 15 miles north and 1 east of Bethune, then returned to Springville and married Jessica Kellogg in 1909. The follow- ing year they moved by railroad in an immigrant car to Burlington. The cost of the meal and room was $1.50. The second day at daylight they headed 22 miles northwest to their new home, a sod house that Tom and the Gramm boys had built. When they were settled and had some land plowed, Tom went to work for the BarT Ranch. He had probably worked there only a year or two when it was learned that the "big boys" at the Bar-T School always ran the teachers off so they wouldn't have to go to school. It was decided that Tom take the job as teacher. He was 23 years old, stood 6'2", handy with his fists, and a graduate of Griffith Institute, Springville, New York. From then on there were no more teachers run off. He taught in the Ragan or Bar-T School and later at Yale. Tom's sister, Vera Dillon, moved to a homestead close by; she also taught school. Vera lived on the homestead that Tom had registered for their sister, Lulu Dillon. Thomas H. Dillon, Sr. arrived in Bethune in 1916 and died in 1925. In 1914, Tom took the exn-ination and was chosen for rural mail carrier. He carried mail with a mule team and a canvas-covered that corner. wagon to the German Settlement north of Bethune for several years, until cars and Alex, the Mayor, and some of his Councilmen were outside of town, trying to shut off the transformer for the electric lights in town. They wanted to put the town in darkness for was born. the Klan Parade. The Klan burned their cross West of town, which was not nearly as impressive as their original plan. This organization managed to split the townspeople, and many, including our family, sold their homes and moved away. Our parents have been back a number of times, and some of us also have been back for visits. The last time was for somebody's 50th anniversary. Alex died on May 25, Lg67 and Mae on December L2, L978.If they were still with us, they would be very proud, as they had nine children, 37 grandchildren, 49 great grandchildren and 14 great, great, grandchildren. After all the research I have done, and as much as I can remember, this is as near the facts as possible. It is as near authentic as I know. It has been a pleasure to write this so the Gemmell nnme will be in the annals of roads were practical. Later he acted as substitute carrier for Albert Anmon for many years. In 1914, a son, Carlos K. Dillon Dillons moved to Bethune when Tom becnme Manager of the Farmer's Union Elevator. They lived in the upstairs of the railroad section foreman's house. The foreman was John Day. William Yersin, Sr. had the grocery store and cresm stationjust south of the railroad tracks. Tom purchased the Jim Pfaffly ranch 1 mile south and 1 % miles west of Bethune. Erma Cordinnier, postmaster at Bethune, was Jim's daughter. Some cattle and horses were acquired in the purchase. They farmed about 80 acres which could not produce enough feed for 100 cattle, 50 horses and mules, although range grass was free in the summer and fall. The free range ran from the Rock Island Railroad south to the Santa Fe Railroad. There were only a few ranches between: Nortons, Dunlaps, McArthurs, Johnstones, and Bremeirs. Bethune was quite a town with Cora's Cafe, Bill's Poolhall, Yersin's Grocery Store, post office and Farmer's Elevator; later there was �a bank, hotel, and lumber yard. During the depression, Tom worked for PWA. He worked on the Stratton Gymnasium, also the Moon Theater and did much road construction. Carlos served in the CCC's gtationed in Durango, Colorado. Many of the cattle were shot by the Government during the dust storms. They were paid $10.00 a head. To save the herd, Tom moved the family and livestock to Millikin, Colorado, for a short time because of irrigation. During the bad years, none of the jobless traveling the railroad or highway ever left the Dillon house hungry. In 1935 the Landsman washed out the railroad bridge. Jess served lunch to the construction crews. Tom and Jess had two daughters: Mary Louise (Schanefelt) born in 1921, and Janet (Toland) born in L924. Janet and her husband, Max K. Toland, lived in Stratton for many years as did Carlos and his wife, Pauline. Mary Louise left the area after she finished school. Tom served on the Bethune School Board many years; worked in the PMA office from 1938 to 1950s; was the first rancher to bring Ayrshire Cattle to Colorado and at one time had the largest herd in the area, selling gallons of milk and cream. In L927, Tom and Jess built a new house and barn one mile west of Bethune on US Highway 24, where they lived until their deaths, Jess in 1957 and Tom in 1968. by Janet Toland DISCHNER, ANTONE JOHN F16I. Antone John Dischner was born January 30, 1889 in Columbus, Nebraska to Anna Sweeney and John Dischner. As a young man he cnme to Colorado to seek his fortune. He sold real estate and promoted the area. In 1917 he met Clara Elizabeth Jostes who came to the area to keep house for her brothers and the Bettinger cousing. Tony and Clara were manied January 8, 1918 in Lindsay, Nebraska. His military duty followed and he was stationed in Fort Louis, Washington. Of their four children, Alyce Margaret was born on October 21, 1918 in Lindsay, Nebraska. On November 11, 1918 the armistice was signed and Tony brought his family back to Stratton. In 1921 he purchased the General Merchandise Store from J.W. Borders. The previous owner had been C.H. Fuller. The store was located on the east side of the main street and at the north end ofthe block, third building from the railroad tracks. My earliest memory of the store was at Easter in 1921 when one of my aunts was baby sitting, set me up on a counter and I tasted my first marshmallow candy egg. Leonard Antone Dischner was born in Stratton October 24, 1921. I remember the several houses we lived in through the years, all of which are still occupied today. Arthur John Dischner was born April 30, 1923 just 18 months after Leonard. They were dressed alike and even after they were grown many people confused their names though they looked nothing alike and were inseparable. Several people recalled who worked in the store were the following: Grace Richardson, William Thyne, a farmer from north of town, Mrs. J.R. Brown, Ruth Thyne, Mary Weibel, Dan Thyne and Harold Thomason although I am sure there were others. Of course the three sons worked continuously after they began school. The general store which A.J. operated was very old fashioned even in those times. The prunes, raisins and other dried fruit came in the bulk and had to be scooped, weighed and sacked to be sold. Cookies cnme in large square boxes and were placed in a special rack so the customer could see through the cellophane tops to make their choices. Tobacco came in large pieces and was cut with a special cutter to suit the customer's preference. A.J. was slow to make any changes in the appearance or the operation of the business and it was only in 1945 when Leonard and Arthur calne home from the service that the first modernization was accomplished. In later years I asked my brothers what had happened to all the old high-topped ladies shoes, overshoes, clothing, yard goods and sewing notions that had been the standard available products. They claimed that a buyer from Denver cnme out and was eager to make a complete purchase. Today those antiques would be valuable. In cleaning up they burned bunches of old charge tickets that were old and never paid. In the nineteen thirties the dust storms were go bad that we could be outdoors and see the huge brown dust clouds rolling toward the town. Businees was bad because the farmers were having a difficult time due to the drought and the economy was still reeling from the 1929 etock market crash. Mr. Roy Herberger, published the Strotton Press, and A.J. sat on the street curb one A.J. and Clara Dischner day in the thirties and tried to figure out what could be done to stay in business because all Tony's credit with the mercantile warehouses had been cut off. Ray Calvery was the banker at the time and his bank was two doors south. The business men worked out something and later Tony started a wholesale business and sold to other grocers up and down Highway 24. .He worked his way back and managed to stay in the same location for 43 years. The W.P.A. worked on various projects in town during the Roosevelt administration and the grade school on Main Street in Stratton was one school they built, in which I taught school from 1961 to 1964. Edward Aloyious Dischner was born on August 19, 1928. He attcnded school and worked in the store with his dad. Ed stayed out of school one year to help and then went back to graduate. After being in the service he returned to work for his dad who sold him the business in 1962. Ed is still operating the IGA Grocery store in Stratton with his wife, Marlyn Schmidt Dischner. The children all took music lessons from the sisters at St. Charles Academy who bartered groceries for lessons. It is my understanding that A.J. went into the cattle business with some farmers. He tried everything to make a go of the business. On November 23, 1963 the day that John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Tony suddenly took ill, was taken to the Memorial Hospital in Burlington, Colorado. He was never well but did make a couple of short stays at home until in December 1963 he was taken to Denver where he died in St. Joseph's Hospital January 7, L964. After the farmers returned from their wartime jobs and went back to farming there were some good years what with the irrigation systems and good weather. Many good conscientious farrners paid some of their old charge accounts some of which had already been marked off. by Alyce M. Lewis DOBLER FAMILY Fr62 Our great grandfather, Christof Adam Dobler, left Beutelsbach in Remstal, near Stuttgart Germany, in 1797, and made his way to Cherwinka, Botchka Yugoslavia (presently known as Austria). In 1803 a son, Peter Michael, was born to them. Michael, as Dad referred to him, was among the immigrants who came down the Danube Valley to the Black Sea in 1817. The trip was made during the winter and many of those who began the journey were unable to survive the conditions. Michael was one of the founders of the village of Teplitz in the province of Bessarabia, Russia. He was the second generation of the immigrant band and was the grandfather to our father, John Dobler. Michael manied a girl by the name of Heu, and a son called Leopold was born to them. After the death of Heu, Michael married an 18 year old orphan girl, Wilhelmina Christena Wirth. She had been born in Germany and had migrated with 2 sisters and 1 brother, along with their guardian, Gottlieb Mader, to Teplitz. To Michael and Wilhelmina were born 3 sons, Christian, Jacob and Joseph. Michael died in 1842 and Wilhelmina married twice more. The second husband's name was Kurz and the third was Joseph Haubach, a widower. No children were born to either of these unions. Mr. Haubach had a son from a previous marriage, Jacob F, Haubach. who was born Oct. 11. 1812 and �There is somewhat of a discrepancy in the records as to the time it took to cross the ocean, 12 days or 18 days, but this was explained by the differences in the calendars. We do know they landed in New York during the first part of February, travelling on to Scotland, Dakota Territory, by train with a l-day stopover in Chicago. Upon arrival in Scotland, they rented a farm near the town during 1885-86. Grandfather then took employment at "The Farmers Elevator" in Scotland, working up to the position of businese manager, from 1887 to 1889. Following the death of his wife, Dorothea in 1889, he movedhis familytoward Colorado. They arrived in St. Francis, Kansas on March 2. 1890 and then moved on to the German Settlement located north of Bethune, where theyhomesteaded on Section 37-45 West, which to this present day remains in the Dobler family. Our dad, John,lived on the homestead with Grandpa Christian from 1890 until 1892. During 1893 and 1894 he was employed at London Dairy in Denver, Colorado. In 1895 he returned to the homestead until the crops were hailed out. Then he and Peter Knodel went back to Denver and following a series of odd jobs, they both found employment at the smelters. Great grandfather Dobler and Walter Dobler in t922. died in August of 1900. Leopold Dobler, the oldest son of Michael, was the direct ancestor of the South Dakota Doblers, and also of Dr. Leopold Dobler of Teplitz, and later on of Germany. He was the father of 2 known sons. Jacob, the eldest, came to America earlier and was influential in bringing his uncle, our grandfather Christian, to America. Another of Leopold's sons, Andreas, remained in Teplitz. His son, Leopold, born in 1888, became the doctor who was widely known in the region and was forced to join the refugees and finally made their way back to Beutelsbach where Dr. Dad's brother Chris married Sophia Grosshans. Lee (Leopold) returned to the Dakotas, later making his home in Idaho. The Dobler daughters entered in the following mariages: Dorothea to Chris Strobel; Katherine to Chris' brother Jacob Strobel in a double wedding with her sister Christina, who married Peter Knodel: Maria to John Stahlecker. This will help to explain some of the family trees throughout the Settlement. John, our Dad, was united in marriage to Magdalena Stutz on Easter Sunday, April 2, 1899, and took over the farming of the family homestead after having farmed with his brothers for a short period of time. Grandpa Christian remained on the homestead along with the newlyweds. by Art Dobler Dobler had visited the Dobler families in the early 1920's. Our grandfather, Christian Dobler, was born Nov. 11, 1938, at Teplitz, Bessarabia Russia, the eldest son of Michael and Wilhelmina Dobler. He learned the trade of wagon building, and later became the builder of the Teplitzer Wagons, the Cadillac of wagons in the country during this period of time. On October 8, 1859, he married Dorothea Handel (born Aug. 30, 1842). To this union 16 children were born, 8 of whom died in infancy. The 8 surviving were our dad, John, born Nov. 6, 1875, and Dorothea, Christina, Katherine, Chris, Theresa, Maria, and Leo- pold all born in Teplilz. In 1863 the family moved to New Teplitz where grandfather was mayor for a period of time. After a 10 year stay, the family moved on the village of Nesselrode, Birsula in the province of Chereson. They remained here until 1884. After a summer in Alexandrinka, which was near Bergdorf, they decided to come to America. The day before Christmas of 1884, they began by rail through Austria and Germany. They sailed from Bremen, Germany on board the freighter, "Hopsburg", with a one-day stopover in Liverpool, England, to unload dried hides. DOBLER, ART AND EMMA ZIEGLER Fr63 I was born Aug. 31, 1910, at the family home located 12 mi. north and 1 east of Bethune, the fourth son of John and Magdalena Stutz Dobler. In 1916 I started school in the 1 room Prairie View School, District22, that my Grandfather Dobler and others built in about 1907. It was only a scant half mile from home, but was moved 1% miles west in 1919. I graduated from the eighth grade in L924. Emma Elma Ziegler, was the older of twin daughters born to John and Christina Ziegler at the family home 6 miles north and 2Vz west of Bethune on March 4.19L7. Emma attended Union School, which was located 2 miles north and Tz west of their home. She graduated in 1931. We were married on April 11, 1937, on a Sunday afternoon, and left that same day for Proctor, Colorado, which is about 20 miles northeast of Sterling. We had rented a 160 acre irrigated farm. We drove a 1926 Dodge Art and Emma Dobler. 4 door sedan that was not being used by my parents an5rmore. This farm joined the one that my brother, Ted, had leased and was farming. We moved some machinerv and a few milch cows, also a General Purpose Tractorllfrii both of us could use. To me irrigating was all new, but Ted had been there a couple ofyears so he knew how to go about it. We raised corn and barley, oats, and some wheat, as well as feed crops for the livestock. That fall we moved a Corn Sheller from home. The 1938 barley planting was interrupted when I had to take Emma to the hospital in Sterling. Kenneth Lee was born that evening on March 29. 1938. Every year we shelled our corn crop with the sheller. We tried to raise a few acres of sugar beets the second year we farmed there, but the grasshoppers ate most of them. We worked up most of the ground and planted a feed crop into it. We raised a nice Coes crop, well seeded, that we cut with the grain binder and shocked it. We did not have it hauled in or in a stack yet when the first snow fell, and flocks of wild ducks from along the Platte River discovered this nice field of shocked Coes with well seeded heads. After a few nights most of the seed was eaten by them, so that taught us a lesson - to get it hauled in and stacked up other years, before the ducks got it. We raised pretty good crops, mostly corn, barley and oats. The barley and oats were cut with the grain binder and we always had a big straw pile in the yard for the cows and the 4 head of horses we had. We lived next to a pasture a rancher owned and used to run cattle in. I asked him if we could pick cow chips for winter fuel, and he thought I was joking, but I told him it was for real and he said "go ahead and pick all you need", so Emma and I got the teem and wagon and 2 tubs, and it didn't take us very long and we had a big load of chips picked, so with corn cobs and chips, we made it through the winter. We had purchased a new 3 burner Kerosene Stove for cooking and baking, so we had to use an old heater to keep warm. After 3 years in Proctor, in the spring of 1940 we moved back onto the home place, Section 3-7-45, north of Bethune, and took �over the farming operation. We put rubber tires on the old steel wheel John Deere that spring and it surely made a difference. In the early 40's we remodeled the old home, putting in new built in cupboards, new propane range, remodeled a large front room into 2 bedrooms and a bathroom with hot and cold running water. In later years we added a propane floor furnace. An older 2 row lister was replaced with a new one, as most of our farming was row crop, electric unloader and mounted a feedbox on an old truck. Since then the feeding has been much less of a chore, and how the cattle still love ensilage. All of our farming was done on dryland ground. We never had the urge to put down a well. We hope we are leaving our ground in as good or better condition than when we started way back in 1940. Our son, Kenneth's farm adjoins ours. Our other son, Charles, died in a car-truck accident on June 23. 1963. including feed crops for the now expanding cow herd. We bought 5 head of registered by Art Dobler Hereford cattle at the "Howard Hunt" Hereford Dispersion Sale. In the late forties we had the reserve shampion bull at the Kit Carson County Hereford Breeders Sale one year. On Dec. L, L942, Charles Leslie was born. Kenneth started school in Lg44 at Prairie View School, now at a different location than when I attended and graduated from there. He had to go only a mile. In the late forties there were not enough pupils in the district to receive state aid for both schools, so the district bussed the children to one school I year and the other school the next year. We had 2 schoolhouses in the district. Kenneth graduated from the eighth grade at Prairie DOBLER, JOHN AND MAGDELENA STUTZ Fr64 View in 1951. During the summer of 1951 we bought the "Adkinson Farm", located 3 mil. west and 1 north of Burlington, to be in a district where the boys could take part in FFA. In August we moved onto the newly purchased farm. began building a new house along with Grandpa Christian, which took the better part of 2 years to build. They also did the farming on the acreage. On Jan. 20, 1900, their first son, William was born. On Sunday, Jan. 27, 1901, a little girl, Magdelena Dorothea, was born, She died of scarlet fever on Sunday, July 5, 1903. In Mother's Bible she made the notation, "She was born on Sunday and died on Sunday." Dad and Grandpa Christian planted many trees on the homestead during these years, both fruit trees and several evergreens. Mother always had a Iarge garden as well as many lovely flower beds. As the farnily grew so did Mother's garden. John Jr. was born September 10, 1904. Son no. 3 was born July 17, 1907, being named Theodore, better known as Ted. This same year the well at the top of the hill west of the house was drilled. A concrete reservoir was built so that Mother could irrigate thd garden, flowers and trees around the house. Water was piped from the reservoir to an open top 6 ft. steel tank south of the house. This was the second well on the place, the first one being drilled shortly after 1890. The first well had an "O.K." brand wildmill on it. I faintly remember the huge liooden slot wheel with a large and small tail; the small one being used to slow the speed of the wheel in a strong wind. Every revolution of the wheel completed a stroke of the pump rod, quite different from the windmills of today. It was replaced in about 1917 with a new "Samson" all steel windmill with special oil reservoirs on the bearings. This same year, 1907, Grandpa Christian, along with others, built a one-room school house about % mile from our homestead. The We kept the homestead, Section 3-7-45, and farmed both places until 1975. In the mid 40's we bought our first new tractor, an International Farmall H, Electric start. Ken enjoyed working with a tractor he could start. Not so with the old one. As time went on we accumulated more new equipment and in 1949 we traded the H tractor in on a new Farmall M. We added a used International threshing machine, and later a new drill and manure spreader. A used selfpropelled combine was quite an improvement over the Case pulltype we had been school district was formed and the 1908 census listed 24 females and 34 males. using. The old "Adkinson" two story house was Following their marriage on April 2, 1899, which was Easter Sunday, Mother and Dad began their life on the homestead. They John and Magdelena Stutz Dobler. Sherman K. Yale was the secretary of District 22. On August 31, 1910, another son, Arthur, better known as Art, was born. getting quite feeble, so we tore it down during the summer of 1959, and used the salvageable lumber to put up a new house with full basement in the fall and early winter of 1960. In 1963 we added a st€el round topped ; building,40x75, and in later years 2 steel bins. When we moved to this place, in the spring of 1952, we planted quite a number of Pine and Cedar seedling trees, and now the buildings are protected on three sides by evergreens and bushes. It does make a difference on a windy day when you get in the protection of these trees. They are a lot of work, but are worth it as much the wind blows in Eastern Colorado. We have a rough 160 acres that we have put terraces on, and saved the soil from washing away have reseeded some to grass, and will - as time goes on. do more Several years ago we had to have a new well drilled because of the lowering water table, and installed a submersible pump. We took down the windmill and put it into use on a well in the pasture. REA was on the farm when we purchased it, as well as a Kohler 1500 watt light plant to be used for standby power and light. In the mid fifties we put up a cement stave silo. After a year or so, we installed our The six sons and their wives of John and Magdelena Dobler. L. to R.; William and Ann; John and Edna; Elmer and Delores; Ted and Lydia; Art and Emma; Walter and Pauline. �In 1910 or 1911 Dad donated 5 acres of ground in the southeast corner of our section for the building ofa new church, known as the Hope Congregational Church. The small white frame building served the needs of the congregation for several years. The dedication was held Feb. 18, 1912, with a double male quartet furnishing the music. In 1928 it was replaced with a stately red brick building dedicated Sept. 2, 1928, along with a frame parsonage. In 1913 quite a building project took place on the homestead, a 30 x 60 ft. cement barn with all the sand used being hauled out ofthe creek that runs through the entire section. The cement came in returnable cloth bags. The barn was designed with a hip roof and a hayloft with a track and unloading fork for hay. In later years I remember leading the horses back and forth to pull the hay up into the loft. In the construction of the barn. the forms were set up to pour a depth of about 3 ft. of cement at a time, then the forms were raised and another 3 ft. were poured until the job was finished. It was a long tedious process, but a very sturdy barn was the end result. This same year Dad bought our first Model T Touring car, the first one in the Settlement. What a treat it was to ride in a car instead of a buggy! About 1915, a community telephone company was organized. It was quite a simple installation, with a single wire line having about 4 circuits, with the switchboard being at Aunt Christina Knodel's home. Our ring was 2 long rings. Emergencies brought one long ring to alert all of the neighbors. 1916 brought about more building and improvements on the homestead. A combination granary and corn crib under a roof was built. Dad also purchased 320 acres of land 8 miles northwest of Burlington. Walter was born January 8, 1918, boy no. 5. A new Deering Header was also purchased about this time and water was piped into the house. From now on, no more trips to the milk house to fill the water bucket. In 1919, Bill, the oldest, graduated from Burlington High School. He had rented a room and batched in Burlington during the week coming home on weekends, in order to further his education. The following fall he taught at the "Blue View School" which was District 24. In 1920 he enrolled at Colorado A & M College in Fort Collins, now known as Colorado State University, where he later received his degree in Vocational Agriculture. In 1919, the west schoolhouse of District 22 was moved 1 miles west of where it was built. Harry Degering moved it with his "Rumley Oil Pull Tractor." About this same time. a new Dodge touring car was purchased by Dad to relieve the Model T. He also added a used Hart-Parr tractor to the machinery line along with a 10 ft. tandem disc. This helped to relieve the horses of some of the hard work. An incident I will never forget, was the time Dad was raking and a thundentorm came up. Dad unhitched the team, piled some hay on top of the rake teeth and sat under the makeshift shelter holding the horses still by the reins. Lightning struck, killing both horses, but left Dad untouched. Another time we lost a team of horses by lightning as they grazed in the pasture. 1923 brought about several changes at our house. Dad bought a used Chewolet truck, which enabled us to haul about 60 bushels of grain at a time, and traded the Dodge touring car in on a 4-door Dodge sedan. Things were becoming quite modern for a farming opera- tion. In October of that same year, Grandpa Christian was taken from us. One of the many chores he always took care of around the place, was gathering eggs from both chicken houses. As was his habit, he threw his jacket around his shoulders as he went across the corral. The wind was blowing and the jacket was moving about, which caught the attention of the bull who had come in along with several ofthe cows for water. Grandpa did not see the bull attack from the rear. Mother called John Knodels for help when she saw what was happening, and then went to try to rescue Grandpa, but the bull kept a very close observation and was not about to give up his prey. By the time help came, Grandpa was dead. I remember Penny Mortuary coming out from Burlington in the little gray hearse, and then they brought Grandpa back to the homestead where they placed the casket in his little house until the funeral. Another sad time for our family, as he had shared lots of time and stories with us boys. Boy no.6, Elmer, was born September 13, L924, to complete the family. That same year Dad bought a used cement block machine. We tamped the blocks ourselves, getting about 12 or 13 blocks from 1 sack of cement. We had about 90 plates so were able to make about 90 blocks per day. The next morning the blocks were tipped off the plates and you could resume tamping more blocks. We built a 2-car garage, a workshop, and a new henhouse, as well as a new house and barn for John, all with homemade blocks. 1924 brought the first light plant, a Kohler 110 volt DC 1500 watt, and we put it in the basement of the 2-car garage. Along with this csme the lights, Mother's new electric wash- ing machine and an electric iron. On June 9. Bill married Ann Nelson. Dad also traded the Dodge disc wheel sedan in on a new Dodge 4-door sedan with natural wooden wheels. In 1928, Dad really splurged, trading the old Hart-Pan tractor for a new 18-36 Hart-Parr. That same fall he also traded the old Chevrolet truck for a new one having 30 x 5 rubber tires on all 4 wheels. We bought the chassis and the cab and built the box ourselves. Now we could haul 65 bushels of grain. The early 1930's saw many families leaving the country, trying to find better conditions than the dust storm plagued plains of Colorado. The drouth caused many hardships, including dispersion sales, which had to be postponed because of more dust storms. The community experienced the closing of the Stock Growers State Bank as well as the Bethune State Bank. Only meager amounts were paid back to the depositors after the final settlements were made. On May 3, 1931, John married Edna Conrad, a native of North Dakota. Again, Dad purchased a used 1931 Chewolet 4-door sedan at a Sheriffs Sale, so now we were riding with 6 cylinders. In 1943 John and Edna moved to their new farm northwest of Burlington, so we farmed his ground northeast of the homeplace until he sold it. As the rains came and things once again began to return to normal, the grass grew back. The first grass was mostly "pepper grass", which made the milk and cream taste bad, but as the Buffalo grass and the Blue Grama returned, things improved consider- ably. Many of the families who had left. returned to the Settlement once again. On February 22, 1934, Ted married Lydia Lebsack in Sterling, Colorado, and they moved to Ted's batching quarters on the farm northwest of Burlington. This same year, Walter started high school in Burlington. April 11, 1937, Art married Emma Ziegler. Having rented a partially inigated farm near Proctor, Colorado, they moved their few belongings there and started out on their own. Dad and Elmer continued farming part of the ground on the homeplace until the spring of 1940 when Art and Emma returned and took over the farming of the homestead, Section 3-7-45. Walter graduated from Burlington High School in 1937 and enrolled at Yankton College in Yankton, South Dakota, the following fall and graduating in 1942. On June 12 of the sqme year he was married to Pauline Schillereff of Fort Morgan. After several years in the ministry he did graduate work at Andover Newton Theological School and Harvard Divinity School. In 1967 he received his Doctor of Divinity Degree. Pauline passed away in November of 1980 and Walter in July of 1982. Their union was blessed with 3 children, David, Margaret, and Robert. After John and Edna built their new home on their farm in about 1947, Dad and Mother left the little house on the homestead and moved into John and Edna's first home. This was a modern home and was located closer to Burlington. In 1948 Dad had surgery in Goodland, Kansas at Boothroy Memorial Hospital, and died several days later on July 21, 1948. Mother remained here a few years, and later on moved to a little house in Burlington. On March 9, 1952, Elmer was married to Dolores Schaal. Mother passed away November 18, 1954. Both our parents passed away at 72 years of age. They are buried at the Hope Church Cemetery north of Bethune, Colorado, back on the same homestead where their life together began. 12 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren, and 2 great great grandchildren, will remain ever grateful for the courage and the desire to search for something better for this family in a land of freedom. for their descendants. We thank God and our parents for the privileges we have enjoyed because of their decision to come to the United States. May we always honor these privileges. by Art Dobler DOBLER, TED AND LYDIA LEBSACK F166 In the fall of 1931 the folks, the Jacob Lebsacks of Proctor, Colorado, needed another beet hauler. Ted Dobler. the third son of John and Magdalena Dobler of Bethune was in need of a job and this seemed to fill the bill. After he had been there two weeks. we began picking up the mail at Proctor, and this was the beginning of a 3 year courtship. On February 22, L934, we were married at the family home at Proctor, and moved into our �the farm. We built a new home in town in the Permer addition to Burlington. Ted drove to the farm to help as much as he could as long as he was able. On July 30, 1981 Ted passed away following a lengthy illness. During our life together we were able to travel to many different parts of the country. We visited our children and grandchildren, and sometimes just went for the pure enjoyment of it. From Canada to California, to the Mardi Gras in Louisiana or the Bahamas, home was always a welcome place to come back to. I worked at many different vocations during our lifetime and each job was rewatding in its own way. I worked in the office of Burlington Livestock Sales for 21 years, at the Burlington Rest Home during the dry fifties, and since Ted's illness began, I have babysat with many children, most of them newborns, of working mothers, and have loved each and every one of them. These little ones, my family, and my friends are a very valuable part of our community, of which I am proud to be a part of. : Hopefully, our heritage will be passed down through my 10 grandchildren and 2 :' great grandchildren. Lydia and Ted Dobler adobe "Honeymoon Cottage" on Ted's farm living in the little 2-room house. 9 miles northwest of Burlington. Times were hard and after planting anoth- The family kept busy year around with the livestock, but especially so in the summer time. We always raised chickens and sold friers to many of the people in Burlington, as er corn and feed crop that dried up (no irrigation in those days) we locked up our little house and moved back to Proctor and Ted again went to work for the folks. These were the Dust Bowl days. It was so hard for us to leave Ted's family, his folks and 5 brothers. The following year we rented a farm and raised sugar beets and alfalfa on our own. In March of 1937 our first child, Carol Jean, was born and lived only a very short time. This was a very trying time, but then in November of 1938, Bonnie Joy was born, and she was a "Joy". We still had our farm at Burlington, but it was still dry and dusty there so we stayed on the farm at Proctor for a few more years. In 1941 Stanley Edwin was born, a big happy baby. Also, by then it had rained back in Burlington, and the wheatfields and pastures were greening up once again. We moved our little family back to our adobe 2room house. Now dreams of a larger more modern home began, but a severe hail storm right before harvest time soon took care of that idea. We kept busy raising wheat, corn and feed for the cattle and horses. There were always cows to milk, with cream to sell, and chickens which also gave us eggs to sell. This was the chief source of grocery money for the family. In 1944, my sister, Leona's, husband passed away and she and her two little boys carne to stay with us for a month. We had just completed the construction of a large adobe barn with a big hayloft, so some of us slept there. A definite feeling of "closeness" prevailed, with 3 adults and 4 children in a 2room house. In 1944 we started on our new house, doing most of the work ourselves, with the help of Grandpa and Grandma Dobler. In 1946 we moved into the basement of the big house. Thomas Earl was born in September of that year. Our new home with electric lights and running water, and even an indoor bathroom was quite an improvement after everyone liked farm fresh produce. A big by Lydia Dobler DOUGHTY FAMILY Fl66 garden also furnished food for the family through the winter. In the fifties another drouth hit the area, and some of the men went away to work, this time with the women and the families remaining here to keep the children in school. This meant selling the cattle, as there was no feed in the area for them. In 1961, we put down an irrigation well and were once again able to bring the dry land back to life. We raised sugar beets, corn and alfalfa. By this time Bonnie had graduated from Burlington High School and had gone to work as a secretary at the Kit Carson County Courthouse. In 1957 she had married Dean Witzel. Stanley had also graduated from BHS and was now a student at Colorado School of Mines in Golden. Tom farmed with his father until he joined the Marine Corps shortly after his graduation from BHS. Music was a real enjoyment to this family, especially to Ted. As a young man he had played the trumpet for a community band, and later he sang tenor for the Harmonaires quartet for more than 20 years. He also sang with the Christian Business Men's Chorus. that met regularly each Thursday night at Hendricks Mortuary for practice. In 1966 Ted became seriously ill and Tom returned to take over the farm. Stanley married Joanne Orehek from Minnesota, who was a student at Loretta Heights College in Denver. He graduated from Mines in 1964 with a degree in Petroleum Engineering. Their first job was in Bakersfield, California, where their 2 sons, Brent and Brian were born. By now Dean and Bonnie were on a farm and ranch south of Burlington and had 3 children, Douglas, Dena and Donn. In 1968 Tom was married to Rose Bartlett from Champaign, Illinois, and they took over Lester Doughty and Ethel Frasier Doughty, 1936. Lester Loran Doughty was born in Casey, Illinois, February 6, 1879 to John and Mary Doughty. Lester never knew his father as he died before Lester was born. His grandmoth- er, Catherine Bartlett Moore, taught him many of her Indian customs. Lester and Nora Dell Huey were united in marriage January 1, 1901, in Terra Haute, Indiana. They made their home near Casey, Illinois where daughters Sylvia and Helen �were born. They lived there until the winter of 1907 and '08 when they left by train for San Antonio, Texas. This trip was made because Nora was suffering from congumption and needed a better climate. In San Antonio the farnily lived in a tent; it was really two in one. One was the front room; the other was the kitchen where the cooking was done on a wood-burning stove. The floors were made of wood and it was built up to where the canvas connected. Two boys, Benjaman and Joseph, joined the family there. The last part of October, 1911, the family left for Berlin, Oklahoma. They traveled in a covered wagon pulled by one team ofhorses. This trip took them six weeks. They camped beside the road at night. They moved to a farm near Berlin and lived there about four years. Laura and Huey were born here. Laura died April 1, 1913, at about one year old. In 1917 Lester bought a farm near Grimes, Oklahoma. Besides raising crops of wheat and corn, they had a mill for grinding the grain and also made their own sorghum. They raised broom corn which was sold to be made into brooms. Catherine and William and Vivian were born on this farm. The farnily sold the farm in 1922 and moved to Sayer, Oklahoma. A house was built here by Lester, and a son, Luther was born here. In 1925 Nora's health was not so good and she was homesick for Arkansas, so they traded the house for a farm near Rogers, Arkansas and moved there. Wanda and George were born here. George was only six months old when Nora died August 29,L928. He was adopted by a family named Ingersoll. In 1931 Lester moved his family to a farm north of Vona, Colorado. The older children got married or went into the service. Lester met Ethel Fraiser Carpenter, and they were united in marriage May 20, 1936, in the Methodist Church in Burlington, Colorado. Lester, Wanda, and Luther moved to Ethel's farm that she had received at the death of Mr. Carpenter. He had homesteaded this land and built a sod house on it. This house still stands in 1987. Glovine was born here. In March of 1940 this marriage was dissolved in divorce. Contact with Lester was lost for several years; then in 1950 he came to see Glovine in Burlington. Lester died July 19, 1952 while visiting son Benjaman in Houston, Texas. There are four children surviving. They are William of California, Vivian of Oklahoma, Wanda and Glovine of Kansas, and many grandchildren and many, many great-grandchildren. The family of son Joseph still lives in and around Kit Carson County. Joseph (Joe) was 19 when the farnily moved to Vona, Colorado. On April 6, 1931, Joe was united in maniage to Edna Monroe. To this union was born Nora Mae, Roy Bradford and Shirley Lee. Joe worked as a service station attendant until he entered the Navy Seabees in October, 1943. He served until Novemb et 21, 1945 when he was discharged. They lived at Stafford, Kansas until they moved back to Vona in 1947. Joe was Undersheriff from April, 1961toJanuary,1963 with Sheriff Hap Ormsbee for Kit Carson County. He also worked for Kit Carson County road and bridge crew in Stratton from 1970 until 1978 when he retired. He continued to mow weeds for the county until his death in a car wreck September 10, 1979. His wife Edna and son, Roy, still live in Vona. Daughter Shirley Jackson and family live in Joes, Colorado. Several of his grand- of Kit Carson County. He and Edna moved to Burlington to be close to the job. Fr67 In 1963, they moved to Boulder, Colorado, where Joe worked as maintenance engineer for the post office. They moved back to Vona in 1968. Joe went to work for the Kit Carson County Road and Bridge crew, in Stratton, in the spring of 1970. He continued to work there until he retired in March of 1978. He continued to mow for the county each fall and was doing so at the time of his death September 10, 1979. He was killed in a vehicle accident on Highway 24. At the time of his death, Joe had 15 grandchildren and 8 greatgrandchildren. Joe was buried at the Vona Cemetery with Joseph Roy Doughty was born September military services. Edna still lives in their home in Vona. Roy children live in and around Kit Carson County. Nora May Mullen and family live in Arkansas. I, Glovine Doughty Golemboski, lived in Kit Carson County for many years, but will tell my life story with my mother, Ethel Fraiser. b;y Glovine Golemboski DOUGHTY FAMILY 14, 1910, to Nora Dell and Lester Loran Doughty, in San Antonio, Texas. He was born in a tent. The sides were built up about three feet and the canvas was attached to this; the floor in the tent was made of wood. He was lives with her and helps to care for her. Roy's children all live in the state of Florida. the fourth child in the family. During the last part of October 1911, Joe and his family left San Antonio in a covered Shirley and her husband, Paul Jackson live on a farm north of Joes, Colorado, with their wagon. They arrived in Berlin, Oklahoma shortly before Christmas. Joe's father rented a farm close to Berlin. The family lived there for about four years. Then his father bought a farm located near Grimes, Oklahoma, in 1917. They lived there until 1922, when he sold the farm and moved the family to Sayre, Oklahoma. Joe's father built a house there and they stayed until 1925, when he traded it for a farm near Rogers, Arkansas. They moved to Arkansas, where in 1928, Joe's mother died. The family lived here until 1929, when his father moved the family to eastern Colorado. In Colorado, Joe met Edna Alice Monroe. The two were joined in marriage on April 6, 1931. They lived in a sod house, north of Vona, Colorado. There, their first child, a daughter, was born, June 18, 1932. They named her Nora Mae. On October 17, 1933, a son, Roy Bradford was born. In December 1933, Joe moved his family to Stafford, Kansas. He worked at various jobs and the family lived briefly in Hudson, Kansas and Pratt, Kansas. Then he went to work for Edsel's Service Station in Stafford. While living in Stafford, Joe and Edna's second daughter was born on July 4, 1935. They named her Shirley Lee. Joe worked for Edsel's Service Station Nora Mae and her husband, Willard Mullen live on a ranch near Gravette, Arkansas. Their four children all live in the area. two younger children. Their three older children live in Colorado. by Nora Mae Mullen DOUGTITY, ETHEL FRASIER AND GLOVINE Fr68 Sod house south of Bethune, Colorado, where Glovine was born. until October 1943. At this time, Joe joined the navy, in the Seebees branch. This was during the time of World War II. He served in the South Pacific. Joe returned from the war in November 1945, and returned to work at Edsel's Service. Shortly thereafter, Joe purchased the station. Joe was baptized, in the spring of 1946, in the First Baptist Church of Stafford. He was very active in the local church activities. He had a deep respect for our Creator and a very strong sense of moral responsibilities. Due to the ill health of his wife, Edna, Joe sold his business and their home and moved to Wichita, Kansas in the spring of 1947. The family remained there for a year, after which they moved back to Colorado. Joe worked on a ranch south of Seibert for a year, then they moved to Vona, Colorado. In 1951, Joe went to work for the Snell Grain Company, as manager of the elevator in Vona. Edna also worked there as a bookkeeper. In 1971, he left the elevator to accept the job as undersheriff Ethel and Lester Doughty with Glovine about 6 months old. Taken at the farm south of Bethune in 1937. Ethel May Frasier was born May 30, 1898 at Burlington Junction, Missouri to Franklin K. Frasier and Myrtle May Gray. As a child Ethel had red measles which left her partly deaf. Myrtle was crippled with arthritis so when Everett was born, although Ethel was �only nine, she had to take care of him. March, 1910, the Frasier family moved from northern Missouri to La Junta, Colorado. Franklin's health was bad and they hoped the change in climate would help him. He died January, 1911, and is buried at La Junta. Shortly, Myrtle and children moved back to Missouri to live with her father, John Gray. He died in April of 1913. Myrtle then moved her family back to La Junta, CO. A sister, Ether, died in March of 1914; that left Ethel, Edward and Everett. Ethel often told of the horse and buggy days and how scared she was when a horse ran away with her at the reins. Ethel May and Charles Goforth were united in marriage April 11, 1915, at La Junta. Charles worked in the oil fields and traveled around the area a lot. Helen Lucille was born March 6. 1917. Charles Goforth died of double pneumonia November 15, 1918. Albert Frasier was born February 18, 1919. Ethel worked for eleven years caring for her two children. In 1930 she met Oke Carpenter; they were united in marriage September 4, 1930 in La Junta. After the wedding they left for the farm south of Bethune, Colorado. Oke had homesteaded this land and built a sod house. Times were hard. There were many trials and hardships. Oke became ill with dropsey and died Decembet 27, 1935. Helen married Lloyd Kirk August 5, 1935 and moved to Nebraska. Ethel and Albert stayed on the farm. Ethel and Lester Doughty were united in marriage May 20, 1936 in the Methodist Church in Burlington. Ethel became a stepmother to Wanda and Luther, treating them like they were her own. Glovine Alice was born Februaty 24,1937 in the sod house with the help of Lest€r. They made a living by raising turkeys and sheep; they also raised a big garden. Things went from bad to worse and Lester and Ethel were divorced in March of 1940. Ethel lost the farm to taxes, so she and Glovine moved into Burlington. In February of L942 Ethel married Art Pinckard and moved to a farm 18 miles south of Seibert, Colorado. I attended Rock Cliff, a country school, for four years. We raised cattle, sheep and horses. Art traveled all over the country, leaving Ethel to take care of the farm. She chopped wood for the heating stove and cook stove. We only went to town once a month, sometimes it would be three months. Ethel's health got bad, so we moved to Burlington in 1948. In June, 1950, Art Pinckard was killed in a car wreck. In June, 1950, Ethel and Clifford Lynn were united in marriage. Ethel and Clifford moved to Willow Springs, Missouri in 1954. They lived on a farm there for several years. In 1956 Ethel moved to Maryville, Missouri and lived alone there until she moved back to Burlington in 1963 to live with Glovine and family. Ethel then was very crippled with arthritis. I took care of her until April, 1963 when she went into a nursing home. In May of 1966 Helen Kirk cnme and took her back to Missouri to live with her. Ethel died September 26, 1966, and is buried at Burlington Junction, Missouri. She spent fifty years of her life in Colorado and thought Burlington, Colorado was really her home. June 28, 1953 Glovine and Lewis Kirby were united in marriage. We moved to a little white house on Webster Street. In June we moved to a farm north of Burlington; Lewis farmed and worked in town as a carpenter. Alice Marie was born August 31, 1954. Billy J. was born May 6, 1957. The fifties were very dry. The wind and dust was so bad you could see only a few feet in front of you. We moved back to town in May of 1957. Lewis worked in construction, for farmers and for the city of Burlington. Katherine was born July 15, 1962. In August of 1969 we moved to Goodland, Kansas. Alice graduated from Goodland High School in 1973 and entered the Navy. In 1975 Billy J. joined the Navy. Katherine returned to Burlington and lived in the group home and worked in the work shop and graduated from Burlington High School, May, 1982. In October of 1973 our marriage was dissolved in divorce. October 30, 1974, I manied Frank Golemboski. Jeanie Glovine was born January 15, 1976 in Goodland, Kansas, and Jeanie now lives in Colby, Kansas. We are active in our church and 4-H and A.R.C. I still think of Burlington, Colorado as my home and like to visit there. by Glovine Golemboski DOWNEY, RAY FAMILY Fr69 Rose and Ray Downey on their wedding day, 1945 Raymond Thomas Downey and Rose Ack- In the spring of 1947, Rose and Ray Downey and their young son Ron (born December 11, 1945 at Dodge City) left Kansas to begin farming south of Stratton. Several other young families from the Windhorst and Dodge City area also moved to the Stratton area in the mid to late forties. so eastern Colorado felt a little like home in erman Downey were married February 12, 1945 at Windhorst, Kansas. Ray, the son of Daniel Bennet Downey and Catherine Elizabeth Biernacki was born May 21, 1920 in Wichita, Kansas. He was the fourth of ten children and spent his early childhood on the family farm. The daughter of Francis (Frank) Ackerman and Clara Fredelake, Rose was born on her parents farm near Spearville, Kansas on September 30, 1920. One of seven children, Rose went to school at the academy at Windhorst and later worked in Dodge. spite of all of Ray and Rose's immediate families still being in Kansas. The early years farming in south central Kit Carson county were filled with hard work and few conveniences (electricity wasn't The Downeys, 1985 Top Row: Jo Downey, Tom May, Kim May, Karen and Gene Kerschner. Middle row: Amber Downey, Amy Downey, Lisa Kerschner. Bottom row: Bob Downey, Ray Downey, Rose Downey, Ron Downey. On Laps: Mark Kerschner and Brad Downey �was born November 16, 1947 in Stratton (the building at 2lO Kansas Avenue served as a maternity hospital for the Stratton area until around 1950). Karen Sue and Kimberly Ann Downey were born in Burlington on February 23, 1959 and August 29, 1962 respectively. Ron and Bob attended grade school in Vona and junior high at St. Charles Academy. Karen attcnded grade school and junior high at St. Charles Academy and Kim attended Kindergarten in Stratton, grades 1-6 in Vona, and grades 7-8 at Hi-Plains in Seibert. All four Downey children graduated from high school in Stratton. Ron Downey attended Sterling Junior College and later served with the U.S.Army in Viet Nnm. After leaving the military, he returned to farm with his father and continues today as one of the partners in Downey Farms, Inc. Bob attended the University of Southern Colorado and then taught business and coaches in a small community near Salida. He and his wife, Jo, returned to Stratton inL972 to join the family farming operation. Their Bob and Ron Downey, 1950 available to that part of the county until the early fifties and phone service wasn't a reality until 1965), but neighbors were plentiful and entertainment consisted of families getting together for potlucks, singing and cards at the old one-room school that was located north of the house. The old school had not held classes for years and was moved off around 1952. With it went the piano and a lot of the socializing, but the memories of the good times in a less hectic and more relaxed era still remain. Living half way between Vona and Strat- to the time when Kim was two and came within seconds ofpicking up a six-foot rattler that had slithered its way into the yard. Fortunately, the toddler was snatched away by her older sister just as she was bending down to more closely examine the huge snake, but the incident is still well remembered by the whole farnily. Ifgood fortune continues, there will hope- fully continue to be Downeys in Kit Carson County. Though being in agriculture occa- sionally presents more barriers than oppor- tunities, farming and living in a small community where neighbors, friends, family, school and church are still important is a most satisfying and rewarding way of life. residents bearing the Downey last name. Bob also still farms and Jo continues to serve as by Jo Downey Executive Director of the East Central Council of Local Governments. Shortly before graduation from the University of Northern Colorado, Karen Downey married UNC graduate student Eugene Kerschner from Merino, Colorado. They are parents of two children, Lisa Jeanne (1975) and Marc Alan (1979). After residing several years in Gering, Nebraska, they currently live in Alliance, Nebraska. Karen works in nursing and Gene continues as a Corporate Farm Manager. Kim Downey also graduated from UNC with a B.A. degree in Business and Accoun- Highway 24 complicated school choices as the ting and worked in Greeley until her marriage to Tom May in 1985. Kim and Tom now reside in Stratton where Tom is engaged in farming and Kim is employed in the offices Rose after they came to Colorado. Robert Lee pected and unwelcome, wildlife still occasionally wander onto the farm; nothing comp€ues children, Amy, Amber, and Brad (born in 1973, 1976, and 1979 respectively) bring to eight the number of Kit Carson County ton and being over ten miles south of Downey children approached first grade. Three other children were born to Ray and of the Stratton Co-op. In the early sixties, the original farm house that was the Downeys' first Colorado home was added on to and was again remodeled in 1982. An elevator system and additional outbuildings were added over the years so the 1987 farmstead bears little resemblance to the original farm established in 1947. Trees, grass and flowers have replaced the open prairies near the house and though unex- DRAGER - KLOOZ FAMILY F170 Henry Drager, son of William and Sophia Drager came to Colorado with his parents and sister, Anna (Langendorfer) in 1924 from Unadilla, Nebraska. They established their home in Burlington and proceeded to farm two sections of land 18 miles south of Burlington. Henry broke the sod with a Wallace lug tractor and a teem of horses. Flora Ellen Klooz, daughter of Fred and Flora Klooz. moved to a farm 2 miles north of Burlington form Franam, Nebraska, in 1919 along with her parents, four sisters and three brothers. She graduated from Burlington High School in 1925 after which she taught school in a one room country school north of Bethune. Downey Farms, 1985 In 1928 Henry and Flora were married and began their married life on a new farm L8 miles south of Burlington. They lived in the basement of their new home while the house was being finished by Henry's father, Bill Drager, and a nephew from Germany. They lived on this farm until 1977 when they built a new home in Burlington, although Henry continued to farm the land. Four children were born to Henry and Flora, Evelyn, June, Kenneth, and Louis. Evelyn is a teacher in Burlington and married to Ed Mountain and live two doors down the street from them. June married Bob Mangus, youngest son of Ray and Persis Mangus who lived on a farm south of Peconic, and now reside in Denver. Kenneth married high school sweetheart, Doris Chapman, whose parents, the Dale Chapmans, were former residents and manager of the Burlington Coop. Russell, Kansas is their home. Louis graduated from UNC as an engineer and married Karen Mechnm from Utah. They live in Littleton. the children all attended Smoky Hill School which was also the center for �many community get-to-gethers. Henry was president of the school board for 9 years. All four children graduated from Burlington High School. The children were members of the Smoky Hill 4-H Club of which Flora was a leader. Depression, dust storms, and the tornado of L944 was significant set backs, but good times, good neighbors and friends, and healthy children have outweighed the bad by far during their 50 years on this farm. The Dragers have 12 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. They celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in June 1978 at Trinity Lutheran, the family church, with a multitude of family and friends. by Flora Klooz Drager DROSTE, JOE FAMILY Fr7I Joe Droste was born in Ford County, Kansas, May 18, 1909. Agnes H. Fetsch was born near Munday, Texas, January 27, LgLl. They were married August 19, 1936, at St. Mary's Catholic Church, in Marienthal, Kansas. Joe had been farming with a brother-inlaw, Jacob Bogner for several years in Wichita County, north of Marienthal, Kansas. Crops were poor due to the dry weather and dust storms. Ag'nes' parents, Frank and Mary Fetsch had moved to Marienthal in 1920 with their children, Louis, Agnes, Charles, Margaret and John. One son, Edward was born in Marienthal. Agnes attended grade school there and graduated from High School in Leoti, Kansas. In 1931, she began teaching in a one room rural school north of Leoti, Kansas. She also taught in a rural school south of Marienthal, Kansas, and really enjoyed teaching. After we were married we moved to a rented farm north of Marienthal and lived there for over four years, then we moved to another farm where we lived for about two yerus. One day in the fall of L942 Mt. Henry Kliesen and a real estate agent from Dodge City, came to our place and told us about cheap land in Colorado. They brought us to Kit Carson County to look at farms which were for sale. We looked at a lot of them, some were selling for $5.00 an acre. We didn't buy anything on our first trip but came back later and purchased the farm known as the "Stoffel Place," about five miles northeast of Stratton. Later we bought some more land. We moved to Colorado on March 2nd, 1943. It was a very cold day. The temperature was well below zero and stayed that way for about three weeks. On moving day, Joe drove our truck loaded with household items and his brother Roman drove the car for me and our three small children. Joe arrived before we did and had agood fire goingin an old heating stove, when we arrived. There were no conveniences in rural homes out here at that time, no water, no plumbing no electricity, everything was done the hard way. Everybody butchered their own meat then and cured it or canned it. Later we could rent a locker in town and store our fresh meat in it. That seemed to us a great convenience. What a wonderful day it was for farmers when rural electricity came to the farms. Things really changed drastically, almost everyone got water in the house, bathrooms were built and life changed completely. This was progress, looking back its hard to believe how things have changed. Three more children came to us in Colo- rado. They all grew up on the farm and attended St. Charles Parochial School, and the Stratton Public High School. Many pets came and went at our farm. The children loved two little rat terriers given to them by the Menke family. They called them Mutt and Jeff. In the fifties, dry weather came again and for several years no crops were planted or harvested. We had a nice herd of cattle and had to sell them because there was no feed. When things got better, many farmers decided to put down irrigation well in 1960, and for several years we planted and raised corn on the irrigated acres. In 1966, we planted pinto beans, we had a fair crop, they were only $6 per cwt. Joe died in 1966, the result of a farm accident and our sons Ra5rmond and Frank too over the farm work. We continued irrigating and also farming dry land wheat. Frank left the farm in 1979, when he got married and Ray continued to farm. In the 80's we have tried sunflowers with some good results. The children of Joe and Agnes Droste are, Rose Marie, born August 2, 1937, in Scott City, Kans., Raymond J. born March 24, 1939, in Scott City, Kans., Genevieve, born January 3, L942, in Scott City, Kans., Carol Ann, born March L4, t945, in Stratton, Co., Dorothy Mae, born February 6, 1949, in Burlington, Co., and Frank Edward, born October 2L, L952, in Burlington, Co. Rose Marie went to St. Anthonys Nursing school in Denver. She graduated as a practi- cal nurse and worked at St. Anthonys Hospital for about three years. She married Leon Laird and lived in Burlington, Co. Leon died as a result of a car accident in July, 1965. Rose then worked at Grace Manor and in a nursing home in Denver. In 1968, she married Ernie Stoos and now lives in Oklahoma on Lake Eufaula where they have a land development business. Rose keeps busy with all kinds of crafts and community activities. Raymond spent three years in the Marines after he graduated form high school, then he spent some time working with custom cutters in harvest and also worked on oil rigs for a while. Now he lives on the farm with his Mother. He works at the Post Office in Stratton and also farms. Genevieve went to Central Business College in Denver after she graduated from high school in 1960. She had various office jobs and married Richard J. Rubio in 1966. They live in Anchorage, Alaska, and have two sons, Domon and Chris. Carol Ann attended the Mercy Hospital Nursing school after she graduated from high school in 1964. In 1967 she graduated as a R.N. She has kept up her nursing. She joined the Air Force Reserves in 1967, right after she graduated from nursing school. During her weeks of active duty she flew to many places. Japan was one, they would bring back a lot of boys from Vietnam. She was flight nurse on those trips. She married Rodney Whitten inl972. They have four children. Rodney was also in the Reserves. He is now a captain in the Reserves and Carol is a Major. They live in Gretna. Nebraska. Dorothy Mae went to college in Wichita, Kansas, for two years then to Greeley, Co. for two years where she graduated in 1971. She married Don White and moved to San Jose. California. She taught in kindergarten there for six years, then went into real estate in which she has done very well. She is now living in Longmont, Co. She is married to Hayward Monroe and they have two boys. Frank went to college in LaJunta, Co. for one year after he graduated from the Stratton High School, in L972. His main interest was welding. He married Debbie Pelle Nov. 24, 1979. They had two boys. Debbie died in a tragic car accident in Nov. 1982, leaving Frank with two babies. He moved to Boulder. Co. where he is employed at Micro-Motion. He is a welder. Even though they are all scattered now, the farm is still "home". They all love the land and the community! by Agnes H. I)roste DULMER FAMILY Ft72 Cornelius and Tresa Dulmer came to Seibert, Colorado by train. They arrived on December 9, 1909 on a very cold day, the temperature being 28 degrees below zero F. Daughters Emma and May came with them. The rest of the trip was by buggy and wagon. This homestead was 14 miles north of Vona, Colorado. Tresa Nauta Dulmer was born in 1856 and died in 1918. Uf8il his death Cornelius made his home with his daughters. Later he moved to California to live and died in 1928. He was born in 1857. Their children were: Myron Dulmer, 18821963; Edith Dulmer Brownwood, 1881-19?6; Anna Dulmer Eyberse 1880-1936; Catherine Dulmer Vander Ploeg 1882-1951; Florence Dulmer Seabert, 1884-1964; Emma Dulmer Klassen, 1892-1986; May Dulmer Klassen 1895-1979; Sadie Dulmer Ault Iller. 1890-?. by Edith M. Ilugley �:, .: ',-*; $ '"w "*1" .[i tua" & # ^1 t Family of Cornelius and Tresa Dulmer taken before 1909. L. to R.: back row: Myron, Edith, Anna' Catherine, and Florence. Middle row: Tresa and Cornelius. Front row: Emma, May and Sadie. DUNCAN, CHARLEY F173 My parents, Charley Duncan and Edith Simpkins Duncan, were married near Tilden, Nebraska, in February 1906. They lived on a farm and three children were born there; Ethel Marie, February 1, 1907 (died February Zt,1907); Evelyn, born December 18, 1907; and Orville, born March 19, 1909. In 1912 my father and his brother-in-law, Euse Dredge, came to Kit Carson County looking for land to homestead. They both signed for a claim. They returned to Nebraska to make preparations to move to Colorado. We arrived in Vona, by train, in February 1913 with 2 horses, 2 cows, 2 pigs, 2 dozen chickens, 2 kids and $200.00. There was plenty of snow and cold weather. Mrs. Howell, the storekeeper's wife, took us in a spring wagon to the home of Al Tilbury where we spent the night. The next day we went to our little one room shack which sat on rocks without a foundation, but it was our home, 18% miles southwest of Vona. Papa had to plow the ground before any planting could be done. Every inch was Buffalo grass. That summer we went by covered wagon to Sterling. Papa worked as a drayman. We returned to our homestead the next year so Orville and I would start to school at Rosedale. We attended this school for 8 years and our favorite teacher was Johnny Mathews. Papa went to different parts of Colorado and Kansas to work in the harvest fields and while he was gone Mama, Orville and I would go pick up cow chips to burn. We sort of made a picnic out of it. We would stop by Little Springs so we could wash our hands and eat The Charley Duncan Family - 1917. Father, Charley, Mother Edith, Evelyn, Orville and baby Alta. lunch. We had a great time but were scared to death of rattlesnakes and it took all day to get a load. In 1916 we made a trip back to Nebraska when my Grandma Simpkins'died. My folks were tempted to stay but decided against it as our home, belongings and good friends and neighbors were in Colorado, Iike the Goffs, Calhouns, Lettmans, Roses, Gallions, McAuleys, Murpheys, Myers, Deers and others. We were thankful for our wagon and horses so we could go visit them and go to church in a little school house five miles from our place. We also had Literary there, which was a program type ofgood entertainment using local talent. Dad Allen played the banjo and Red, his son, would jigg and Don McAuley gave the best recitations and others would sing or be in plays. r.;i&:,::t f, ?7:' Charley Duncan - Early 1940's with team of horses Prince and Snip, dog Fritz on the homestead. In 1917, August 6th, a darling baby girl was born into our family and we called her Alta, and then February 11, 1919, Everett was born. That was the year of lots of snow and flu. Our mother died March 1. Everett was 18 days old and Alta 18 months. Papa's sister and her husband, Aunt Ethie and Uncle Jim Sesler raised Alta and Everett. Our friends were so good to us and helped all they could. Needless to say we had very Iittle money but plenty of debts. Mr. Hungerford, a wellknown cattleman took up a collection and raised $500.00 to help with funeral expenses. That was a lot of money in those days. Then in 1922 Orville and I graduated from the eighth grade. Papa decided to move close to Seibert so we could ride the bus to high school. In the process Orville stepped on a barnyard nail and got lockjaw and died. In the meantime, Uncle Jim, Aunt Ethie, Alta and Everett moved north of Seibert. Papa and I lived about nine miles southeast of Seibert in a sod house during the school year. I rode the bus twenty-five miles every day to school. During my high school years I played baseball and was on the girls basketball and track teams. Then in the fall of 1926 I went to Lincoln, �Nebraska to college for two years. In 1927 Papa manied Stella Doss. No children were born of this marriage. He and Stella lived on the homestead until his death June 3, 1947, at the age of 64. He was a very successful DUNHAM, WALTER AND ANICE Fr74 DUNLAP - LESHER FAMILY F176 farmer and cattleman. Stella moved to Denver where she died April 25, 1977. April 13, L929,I was united in marriage to Wm. "Red" Allen. We lived on a farm south of Vona and that is where our first son, Bill, was born. ln 1933, during the depression, we moved to Denver and Red got a job hauling coal from the mines north of Denver. I did laundry for the rich people and to this day I love to wash and iron. Denver was good to us. We bought a home at 4319 Navajo. Our second son, Don, was born here in November 1945, sixteen years after Bill. Bill and Mary were married in May 1948 and had two daughters, Debbie and Pati. Bill works at NW Transport as Manager of Transportation and Mary works at the bank in Brighton where they live. Don and Connie were married in April 1964. They have three children, Scott, Wendy and Rod, and Don is a Denver Fireman. Red and four other men started their own service business in February 1961, having the office in our home. They called it "Area Gas Appliance Service". They got a good start and moved to an office in the summer of 1964 and Red died October 13, 1964. I'm 78 now and work half days five days a week for the company. This is 1986 and we have been in business 25 years. I can't bring this story to a close till I tell you what happened to my little sister and brother. Uncle Jim and Aunt Ethie did a fine job raising them. They grew up to be beautiful people inside and out. They both went to school in Seibert. In May 1936 Alta married Ralph Rowley. They farmed at Seibert several years and then moved to Denver. Four children were born to this union, Mary Lee Lopo of Eastlake, Chuck Rowley of Denver, Beverly Rowley of Denver, and Richard who died in infancy. They have 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Alta is very crippled with arthritis and Ralph has a problem breathing, but they do a good job taking care of each other. They are a real inspiration to anyone. Everett married Vyonda Overmiller in January 1939. He was a very successful cattleman and farmer. They are retired now and live in Stratton. Four girls were born to this union, Barbara Mason of Iowa City, Iowa, Virginia Burns of Denver, Marilyn Duncan of Denver and Betty Ralston of Colorado Springs. They have five grandchild- ren and two great-grandchildren. I'll always remember the good old times in Seibert and Vona. "It is still home". P.S. Lord willing, Alta and Ralph will celebrate their fiftieth anniversary this year, May 25, 1986. by Evelyn Duncan Allen Maynard and Bessie Dunhnm Walter and Anice Dunham and son Maynard came to Colorado in 1906, from Battle- creek, Michigan (to benefit the health of Maynard), to a farm southeast of Burlington. They lived in a soddy for some years and then moved into a larger frame house. Anice passed away in 1914. In 1909, Maynard and Bessie Thoman were manied. They lived with his parents for some time, then they took a homestead adjoining. Here they built a half basement, sod, two room house. In 1.910, Ines was born. They had three other children, Irene, Lee and Warren (who passed away after a ruptured appendix in 1921). These early settlers had to make a living from what they could raise, on wild gams sn4 milking cows. There was a small school close by and the three older children attended, along with Henry Basset, and Harold Rogers. Then, they moved along with Walter Dunham to the First Central school district where there was a four year school and two churches for them to attend. In 1933, they moved to a farm in Cheyenne County, Lee moved with them. By this time Ines had married Harold McArthur and Irene married George Kennedy. The family milked cows, Bess worked at making quilts, and mattresses to give to the less fortunate. In 1934, they sold most ofthe cattle and they and Lee spent most of the winter in Michigan. In 1942, Maynard's poor health forced them to leave the farm and move into Burlington; she worked in different restau- rants and both worked in the old Montezuma. They built a house and kept a beautiful yard of flowers and vegetables. They celebrated their 50th Wedding anniversary in 1959. Maynard passed away in 1964, Bessie continued to care for the yard until the age of 93, when she passed away in 1984. by Irene Kennedy and Ines McArthur Mom and Dad and Casey. Oliver c. (Buzz) Dunlap, and Elizabeth Dunlap. Oliver C. (Buzz) Dunlap was born in Rawlins County, Kansas in 1888 and moved to Sherman County, South of Goodland while a small child. Elizabeth Eicher was born in Seward County, Nebraska and moved to Sherman County, Kansas as a very small girl. Both O.C. and Elizabeth grew up in this area. They were married in Sgptember 1907. Oiiver and Elizabeth Hunlap were among the first homesteaders in the community Southwest of Burlington, They, along with Emery & Elsie Eicher, who were Elizabeth's brother and O.C.'s sister, came to Colorado in 1910 to claim their homesteads. This move was made to have access to the open range. The Dunlap's homestead was the EVz of Section 14, Township 11, Range 45, which is located 15 miles South and 7 miles West of Burlington; the Eicher homestead was the West % of Section 22, Township 11, Range 45 and Icyphene Welch, a widow, who was O.C.'s and Elsie's mother, and son Howard home-steaded the East r/z of Section 22,Township ll,Range 45. In the fall of 1910, they all returned to their old homes South of Goodland for the winter, where Lowell Dunlap was born in October. In April of 1911, they with small son Lowell and Emery and Elsie Eicher and their small daughter, Oletha, started the long slow move across the open prairie, approximately straight west from their homes to their homesteads. This journey LookBVz days to go 55 miles with 4 loaded wagons and their livestock. The wagons were each pulled by a 4 horse teem. They were driven by O.C., Elizabeth, Emery and Elsie. The livestock �llltt .tlr,,il,':: ,l.: ':::::':ili '.,:;...r-::. ,i..,iL,. tri ,l, :;."::: , furnished horses for the rodeos at the Kit Carson Fair for several years. Some of the local riders at that time were: Rueben and Archie Anderson; Joe Ross; Dewey (Dude) and Had Compher; Carl Harrison and Guy and Carl Wigton. In 1945 O.C. retired and moved to Burlington. In 1946 he was elected Sheriff of Kit Carson County and served in that office until his death in 1954. by Isaphene Dunlap Lesher EAGLETON - REID FAMILY F176 Oliver and Elizabeth Dunlap homestead. was driven by Howard Welch, O.C.'s and Elsie's half brother. O.C. Dunlap built a 4 room square sod house on their homestead where their daughter, Isaphene, was born in 1912 and son, Verlin. in 1914. In 1915 a concrete house was built by O.C. Dunlap and Emery Eicher, where another daughter, Nina, was born in 1920. This house is still standing. A small sod house was built for Mrs. Icephene Welch on her homestead. The Eicher house was a frame building, part of which was moved from Sherman County, Kansas. There it had been a small country store and post office located near the Smokey River. After Eicher's moved to Burlington in 1914, located near the Smokey River. After Eicher's moved to Burlington in 1914, O.C. bought the buildings and tore most of them down except the part of the house that had originally come from Kansas. He moved that part to the Dunlap home. There it was used as a milk house and bunk house for hired men. In 1931 the Dunlaps improved the NE% section of Icyphene Welch's homestead. This seme little two room house was moved again and built onto for their home, where they lived for 14 years before moving to Burlington in 1945. That little building really traveled and is still being lived in. When the Dunlap's and Eicher's came to Colorado, their mailing address was Beaver- ton, Colorado. This was a little country general merchandise store and Post Office. it was located 10 miles Northwest of their homestead, which was quite a trip by horse and buggy. John Higgon ran the store and Post Office, later it was ran by George Church. O.C. Dunlap was a rancher, raising cattle and horses. The cattle that were moved to the homestead were mixed breeds, mostly Gal- loways. In about 1918 he bought some purebred polled herefords and continued to raise hereford cattle until he retired in 1945. O.C. purchased his livestock brand (quarter circle C) in 1915 which is still being used by his son Verlin. The horses and mules that Norman and Vickey Eagleton, 1985. were raised bV O.C. were mostly sold to Eastern buyers. He also furnished horses for rodeos that were held in this area, as this was a favorite entertainment in the early days. He W W W w ?gryWryryyry,t*.t:i:,&',.:,rt.,' ;'. t,:,. . #n ,;\,.'t -.- **- w t:..ir '.1.: :op -Yt bt:'. ?;:e i. .?! ,*,',, &,ri :,'r The Eagleton Children: Carma Lynette, age 11; Dawn Michele, age 13; and Norman Jason, age 8, Christmas 1946. 1985. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Families of Kit Carson County Description An account of the resource Brief biographies of the founding families of Kit Carson County Colorado. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Book Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Families- D Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1988 Description An account of the resource Brief history of the founding families of Kit Carson County whose names begin with "D." As told in the book, History of Kit Carson County Type The nature or genre of the resource text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Salmons, Janice Hasart, Marlyn Smith, Dorothy Language A language of the resource English Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. History of Kit Carson County Volume 1 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource text/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Curtis Media Subject The topic of the resource History Kit Carson County Biography Genealogy Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a>