176 10 1803 https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/17/509/Families-W1.pdf 71b3355289d29c67d97635269f5cbd85 PDF Text Text shack in the North West part of Stratton. He then spent his time in the garage where the Kalb Brothers Walter and Kenneth had a mechanics shop. He enjoyed visiting with whoever had time to chat with him. They looked after him in his last years as he got to where he could hardly walk before he died. He is buried in Claremont Cemetery, Stratton, Colorado. He was 88 years old. by Dessie Cassity Book & Florence McConnell WALKER FAMILY F720 The Milton Vondy Family. Back row, L. to R.: GaiI, Diane, Curt and Terry. Front row, L. to R.: Doris, Hollv and Milton. Riders Roping Club, and horse racing. One of the biggest thrills for our family, was the running and winning streak of "Five Alive" in 1980. We had a family reunion at Ruidoso Downs. Ruidoso New Mexico. where we watched Five Alive run in the first leg of the triple crown ofquarter horses, the Kansas Futurity. As sometimes happens, saddness follows happiness. We found this to be very true when later in the fall, Five Alive was taken to Littleton Large Animal Clinic for surgery to remove bone chips from his knees; this brought about one of the saddest days of our lives, because while recovering he floun- dered and crushed his elbow and had to be taste like the smell of a sweaty horse. It was said many times in the old days that John Wagner was a real wizard in handling and breaking of wild horses. The brothers were asked to corral some wild horses for a friend in Cheyenne County. They made three attempts to corral them with no success. Finally were asked again and they showed up carrying rifles instead of ropes. Their next attempt at corraling the herd preceeded about as usual until they were nearing the corral gates. A big, beautiful l Forty-fifth Wedding Anniversary of Aubrey and Winnie Walker. Seated: Nina Lou Walker Ford. Aubrey Walker, Winnie Walker Lavon Walker Fisher Keeran. Standing: Pat Ford, Betty Walker, Art Fisher. Dale Walker. sorrel stallion broke back. Fred said he thought, as he saw the big beautiful horse breaking for safety, "I would sure hate to kill put to sleep. We are still running horses and dreaming of another Five Alive.! that horse if he was mine, but he has got to be stopped." He took aim and let him have by Holly Vondy to see if he was branded. and damned if he WAGNER FAMILY F7r9 Two brothers, Fred and John Wagner, moved into Kit Carson County from Cheyenne County, Nebraska, in 1903. They brought with them about seven hundred head of horses. John took a homestead about eight miles south of Stratton, where they made their head quarters for sometime. The government land was all open, so their horses' pasture was almost boundless. There were a good many wild horses in this area at that time and they caused the Wagner brothers considerable trouble. The Brothers at last got permission form the State Govern- ment of Colorado to shoot the wild stallions when ever they were caught stealing mares. The brothers were also given permission to catch, brand and break any of these wild it. Later Fred said I rode out to look him over wasn't my own horse. Later there is not much known about John Wagner as he left the county, but Fred remained and continued to run horses for some time. Fred was known in his day to be quite a booser. But he was a kind and neighborly man. As little girls, Denise and Barbara Wilson remember hiding behind some weeds in a fence row until he would pass so he would not see them and pick them up when they were walking home from school. In the early 40's Fred moved to a quarter of land he purchased and built himself a small rock house which still stands on the property. Boots Wilson looked after Fred in those years. He would go to town and get all boosed up and then Boots would see him stopped out across the open prairie and he would go get him and take him home. He was a good neighbor, always helping ponies that they desired. Fred Wagner told me, that they tried some when needed. In a bad blizzard in November 1946, he went out to see about a bunch of cattle Boots had at his place and got down in the storm and he had to crawl to the house. He risked his life but managed to save the horse steaks from some ofthe wild horses that cattle. they killed. They never relished horse steak, He later sold his property to Boots and moved into town where he lived in a one room as it always seemed to have a sweet, sweaty Lavington Garage, Flagler, Colorado; Early 1920's to 1960. Leon Lavington was the son of W.H. Lavington, who was one of Flaglers early settlers (prior to 1900). W.H. Lavington started Flaglers first general store and later the First National Bank. Wayne Aubrey Walker, born August 24, 1886, in Worth County Missouri, was the son of Marvin E. & Susan O. Marvin Walker was the son of Warner & Ruth Ann of North Carolina. The father of Warner was Daniel Walker who was the son of Davis Walker. who was born about 1770 in North Carolina. W. Aubrey Walker was schooled at Denver, Missouri, and went to business school at St. Joseph, Missouri. The Walker family moved to Springfield, Missouri, in 1906 where Aubrey worked in the accounting department of the Frisco Railroad. In 1908, Aubrey set out to fulfill a dream, that of securing a homestead near Steamboat Springs, Colo- �activities. Dale has served numerous terms as a director in the Rural Electric Program. In 1985, Dale & Betty retired, having sold the i .,: t,.1 :::taii.,.t Hrs :ti.:i,:.: business to their sons. rarjr1.r:;:rl:ir.;. Dale A. Walker, Jr. and John K. Walker thus became the seventh generation of the recorded Walker family and fourth generation Coloradoans. , by Dale A. Walker l1{{1?tii.:?ii::1i:ll,l;.r", WALL FAMILY *m.t* rigr**i.,Lird?. 'i, Flagler Hospital. Family owned and operated Hospital by Dr. W.L. and.Zeta McBride, and Dr. John and Marie Straub from 1935 to 1963. Today the building is owned by the town of Flagler, used as town Municipal Building and Town Library. gave years of service through such organiza- tions as the First Congregational Church, the Eastern Star, Flagler Women's Club, and Kit Carson County Hospital Board. Winnie passed away June 4, 196L, at Flagler, and Aubrey died October 25, 1981, in Hugo, Colorado. The Walker children grew up in the Flagler community and attended the Flagler Schools. The youngest, Nina Lou married Pat Ford. They reared four children, Tony, Kristie, Jill and Lanny. Nina Lou & Pat throughout their lives have been active in the Flagler Community. For many years they operated the Stop & Shop Super Market. Later Pat became Stop and Shop Market, Flagler, Colorado. Store began in late 1951 by owners Dale Walker and Pat Ford. In 1959 Walker and Ford bought and remodeled the former Lavington Ford Garage Building to house the present Store, now owned by Tony Ford. rado, where he hoped to ranch. Due to circumstance, he stopped off at Seibert Colorado, where he was attracted to a quarter section of land some 12 miles north of Seibert. He filed for his homestead in that location. On August 15, 1915, Aubrey was married to Winnie A. Anderson, at Flagler, Colorado. To this marriage four children were born - Dale as a Aubrey, K. Lavon, Helen O. (who died small child) and Nina Lou. In addition to farming, Aubrey served as a county road supervisor during the early 1920's. In t927, following the death of Winnie's father, the Walkers moved to the associated with the 1st National Bank of Flagler, heading up the insurance agency and acting as one ofthe directors. They have been a part of Eastern Slope Rural Telephone where Pat has acted as a director. Lavon Fisher Keeran raised her two children, Wanda Sue & Ab in the Flagler Community. Lavon was active in the activities of the school and community. For many years she was employed at the Stop & Shop Market. Lavon moved to Colorado Springs where she and her husband Wilbur were employed until their retirement in 1983. Dale Aubrey Walker, was born in 1920 at the sod house home of his maternal grandparents, the C.J. Andersons, eight miles northwest of Flagler. Dale is the sixth generation of the recorded Walker family. Following school Dale spent five years in the army during WWII. During this time he met and married Eda Betty Newland of Seattle, Washington. To this marriage two sons were born, Dale A. Jr., and John K. Dale & Betty, along with Nina Lou & Pat Ford established C.J. Anderson Homestead 8 miles northwest of Flagler where they operated the Diamond- the Stop & Shop Market at Flagler in October, 1951. Later Dale & Betty estab- Bar-A Black Angus Ranch. Later they purchased a farm-ranch joining the Anderson Ranch. In 1943, Aubrey & Winnie sold their lished two additional Flagler businesses, the Walker-Love Funeral Home and High Plains Sales, Inc. Dale & Betty were active in many Flagler activities through such organizations as the Congregational Church, youth programs, Town Board, Lions Club, County Hospital Board, and the Flagler Medical Center. In 1966, Dale & Betty purchased a food store in Limon, Colorado, and developed it into Limon Super Foods. In addition to their continued involvement in community farm holdings and moved to Flagler. Aubrey became bookkeeper for the Chewolet dealership and continued in this position past his 85th birthday. Aubrey & Winnie were active in county and community functions throughout their lives, including a lifetime of leadership by Aubrey in the Democratic Political Partv. Winnie F72l Lohnnie and Phyllis Wall were married March 27, L965, in Goodland, Kansas. We spent the first six years together farming northeast of Burlington where our two boys, Eric and Cory, were born. In 1971 we bought the Bill Schaal place south of Bethune. We farmed there until 1980 when we sold it and moved to Burlington as Johnnie had gone into the trucking business. Our third son, Tanner, was born there in 1979. We were foster parents to fifteen children for 7 years. We now live in Bethune and Lohnnie is still trucking. by Phyllis Wall WALLET AND WINTER FAMILIES F722 The Cattlemen's Association of Kit Carson County, Colorado, asked me to recall events and history of early days, and especially the Wallet Post Office, of which my father, Alfred Wallet, was the Postmaster during its entirety. The post office was opened on April 8, 1890, and discontinued on May 15, 1909. Before this date of April 8, 1890, my older brother, Fred carried mail from our community to Carlisle, south, and back twice a week on horseback. Peconic is now near where Carlisle stood; it was later absorbed by Kanorado and Burlington, after the Rock Island railroad came through. Kanorado used to be Lamborn; Kanorado, a contraction of Kansas and Colorado, is one half mile from stateline dividing these two states. Later, the mail route was formed and another office, Ashland, northeast of Wallet, was added. A Mr. Seifert carried the mail for a while, then Mr. Teaman, father of Henry and the late Charles Teaman of Burlington and Mrs. Lester Sheldon of Kanorado, carried the mail for several years with horses and buggy. All our neighbors always gathered at our home on Tuesday and Friday afternoons to visit and wait for the mail. The Ashland Post Office was later moved to the George Pratt home and I believe was discontinued at the same time as was the Wallet P.O. My father Alfred Wallet was born in Paris, France, April 25, 1840. He was eight years old when his parents arrived in America, where they first settled in New Orleans, Louisiana, in a French settlement; later, they moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where his father took out naturalization papers. Two other children were born there, Paul and Addie. My mother was born near Basco, Illinois, �on March 27, L842. Her maiden name was Margaret Ann Fleming and she was a descendant of Roger Williams of American Colonial fame. There she grew to womanhood, taught school until married to Alfred Wallet on July 2, 1869. Three children were born to this union - Fred, Maurice and Belle. My brothers were born in Illinois. The family finally moved to Schuyler, Nebraska, where I was born April 11, 1883. The altitude was low and climate damp; since mother and Fred suffered from asthma, my father came west to find a drier climate. After filing homestead rights on SW %, 9-7 -42, he returned home to Nebraska and the following April, moved the family by immigrant train as far as Haigler, Nebraska. The freight car contained household goods, 8 cows, 6 horses, chickens, geese and hogs, some farm implements and some lumber. More lumber was purchased in Haigler. We arrived at the homestead site, by following the old stagecoach route, which ran between Haigler, Nebraska and Cheyenne Wells, Colorado; said road being three quarters of a mile from our homestead. On arrival, we found that most homesteaders lived in sod houses or dugouts, so we finally built a sod house somewhat larger than most found in the vicinity. We even had a wooden floor and most earlier settlers had tamped earthen floors. by Bell Winter grow very rich. Our house, being larger than most houses nearby, was the meeting place for Sunday School, literacy and singing school. So, people came to our home, from miles around, all lonesome and needful of some social life. Later, when the school district was formed, the meetings were held there and also church services; a union church and Sunday School. Rev. Willis from down near Peconic or old Carlysle, held services at the new sod schoolhouse one half mile south of our home. Rev. Hackenberger from a farm southwest of us, also preached there; finally a Methodist Church was started and ministers from Burlington came out to preach; Rev. Yersin was a well remembered one. My first teacher was a Miss Doty. There was a dugout south and west of our place, where school was held there during the summer months. The next teacher was Viola Campbell, who later married Dr. Gillette. During Miss Doty's term, I remember an awful rain and hail storm. She gathered all of us in one corner of the room, with all of us crying, as was she also; I think I remember this so vividly because my first reader was ruined from the hail breaking the window and rain beating into and on the desk. Abraham McElfresh was the first teacher after our school house was built. He later married and was the father of our local citizens Milton and Stewart McElfresh of Kanorado. There was no railroad when we moved to Colorado; the old stagecoach trail was north- WALLET AND WINTER FAMILIES F723 I remember before the house was built, when we were still living in a small shack and covered wagon, we had some very heavy rains, mother and Fred were extremely sick until the rains stopped. No barns to shelter the stock and one horse choked to death from west of our home about three quarters mile toward Cheyenne Wells. The last buffalo killed in Kit Carson County was killed about one mile northwest of home on old stage trail, about one year after we moved on claim. When sickness came to the settlers near home, mother was nearly always called, along with Dr. Gandy or Dr. Gillette; if it were a confinement, my Aunt Mary would then be called to take care of babv and home for a couple of weeks. distemper, during the rain. Having cattle and other stock presented a great problem for by Bell Winter water, which had to be hauled by wagon and barrels from a pay well, owned by Mr. Messinger. He lived where the James Farm is now. Making a trip of ten miles or more each day, and being a bucket well - one bucket up and the other down - by hand, was not an easy task. Mother and Fred did this most of the time, while father, with neighbors helping built our sod house. A sod cutter was used to cut the virgin sod, and laid up like brick, but no mortar was put between, as the grass on sod filled in. Finally the well was begun. John Messinger, a well digger, dug ours, with father helping; very few homesteaders had a well at that time; some or all hauled, as we had done. Later, the ones who stayed to prove up on their homesteads dug wells. Since father had a well and a windmill, he pastured cattle and watered them now, at home. We had no fences those days, and so my younger brother, Maurice, and my Aunt Mary Fleming, mother's sister, had to herd the cattle. So many single men had homesteads near us, and mother did washing and ironing and baked bread, and made butter and sold chickens and eggs to them, to help eke out a living; by the way eggs were 7 cents per dozen and butter 19 cents per pound, so she didn't WALLET AND WINTER FAMILIES F724 seemed eternally grateful for the privileges of that citizenship. Mr. Hawthorne was the second person to pass away and was buried near the Hook claims. In a diary, kept by my mother, she recalls that his wife and daughter came to mother and they all made paper flowers for Mr. Hawthorne's casket . . so went the lives of the earlier settlers. This plot, where he was buried, is now called Beaver Valley Cemetery and is located north of Emil Stalgren's home. Father was County Commissioner in the '90's. During those years when crop failures were so bad, many moved away. Others who stayed on were sent aid from Colorado Springs. This aid was county wide, and out in our part of the county, our home was distribution station of such aid, mostly in the form of boxes of used clothing and such. Women came and helped make over clothes and used mother's sewing machine. Flour and food were also sent to county for distribution. Mother kept a dairy from 1890 to 1895. She kept temperature and rainfall and direction ofwind every day for five years. Father had a government rain gauge all the years he had the post office, but of course all reports were sent to Washington, D.C. each month. After Beaver Valley Schoolhouse was built, Rev. Thompson who lived just north of our home, held services there and also farther north in the Buchanan and Cody neighborhood. I remember a baptizing one half mile north of the school house in a stock tank owned by a Mr. Swallow (where Reuben Anderson now lives). A girl named Eliza Myers, rather well proportioned for size, was helped into the tank. Rev. Thompson was an older man and quite thin; when the time came for the actual baptism and the Reverend attempted to dip her into the water, she struggled and drew him under. Hysteria followed as the crowd rescued the Minister - such memories! One winter, there was an outbreak of scarlet fever, one family lost four children and there were many more deaths throughout the county. Mother was called to Charlie Peterson's who lived across the school section from us, where Earl James now lives. Emma, a girl of twelve, died from complications of the disease. My mother was there for many days, because all of the family was stricken. I recall that as the funeral procession was on its way to Kanorado, a fire which had started at Salma Shaw's broke out of control and was burning down near the road. The first death near us was Hattie Rook. She, a sister Florence and brother Alfred, staked claims cornering each other. One claim was located in the section we lived in. They had built a house on one corner of land and lived together. She died oftyphoid fever. My father drove to Burlington for a casket. F.D. Mann kept caskets also in his hardware store. Father mortgaged his team and wagon for $50.00 for the casket. Mr. Rook came the next day from her home in Kansas and released mortgage, and took the body of his daughter back home for burial. My parents were never known to turn their backs on anyone's need when they were able to perform some act of kindness. A medicine man or moving van, or anyone traveling across country always found hospitality in food or lodging or both, if necessary. My father was extremely proud that he was an American citizen, though born in France and WALLET AND WINTER FAMILIES F725 The procession had to race their teams, since the fire was moving so fasttoward them. Later, the neighborhood helped Mr. Shaw build another barn, which had burned that day having caught fire from a manure pile igniting, burning back to the building, thence to the road. Another neighbor was the Seaman farnily, composed of Mary, Linda and younger sister Maggie, brothers Will and Tom. A younger brother, Myrtie, died from typhoid fever while on the farm. The father was almost blind. but he used to walk four miles to our �place for the mail and he lived to be almost one hundred years old. In later years, due to so many coyotes, the men hunted them on horseback, in wagons and carts, for bounty money, received from the county for the pelts. The revenue was used for oyster suppers, usually held at Link White's, the men prepared the soup or stew, and girls served and washed dishes. May, Minnie, Earl, Laura and one more whose name I can't recall, were all nearly grown, and their parents were always charming hosts. Andrew Love, younger brother ofJacob Love, one time played the harmonica for our crowd to dance to, because the fiddlers didn't arrive. He was ill for several days afterward, because we danced so long and wore him out completely. In 1920, father sold the farm and moved to Kanorado, where in 1923 mother passed away at the age of81. Father died in 1926, aged 86. My personal family consists of a daughter, Irene Nutting, Holbrook, Arizona, and two sons, George Winter and Wayne Winter, both of Kanorado, Kansas, ten grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren. by Bell Winter WALSTROM McCALMON FAMILY F726 The Walstrom story started in Sweden when in 1871 a boy of fifteen, Charlie Carlson, left home as a stowaway on a ship headed for New York. He was discovered at mid-sea and given work for his board, then turned loose when he landed. After several years of working numerous places, he settled at Swedehome, Nebraska, working for others and sending for his brother and two sisters. Then in 1890. Charlie sent a ticket to Hilda Carlson, a girl his sisters knew but was only horses. It was hard work and his health later told of it. In 1933, Clarence and Velma McCalmon were married in Goodland, Kansas, and began their married life on a farm thirteen miles south of Burlington known as the "Hawthorne Big White Barn" place. They lived there four years and then moved to the McCalmon farm two miles north and one mile east, living there for twenty-five years. Clarence and Velma became the parents of two sons, and two daughters. The daughters died at birth. The sons are Charles and Dean (Hoss). They are both married and have five children and one granddaughter. Clarence, Velma, Charles, and Dean (Hoss) all attended our good old Smoky Hill School at one time. Velma, Charles, and Dean (Hoss), and four of the grandchildren also attended Burlington High School. Velma and Clarence moved to Burlington in 1962. At that time. Clarence's health failed and he passed away in 1976 after a long fight with cancer. Maurice and Olla McCalmon, who were of Scottish-German descent, came to Colorado in 1928 from Almena, Kansas, in Norton County. They had been earlier settlers in Cheyenne County, Kansas in 1906. They had a family of four sons and three daughters. Velma McCalmon Walstrom was the middle child of the McCalmons and was the only one that remained in Kit Carson County. The McCalmons bought the farm l2t/z miles south of Burlington, better known as "South Eighth Street", living there until 1938 when the drought and depression made every one move out. Clarence and Velma Walstrom moved on the McCalmon place, Iater buying it and then selling it to their sons, Charles and Dean (Hoss). In 1982, Dean (Hoss) sold his share to Charles and Roberta. It has been in the Walstrom-McCalmon family since 1927 for a total of 60 years. There has been a lot of changes in the a crawling baby when Charlie bid his parents countryside with neighbors and friends coming and going. The town has grown but the biggest change was the planting of the trees. good-bye twenty years before. Prior to sending for Hilda, he went to court and had his by Mrs. Ted Eberhart name changed from Carlson to Walstrom. The price of the ticket was $49.30 from Kaknlan, Sweden, to Osocala, Nebraska, but at that time it was like a thousand dollars now. Charles and Hilda were married in 1891 and were the happy parents of six children, three sons and three daughters. They went through lots ofhardships as all people ofthat time did. WALTERS - SHAW FAMILY The following are excerpts pieced together from a diary kept by Samuel Penn, a rado, buying a section of land three west and childhood chum of Albert Walters, when the two young men traveled together to eastern Colorado in a covered wagon in 1886 from Lowder, Illinois; from letters written between 1890-94 by Mrs. Albert (Leila Shaw) Walters; from memories typed up by their daughter, Mabel Parke, and from material gathered or written by her friend, Avis Bader Schritter, married by then. The oldest son, Julius, was in World War I, and sons, Elmer and Clarence, came with them to Burlington. Clarence went to country school in people's homes as there wasn't yet any schoolhouse in that part of the country. Later Elmer was called to the service so Clarence was left at home to help his father with the farming and cattle. That was when this was open cattle country. Long days were spent riding the range, rounding up cattle. The cowboys were real, not the "drugstore" ones of today. As the country changed, so did the style of the people. Clarence beco-e a farmer and cattleman and worked on a lot of eommittees for the betterment of the community. He also worked for years as a road builder with his . . (Sept. 3) near Stratton, Neb . . . camped . in the midst of a Prairiedog town . wolves, rattlesnakes, prairie dogs, owls, and bugs . . . (Sept. 7-9) Kingston, Colorado (north of Burlington) We crossed the south fork ofthe Republican. . drove around the prairie, the duce only knows where. There was no road . . so we had to. . guess . . Albert wanted to go one way and I wanted to go another . . We ate dinner out in the open prairie, not a track ofany kind . . lots of nice land today. We saw quite a number of wolves, wild horses and antelope. Finally saw a house . . water for our horses and camped seven miles from Elberton . . (Sept. 11) Burlington, Elbert County, Colo. Got up at 4:30 . . . and started to select -Tree Claims . . . We traveled over acres and acres of as fine plowland as anyone ever saw . saw many (new) things. . . The mirage . of the plains . . . Buffalo bones bleached white in the sun lay scattered thickly over the prairies . . . Not a house to be seen after we left the settlement . . . (Sunday, Sept. 12) We did not intend to break the Sabbath but were compelled to travel some . . . We had not yet labored six days, so we had to travel today and rest tomorrow drove to Kingston, arriving at 2:15 A.M. . . . but we wanted to get the papers on our Tree Claims started to Denver so . . drove in the night . . . (Sept. 17) At Home! We arrived "at home" today about 9:00 A.M. with our load of provisions and lumber. After hauling some water, we cooked our first meal on our new stove. It burns Agots splendidly and bakes well. After eating dinner, we went to work on Albert's house but got little done. I am now sitting in his "Sitting Room" writing this. The room has no top to it, other than the wagon sheet, stretched over a hole in the ground. This makes quite a comfortable house for Colorado. (Sept. 18) We have been at work all day on Albert's house and have not yet got it completed. Our stove is out of doors yet and every time we cook we have to turn the stove around for the wind changes forty times every day and blows forty times harder than it does in any other state I have been in . . . (Dec. 31) Kingston, Colo. I am sitting in my parlor which is nice and warm. Have been building my barn today. Albert is inHaigler (Neb.). . . Julyg, 1887. . . Well, Albert, if you can read this you will do very well . . . we will someday look over this with pleasure. F.727 In 1916, they came to Burlington, Colo- three south of town. Their daughters were . copied by Irene Willcox and edited by Georgeanna Hudson Grusing. "We (Albert and I) started Tuesday (Aug. 3, 1886). The first day we traveled about 20 miles . . . (Aug. 20) We traveled 30 or 35 miles today, camping within about 10 miles from Wymore, Neb. . . We passed through Pawnee County. The land . . . is rich and rolling . . . (Aug. 29-30) Bloomington, Neb . . . traveled up the Republican River all day. Had good road . . Saw very fine country. Very Truly your Friend, Samuel Penn" (Apparently Penn made a copy of his diary and sent it to Albert, who had moved on, soon taking out a homestead 10 miles SE of Burlington, later increasing his holdings to 5000 acres and running Aberdeen Angus cattle on his ranch.) "Dear Grandpa and Grandma (grandparents of Leila). We always try to go to town every Saturday so as to get the mail. That way we have something to read on Sunday . . . the mail is very uncertain due to a strike . . Bur- lington did not have any coal, sugar, salt, soap, and a good many other necessities, but the freights are running now. . . . Owing to the drought many people have left the country . . One man . . . went by moonlight . . . left his cattle and farm machinery that were mortgaged . . . His horses were so poor that they had to be helped up and one died the next morning . . There �are twenty-five families on the county for support now and if they keep on increasing, the county will be bankrupt by spring. WALTERS, LErLA SHAW . . . Yes we enjoyed our trip very much. We were gone five weeks . . . We started Monday, Sept,3 (from Burlington) and arrived in Colorado Springs the following Monday . . . We had a covered wagon and a gasoline stove to cook on . . very convenient . There were so many people going west. Sometimes we would get in a wagon train of 5-10 moving wagons, they were so thick . . . Peyton is potato country. . . . We se-ped . . . in the west part of town near the street car connecting the Springs with Colorado City and Manitou . . . went horseback up Ute Pass to Cascade . . . up Old Pikes Peak wagon road, 3-4 miles, but it seemed ten, it was so fearfully steep . . . light air affected us all. . . . back to the Springs and then to Denver, a four day drive over hilly roads . . . we camped on 31st and Stout Street . From Denver to Greeley (a two day drive) . . . to Fort Morgan, a desolate country Saw many range cattle . . . over a thousand in one herd . . . The cowboys are not the rough characters which the newspapers report them, but all that I saw and have met are genteel and appear very nice in society. From Fort Morgan . . . to Haigler, Nebraska, we met 15-30 wagons every day going west . . . From Haigler we came across the corner of Cheyenne County, Kansas . . to Kings- ton, Colorado, forty miles north of Burlington, where Albert had some land . . . I liked the country there . . But it is 27 miles to any store and I should hate to have to spend two days to go after a spool of thread or a paper of pins. So I guess we will not move for the present. . . We were glad to get home after five weeks . . Write often. for we always enjoy your letters. Lovingly Yours, Leila I. Walters Mabel remembered, "When I was nine . . the folks got me a new three quarter sized bed . . . My dresser was two large cracker boxes . . My grandmother had papered (her) stair wall with magazine paper and I would sit on the stairs and read them . . . We didn't have curtain rods for years, just used strings. Prairie fires were numerous . . we had smelled smoke for a few days . . . I looked out and there it was burning over east of us . . Papa went in west and backfired . . . It came within one half mile of our buildings and on east to the Kansas line. . . There were many rattlesnakes . . we had 3-4 (horses) bitten at one time . . . folks said they could tell which was #1, 2, 3, from the poison they had. . . About 1898 or 1899 a number of people had typhoid fever from the old wooden tubing rotting in their wells . . . We got telephones about 1902 . . . mail delivery . . sometime in the 1920's. In 1908, when Mabel was about 16, her mother passed on from a lingering illness. Mabel kept house for her father for many years until he died in 1936 (aged 74) nearly fifty years after first homesteading here. Thus ended the Albert Walters-Leila Shaw union, one of the first pioneer families in the Burlington area. by Georgeanna Hudson Grusing F728 Leila Shaw Walters was born April 6, 1875, in Nickelson County Penn., and died in Springfield, Ill., June 22, 1908. She moved with her parents Mr. and Mrs. Dana Shaw to Colorado in 1887. Leila attended high school in Goodland, Ks., in 1890 and the preparatory at Denver in 1900. She was married to Albert Walters, Dec. 14, 1901. For several years, she was a teacher in the schools of Kit Carson County. She was faithful in the duties of her vocation. attending the institutes and associations, availing herself of all aids for advancement. Never Charles Henry Ward II had come to us in Jan. of L947. We moved from Redding, Calif. with just one pickup loaded with our belongings. We arrived in the snow and cold and had to clean out the chimney before we could build a fire in the old coal stove in the kitchen. Elvin went to a farm sale a week later and bought enough furniture for us to get by comfortably until we got a good start in the farming. We raised wheat, feed crops and pastured cattle. We had good crops some years and bad years as far as making money goes, but we loved the outdoor life and enjoyed the animals that we had - cats, dogs, chickens, and the cattle. Over the years our family grew. Linda Sue came to our home in 1949, Elden Paul in 1953 and Daniel Lee in 1959. In 1952 when electricity came to the farms strong she was watched and guarded as a frail treasure by fond parents and a loving hus- in our area, we put in a new well with a pressure pump and piped water into the band untiring in devotion and care. house. Also with great thought and work we remodeled the house, adding another couple another distinguishing characteristic was bedrooms, a bathroom and new kitchen. In the years we lived on the farm in Kit Carson County, from 1947 through 1964 we remember the terrible dirt storms of the fifties. Also we remember the enjoyable times we had with our neighbors and the many card parties and family gatherings we attended. Reliving those years bring back memories. In March of 1960 Elvin had suffered a bad heart attack. so when the doctors told him to leave the farm we moved to Limon in 1964. Here Elvin became the manager of Limon Farm Equipment (John Deere). He and Alice had worked together as Manager and Bookkeeper for 11 years, when Elvin's second heart attack took him in May of 1976. But our years in Kit Carson County on the farm were ones we loved. This farm is now owned by the Richie's - Jim, Lavone and their sons Dean and Robin and families. They run a dairy as She was helpmate to her husband and manifested in the care and rearing of her daughter. by Editors WARD, ELVIN E. F729 After World War II. Elvin Ellis Ward decided to return to farming. He had been involved in farming all his life for he had been born on the family farm near Satanta, Kansas in 1918. Elvin had gone into the service early in 1941. He signed into the new 10th Moun- tain Infantry Division in November 1941. After training in Fort Lewis, Washington and Paradise Valley near Mt. Rainier, he was to be sent to Camp Hale, at Pando, Colorado. We met in Beverly Hills, Calif. in Sept., 1941. Our dating was interrupted by the attack on Pearl Harbor. Elvin and Alice M. Onley were married in December of L942. While Elvin was stationed in Camp Hale, high in the Colorado Rockies, Alice lived in Glenwood Springs. Elvin was sent with his division, the 87th, to the Aleutian Islands where they took Kiska Island. Alice worked in a bank in well as farm much land around the area, south of Seibert and north and south of Flagler. They have built some new buildings and made many changes. Alice was remarried in 1982 to Ben Raines, cattle buyer and seller in Lincoln County. by Alice M. Ward Raines Westwood Village, Calif., while he was gone. When he returned to the States we were again WARRINGTON, in Camp Hale. Alice lived in Leadville until the transfer to Fort Hood. Texas. From there the 10th Mountain Inf. was sent to Italy. When the war was finally over, Elvin was released to come home in Sept. of 1945. He joined Alice and baby daughter, Margaret in Garden City, Kansas. While Elvin tried several jobs in Kansas and California, he decided that the farm was the place for him. So he came to Eastern Colorado and finally purchased the farm known as the 'Old Conarty Place". It was located 10 miles south and 3 west of Seibert. Colo. This farm had been homesteaded in the early part ofthe 1900's. The old adobe house had walls 18" thick, and was divided into three rooms, bedroom, livingroom and kitchen. It had an old sink with a hand pump in the kitchen, added in the 1930's, and had cement block walls added to the outside of the house and stuccoed in the 40's. The only bathroom was at the end ofthe path near the huge old barn. By the time we moved in in Dec. 1947 there were four of us, as a son ADELINE F730 Adeline Warrington was born in Clarence Center, New York on October 4, 1884, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob A. Garehime, who came to Colorado and homesteaded northwest of Stratton in 1906. Adeline was four when they moved to Allen, Nebraska. Then they moved to Kit Carson County and in 1906 she homesteaded northwest of Stratton where she continued to live for many years. Adeline had a daughter, Margaret, better known as Peggy. Peggy attended Stratton School and graduated from Stratton High School. Many can recall the many times Adeline walked to town from her home and marveled at the hard work she did to maintain the farmstead. In her later years she spent part of the time in Denver and in Longmont. She passed away at the Foot Hills Nursing Home �Federated Women's Club, the Burlington Branch of American Association of University Women, Burlington Extension }Iome- in Longmont at age 87 in 1971. She is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery. makers, Gamma Phi Beta sorority, and Comet Rebekah Lodge. She was also a by Editors lifetime member of the National A-;sociation of Extension Home Economists, and the Colorado State University Alun ni Association. She enjoyed reading, sewing, knitting, WATERS, STEVE, WILLIAM AND ROBERT collecting antique glassware, gardening, and traveling. Just fifty years after her trip to northern France she again visited some ofthe areas in which she had demonstrated 4-H canning. She also traveled in Alaska, the Caribbean, and many European countries. Bertha Boger Wear was born on February 15. 1904 and died on October 25.1987. F73r Steven Waters and his wife, my great grandparents, William Waters and his wife, my grandparents, Robert Waters, and wife, my great-uncle, all came from Humbolt, Nebr. in the very southeast corner of the by Irene Boger state. They took two 160 acres homesteads, eight miles west of Colby, Kan. in 1886. William Waters plowed with oxen and a walking plow, later they had horses and WEAVER, JIM AND JOSIE mules. They herded the cattle, for Kansas is a herd state. They sold cream and eggs, had goats and hogs. By 1917, the William Waters F733 family had all modern farm buildings, running water and a 32 volt light plant. The Rock Island R.R. put a side track in to load wheat on. My grandmother picked geese and made feather beds and pillows. Grandma lived only 63 years. We thought for one thing she worked too hard. I have 2 pictures of a sod house where my grandmother ran the post office in Levant, Kan. Cora Waters lived,24 yrs, died April 1924. Floyd Waters lived 30 yrs. died April, 1928. William Waters lived about 84 yrs. Ventie Waters lived 90 yrs. Aunt Fern was 83 in 1984, and still is going. N.R. Waters proved up on 320 acres, less than Vz mile south of the south line of Kit Carson County. N. R. Waters lived 73 yrs. Our mother, Nettie Waters King, lived to be 91, passed away April, 1982. I think Walter Hammond took our mother to Colo. General, where the doctors took a brain tumor off the inside of her skull, Jan. 1940. Earl Waters and my dad, Clarence King, proved up on 320 acres, 1 % miles south of the Kit Carson County Line, on the edge of Cheyenne County. Earl Waters was born 1893, and lived till Dec. 14, 1984. by Morris King WEAR, BERTHA BOGER F732 (February 15, 1904 - October 25, 1987) Bertha Boger Wear was the first of six children born to Wyatt Boger and Mabel Frankfather Boger in a small house in East Burlington. A year or two Iater the family home was built on the block just east of the courthouse. She was a member of 4-H for six years. After graduating from Burlington High School in L922, she attended Colorado Agricultural College (now Colorado State University). During the summer of 1923 she was in northern France as a member of a Bertha Boger Wear. delegation of 4-H canning demonstration teams from Iowa and Colorado. These four girls showed canning and food preservation methods to French homemakers in the devastated area of World War I. She graduated in 1926 from Colorado Agricultural College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics. The Colorado Extension Service appointed her Home Demonstration Agent to teach foods and nutrition, clothing, home management and home furnishing, child develop- ment and community services in the counties of Mesa, Delta and Montrose, and later in El Paso County. After a number of years she was appointed State Home Agent which involved traveling to every county in the state supervising county home demonstration agents. She was married to William T. Wear of Delta on July 20, 1930, at the home of her parents in Burlington. After taking leave of absence from the Burlington Service, a son, James Wyatt, and a daughter, Barbara, were born in Colorado Springs. The family moved to Burlington in L944 where she was County Extension Home Agent from 1945 until her retirement December 31. 1965. She had 32 years of employment with the Colorado Extension Service. In December 1947, Bertha was named Colorado's outstanding woman agent for the year at the national meeting of County Agricultural and Home Demonstration Agents Association in Chicago. After retirement Bertha became involved in community activities. She was a member of the City of Burlington Zoning and Adjustment Board, Burlington Housing Authority, Library Board, Museum Board, OId Town Jim and Josie celebrated their Golden Anniversarv on June 6, 1961. The Weavers, like so many others had dreams and visions of a prosperous farm of their own. So James L. (Jim) and Josiphine (Josie), with their six small children, Myrtle, Pauline, Harry, Melvin, Glen, and Dannie packed up their possessions and headed west. Leaving Palmyra, Nebraska in a Model T side curtain car and a Model T truck, they arrived in Burlington on April 1, 1921 (April Board, and Burlington Schools Accountability Committee. She also served as Chairman of the Board of the East Central Colorado Fools Day), which was subject to many jokes in the years to follow. They found the soil to Committee, and a member of the State Social Services Advisory Committee. She was also of the railroad tracks, just off the main Mental Health Clinic, Chairman of the Kit Carson County Social Services Advisory a member of the State Extension Service Advisory Council. She held membership in the Burlington be rich farm land and so flat that thev could see for miles. Purcha sing a Vz section of land 3 miles west of Burlington on the north side highway, they erected two tents for a temporary shelter until a home could be built. The first few months were rather traumatic. Spring had not yet arrived on the plains and �Second home south of Peconic. Weaver family photo taken on December 5, 1950. L to R. Glen, Melvin, Harry, Myrtle, Laura Jean, Dannie, Donald, and Gordon. Front, Josie and Jim. it was much colder than anticipated. At that time Dannie was only four months old. The Homer Pickerill's kindly received Josie and the baby into their home until a better shelter from the cold could be provided. When spring arrived, the digging of the basement began. It had to be dug with horses and scrapers. It was a big basement with an upper story that was never finished into individual rooms. Never the less, it was a jubilant move from the tents into the new home. In this home there were three more children born into the family, Donald, Gordon, and Laura Jean. After the house was built and the family settled, it was time for the tilling of the soil. Crops of corn, barley, pop corn, and sweet stock kaffer were raised. "Some times they raised Ned", too. Ha! Jim also did custom corn shelling and hauling all over the country. The boys had their own way in contributing a share to the family's welfare. No one could have foreseen the dust bowl days nor the depression which was to follow and shatter every one's dreams. Times became harder with each year to scratch out a living. Jim started making Good home brew and sold it to help make a living. It was sold at sales, dances and such. One time when Jim was cleaning the 50 gallon crock, he told the boys to take the sediment out and throw it away. Since they were on the way to watering the pigs they poured the sediment in the trough Wedding picture of Jim and Josie Weaver on June 6, 1911. and finished filling it with water. A while later Jim went out to see what all the racket was and saw the pigs laying on their sides, some il ,:l. ,,';":l Jim. Josie. and children beside their home and side curtain car in Palmvra. Nebraska. sticking their noses through the fence and all squealing loudly. Jim immediately thought the pigs had cholera and called the vet. The vet arrived and gave th pigs a thorough examination and reported that nothing was serious. The boys were then questioned and the truth came out. One evening the authorities sent a decoy to the house to buy some beer. When Jim went to get it, the fellow gave the signal to the authorities who were waiting at a distance. When they arrived on the scene, they drank all the beer they could consume, then broke the remaining bottles and destroyed the still. Jim was taken to jail where he remained for 52 days. That was the end of the beer making venture. In 1927, the �The Big Catch. Jim's tractors and Model T truck loaded and ready for the move west to Burlington. family all went to Bird City, Kansas and picked potatoes for Jim's brother, Albert Weaver. They received potatoes for wages and then returned home and sold the potatoes for a small profit. In 1941, the family was forced to move due to Jim's failing health. This time to a farm 6 miles east of Burlington and Vz mile south of the Peconic elevator' About this same time, World War II broke out. Five of their six sons, Melvin, GIen, Dannie, Don, and Gordon were called into the Armed Service. The oldest son, Harry, having lost an eye previously was disqualified for service. During the next few years, four of them saw active duty over seas' While the sons were serving our country, the farming continued on with the help of the youngest daughter, Laura Jean, who now was the only one left at home. At the end of the war, all five sons returned home safelY. Jim and Josie celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on June 6, 1961. An open house was held at the home of Dannie and Laurine Weaver. Many friends and relatives joined in the celebration with reminiscing of the bygone years that had slipped by so quickly. The sons and daughters all married and now reside in California, Idaho, Washington, Arizona, and Colorado. Two sons, Dannie and Glen, still reside in Burlington as well as several grandchildren. Dannie continued to farm and became a successful farmer, farming on a much Iarger scale. Ryan, a grandson, is continuing on with the farming as Dannie has semi-retired. Glen specialized in equipment maintenance and also did some farm- ing. He is now retired. Jim departed this life in 1962 and Josie in 1978 and both were layed to rest in the ,,.rr,,,,,rrt,,,,,,1,,.r,,l. ,; ,#l The first home being built. Burlington cemetery. Burlington had become their home and they no longer desired to return to Nebraska. by Mrs. Melvin (Verda) Weaver and Mrs. Don (DorothY) !9eaver �i'lil'llii, i t:it:,iliiri:'ii ,..1i,. ri,',r .: 't:f" ' "::r ": ::t'l i,aat' ,iu' .r.:::. *q4,,+ 'r:;, r. * l William Jacob Weber, known as ,,Billv" spent the early years of his married life ln Hartington and Norfolk, Nebraska. He movedhis family to Colorado in 1908, settling on a homestead 14 miles north-west of Burlington. They moved to Colorado with 3 small daughters, Minnie, Margie and Opal in an immigrant rail car, with 3 horses, 2 cows and a few chickens. They built a one room frame house to start with. It was necessary to haul water in barrels for some time until a well could be drilled. Billy broke sod and planted corn using a gallon bucket with holes in the bottom of ihe bucket fastened to the plow. Billy would go to Kansas to work in the harvest fields, then to Nebraska in the fall to shuck corn till nearly Christmas time, then come back home for the rest of the winter. Their first barn was dug into a large bank of a hill. The Weber Children all attended the Blue View and Prairie View Schools. For manv years the Weber's boarded the School Teach- Jim, Josie and two of their children, Dannie and Glen, plowing the fields. ers. Lela Wellman and Harvey Jensen were a couple by name. The Weber Family remember well when Billy bought his first car; a 1916 Ford Touring. He drove it into the garage and hollard WHOO but the car kept right on going thru the garage. Billy and Iva were staunch Republicans and always enjoyed working for their choice candidate. Back in the days when voters went to Country Schools to vote; they stood outside the fence campaigning for their candidate, no matter how cold and disa- it si greeable the weather was. Billy and Iva Weber operated their ranch for 34 years; upon selling their ranch they moved into Burlington in 1942 for retire- ment. They had the opportunity of celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary Novembei L2, 1948, with all of their children in attendance. It was a great festivity for them. by lva Gross WEISS - STADEL/STATLE FAMILY Family members picking potatoes. F735 WEBER - COAKLEY FAMILY Carl Weiss was born 9 April, 188? in Old Areis, Russia. His parents were Johann George Weiss, born 23 April 1801 and Karlina F734 Salzsiedler born 1808. He was married three times, first to a Jingling, 2nd to Katerina Stadel/Statle and finally to Yukhon, Apolone. By the 1890's and early 1900 changing conditions and pressures in Russia led manv William Jacob Weber, son of Martin and Frances Weber, born August 22,187L in Iowa City, Iowa; departed this life September 17, 1956 at age of 85. of the German Lutheran families living in thi Black Sea area of Russia to begin immigrating to the United States. In 1902 when Carl Iva Maud Coakley, daughter of Samuel and Miranda Coakley, was born in Hillsdale, Iowa, January, L2, 1882; and departed this made the decision to immigrate, he already had several relatives living in the Lutheran settlement area north of Bethune. Colorado life October 8, 1960 at age of 78. William Weber and Iva Maud Coaklev were united in marriage November 12, 189-8 including, John Schmidke, a son-in-law. The at Hartington, Nebraska. To this union Z children were born; Minnie Lasher, Margie Knapp, Opal Towers, Katherine Tuttle. Almond Weber, Faris Weber and George Weber, (George passed away November 25, 1972). Iva Maud Coakley and William Jacob Weber on their 50th Wedding Anniversary. Picture taken November L2, 1948 in their living room in Bur- lington, Co. family made the move in 1902 leaving from the port of Bremmen, Germany on April 22, 1902 on the ship S.S. Frederich Wilhelm. In his immediate family were six children and his third wife. They were apparently fairly well to do since the shio's manifest lisLq them �as having $650.00 in their possession. Travel- ing through Ellis Island, the family encounteied problems with the medical examinations. One brother, Ludwig, was refused entry because of "pinkeye". Two of the children John age 9 and Jocobina, age 18 were held in quarantine while the authorities decided whether or not to admit them. The rest of the family could not afford to wait for them and continued on to Colorado not knowing what the children's eventual fate would be. Happily they were both released two weeks latei and rejoined the family in the settlement. Arriving in Colorado they stayed with a Fred and Gottlieb Stahlecker. While there Carl was bothered by arthritis and frequently buried himself in warm sand on the south side of the house to get relief. In 1904 he applied for a homestead in Kit Carson County. His first crop in 1904 consis- ted of 25 acres of corn. By 1910 when he "proved up" on his claim, he raised a crop of 55 acres corn, 12 acres cane, 33 acres of wheat land and stated that he usually raised a crop. He listed his improvements as "Adobe buiidings as follow: house 19 x 26 feet (2 rooms); kiichen 17 x 19 feet: barn 15 x 40 feet: barn L7 x45 feet: pumphouse 7 x 1? feet: henhouse 13 x 19 feet well with pump, windmill and tank, the whole track fenced with posts and wire fencing. Value of improvements $600.00. It cost him $16.00 to file the claim papers. Carl Weiss died 10 Years later on 11 November 1920 at his home. He was survived by 6 natural children from his second marriage. They were: Martin, Gottfried, Johannls, Bertha Schmidke, Wilhemania Stahlecker, and Jacobina Stahlecker. Martin Weiss was born in the settlement on 30 October 1890, his parents were Carl and Katerina Statle. He married Lydia Schmidke (b. 7 October 1890) whose parents were Sam Schmidke and Anna Margareta Hauser. She was a small, black-haired soft-spoken lady. Martin was only 20 years old when he was married on the 16 of March 1911. He and Lydia like many other families homesteaded on 160 acres and proved up on it. Their children remember many good times growing up on the farm, sleigh rides to church in the winter, and rides at home at night with the lantern's glowing. Winter time was also the time to take grain to town to sell. They used wagons and walked beside the wagon to stay warm. Martin had a full length coat and cap made of horse hide that went clear to his ankles; it was split in back to the waist to allow him to get into the wagon seat. School was only % mile away. The small children played "fox and goose" and the older kids played baseball. The girls had a basketball team that would go to Bethune and play the town team. The kids would trap rabbits around the corn piles and use the back legs to make jerky and add to the pork for sausage. Planning for Easter celebration began weeks before when Lydia planted wheat in a small crock or kettle for each child. When Easter arrived she would place the children's colored eggs in the kettle ofgrowing wheat for Easter morning. Just before Christmas the girls'porcelain headed dolls would disappear a month or so before Christmas to be returned on Christmas morning with new clothes. The 4th of July was celebrated in Bethune with pie-eating contests' races, games and bands. Martin's oldest daughter Anna was given by Robert and Linda Coles WEISS, MARTIN AND LYDIA SCHMIDKE F736 a young coyote to raise by her father. When the coyote was full grown the pelt was sold to buy green dress material that was used to make a new dress' Discipline was administered by Martin and backed up by a leather strap 2" wide and 14" long which the kids remember as rarely being used. When Lydia died on 29 June 1936' Martin was left with 5 children still at home to raise. Martin was not only a farmer but also a local veterinarian that was well known throughout the area. Later on in life, after the death of Lydia he still did veterinary work but the person needing help would frequently have to wait until his bread dough was through rising and sometimes even baked. He was also known for making excellent dill pickles. Martin and Lydia had seven children that reached adulthood, Carl, Anna Schlichenmayer, Irene Adolf, Hulda Kniss, Amanda Hull, Daniel and David. One child, James, died at age five. by Robert and Linda Coles WEISSHAAR FAMILY I.737 In 1885 my parents John and Christina (Wilhelm) Weisshaar arrived in the United States. They were both born in Russia, but their parents migrated from Germany to Russia to obtain a better living opportunities Martin and Lydia Weiss and two children. offered them by the Russians. This was a great disappointment so they came to the United States and took up a homestead claim here. They landed in Saracuse, Nebraska where they both worked for a farmer. In 1886 my father obtained a homestead located two miles east and two miles south of Idalia' Colorado. They had worked in Nebraska long enough to earn money to move on their homestead. They brought one horse, a cow, one ox and a few chickens. Several families from there loaded all their belongings in a freight car and came to Idalia together. The closest County Seat was Weld County in Sterling but Akron had a small office where my father walked to get his homestead papers. He said it was his fastest means of travel and the cheapest. Building materials were hauled by ream and wagon from Haigler, Nebraska and water was hauled from the Republican River for family use and also for the stock. After building a soddy and a barn for the animals and breaking sod for spring planting my father went to work in the smelter in Denver in the early fall to earn money for winter supplies and windows and doors for the house. At first heavy materials and quilts were hung to keep out the wind rain and rodents. In the absence of my father my mother had to care for the family and stock and haul water from the river, 6 miles, away. Those were hard and trying times as no one had much money and most all had large families. At one time during my fathers absence a prairie fire swept through our place. My mother got the horse in the barn but the cow was severely burned and could not be milked for a while. In 1889 my father dug a well 220 ft. deep. The dirt was drawn out with buckets tied to a rope. A lantern was kept in the well and as soon as the oxygen got low the lantern would go out so Father pulled on the rope to alert the helper outside who would pull him out of the well for a while. It was a long and worrysome and tiresome job. This was their home until 1901. My father could not obtain grassland for his horses and cows so they moved to Kit Carson County then known as Yale, Colorado. My youngest brother Karl still lives on the old home Place. By then they had two boys, Jake and John and six girls, Lena, Tina, MarY, Frieda, Margaret and Pauline. A son died in infancy and is buried in the Idalia Church Cemetary. It was hard leaving all their friends and especially their church of which they were charter members. The old soddy Church is now the United Church of Christ. After they moved to Kit Carson County two boys and one girl was born. Karl and myself, William, and Anna. My parents visited friends in the Idalia Community quite often in later years. One I remember real well was at the old John Brenner place. We kids played hard so we decided to get a drink in the old well house where we found some bottles cooling in the water barrel so we indulged. Needless to say I slept all the way home in the family buggy.We had discovered the bottles contained some of John's homebrew. In 1916 my father passed away. I was then only fourteen years old and my brother Jake was twenty years old but was soon drafted in the army so in order that we could all stay together on the farm I had to take a lot of responsibility for the farming and all the care and work for the family. My youngest brother Karl was only six years old, so with the help �of my Mother and Anna and Pauline we carried on somehow but it was a rough time for us all. The responsibility for one so young was hard. I stayed with my Mother until I got married in 1929. By then Anna, Pauline and Jake were married too and only Karl was left at home. by Freida Weisshaar WEISSHAAR SCHAAL FAMILY F738 had us stay over at his home since my arm was very swollen. I slept with his mother and she gave ice-cream as she felt sorry for me. The next morning after he set it, we returned for another 3 hour ride back to the farm. Two weeks later I started school with my cast, in the old adobe 1 room school house across from the Sam Schaal Sr. place. Also in 1914-15 when most telephone exchanges were limited to only fair sized cities, there were about 22 farmers of the Russian - German settlement that met in the Prairie View school house to organize a phone company. After numerous meetings and information as to type and costs, they decided on the least expensive system that was being used in different parts of the country, namely earth for a ground and top wire of a well mended barbwire fence that criss-crossed the area for the transmission line and had to be insulated. As rubber was scarce, all old rubber boots and overshoes were gathered and cut into I r/z inch squares. They removed the top wire staple from the post, wrapped the rubber square around the barbwire and restapled it back to the post. After insulating some 20 miles in this fashion, "presto!" they had a phone system on their very own. This cost each farmer $19.2b and included a wall phone with crank generator, 2 batteries, 1 lightening arrestor, 4-L6 ft.2 x 4's and enough phone wire to bring the line over entrances and section lines. They had no phone contact with the outside world. but this alone saved many trips and time and kept them in touch with each other. Each family had its own combination of long and short rings as its own private number. Though all bells rang on all phones, your private ring told everyone the call was for you. Listening in on a private conversation (called "rubbernecking") was forbidden but Joseph and Margaret (Schaal) Weisshaar and grandson Richard Carpenter. Taken in Loveland, CO, April 24, 1949. In the late 1880's, John and Christina Schaal came from Gnadendahl. Russia and homesteaded North of Bethune. Colorado in the German settlement. To this union was born my mother, Margaret, Chris who died in 1906 ofblood poisoning being injured from a windmill accident at age L7, John, Emil, Bill, and August. In 1904 after serving 4 years in the Russian army, Joseph Weisshaar came to America from Lichtenthal Russia and homesteaded in Bethune. Harold Weisshaar still lives on the old place today. In 190? Joseph married Margaret Schaal in the old stone Immanuel Lutheran Church and from this union came myself, Margaret (Strobel), Gottlieb (Johnny), Magdalena (Dolly Wardona), Paul, and Lydia (Carpenter). In 1915 when I was Z, my brother Joseph and I were playing in the full grain bin and crawled up in the windows where I fell to the ground below and broke my elbow. Mother called father who was working in the harvest at the Schlichenmayer place to come home at once. They placed many blankets and hay bales in the back of the old wood buggy drawn by 2 horses. That night after 3 hours driving to the town of Burlington 14 miles away we got to the Dr's who other and attended the same church. John stillremembers going to my parents wedding in 1907 when he was 8 years old and having a wonderful lamb dinner. He didn't know then that some day he would marry their first child. John played the trombone in the Burlington Band and on Saturday nights they would place the bandstand in the middle on the street and we would have a good time listening to the fine music. December L5.Lg27 we were married in the old white church in the settlement. We went on a honeymoon by train, my first time away from the settlemeni. to Denver. We moved into Johns'place and lived there until 1936. John had a general repair shop and worked many long hours making equipment and repairing broken equipment for the farmers in the communitv. I raised turkeys and the usual things most farm wives did in those times. __-In 1928 my parents Joseph and Margaret Weisshaar had a public sale and movedlrom their home to Loveland, Colorado where thev contracted work in the beet fields for a number of years. They bought a farm in Wellington, Colorado where Joseph and Paul, their sons, farmed until recent vears. The three sons, Joseph, John (Gottlieb), and Paul all served in the armed forces over seas during the second World War, as did their son-in-laws George Wardona and Elton Carpenter. They all returned safely except Gottleib who was wounded in the back in France. In 1936 after our daughter Esther was born, we went to California where we still reside today. We returned many times to our place north of Bethune to visit and work..Ihis we did by motorcycle, car, train, airplane, and bus. We returned to Bethune in 1977 and had a wonderful time at our b0th wedding anniversary with many friends and old-timers we knew and grew up with. We celebrated not always observed. They system functioned very well except when a cow jumped over the fence or a storm severed the top wire with tumbleweeds blown against the fence. After several years the barbwire was replaced with phone wire on top of 10 ft. 2 x 4's nailed to every 4th post. As more families connected our 58th anniversary this past year. Hopefully, God willing, we may live to celebrate our 60th with all the dear folks in Bethune and Burlington again in 1987. and a certain switch at Christina Knodel's house % mile north of Immanuel Lutheran Church. Each member paid her g1 a year to WEISSHAAR - to the line it was necessary to divide into B sections with about 20 phones in each section take care of the switch board. For this amount she had to stay around the house closely. In the 40's the line was replaced with regular poles and 2 wires. This connected them to the outside world at the cost of $15,000. In 1960 as upkeep and maintainance got more complicated and people had more money, a deal was made with the Mountain States Telephone Co. and they sold out for a total of $1.00 or 2 cents per shareholder and other considerations. Now they take care of the line but for considerable more than g1 per year. So from the barbwire phone to -he present dial-system connection millions of phones all over the world which can be reached in minutes without centrals or operators, we see one of our modern miracles. And some day this system will also be obsolete. While working for Rev. Chris Headche family at the Congregation Church, I was invited out to the school Christmas Program by John Strobel who was the son ofJacob and Catherine Strobel. We grew up in the settlement together as our families lived near each by Margaret Strobel WILHELM FAMILY F739 The Weisshaar-Wilhelm families were originally from Germany but had emigrated to Russia during the reign of Catherine the Great, lured there by promise of free land and other benefits, as she wanted the expertise of the industrious Germans to strengthen the country. These promises were kept until her government was overthrown by the Bolshevik political power and she and her family were assassinated. Under the new rule things did not bode well for the Germans, and those young enough, and able, began to immigrate to America. Some of their relatives and friends had already come to America by the time John Fredrick and Christina (Wilhelm) were married in 1883. Soon after they said goodbye to relatives and friends and started the long hardjourney to America. They got as far as Talmage, Nebraska, when their funds ran out, so Grandad worked for a cattleman in the area for a year in order to earn enough money to finish their iorrrnev Tn the mpqnfimp laffaro �that Imkea (Carrie) Westerbur was helping sister Frieda with her harvest cooking. Having now met his future bride, he stayed on after harvest, working, and then renting a farm near Republican City, Neb. On Dec. L2,L92l my parents were married. They later moved to near Hildreth, Nebraska, where they continued to farm. Three children were born to the family, Harold, Lee, and Alvina. In the latter part of 1930 Dad's Uncle Joe, who had homesteaded 1 mile east of his brother John's place but had moved to Loveland, CO. some years earlier, wanted a reliable center for his homestead with the option to buy. He asked Dad to move to Colorado which they did, arriving here March 1, 1931. This was the beginning of the big drought, times were hard but with perseverance and much self sacrifice they managed to hang on and raise their family. When the drought broke, and they were able to raise some crops and had increased their cattle herd, and in general got ahead a bit, they felt they were able to buy the farm, doing so in the early 40's. My parents were both active in their Wedding picture of Jakob (Jake) Weisshaar and Imkea (Carrie) Westerbuhr. They were maried December 12, L921 at Hildreth, NE. were exchanged with Grandad's sister Lena and her husband, Jacob Hasart, who were already established in the Settlement of eastern Colorado, and they were able to find a homestead for them near Idalia, Colo. In 1885 they came to Colorado. The Hasart's and new neighbors helped them build a house on their claim, and they settled in to farm and raise a family. As the family increased the quarter section was not large enough to support them, and as no other land was available near by Grandad sold the land for $500.00 and was able to buy a half section in the Settlement from a Mr. Bevere for the same amount of money. They moved in 1901, acquiring more land later. Thirteen children were born to this family, 2 dying in infancy. Magdalena (Schlichen- mayer) 1886, John 1887-1967, Christina (Fisher) 1889-19?8, Freida (Fisher) 1891, Eva Marie (Mary Adolf) 1892, Margaret (Stah- lecker 1894, Jakob 1896, Pauline (Schlichenmayer) 1900, Wilhelm 1902, Anna (Adolf) 1904, and Karl 1910. Grandad died in 1916. Grandmother remained on the family farm until her death in February, 1946. The youngest son Karl still owns the family farm at the present time. The oldest child, Lena Schlichenmayer, celebrated her 100th birthday June 1, 1986. After Grandad's death, the oldest son, John, having already married and established his own home, it fell to my father Jake to head the household, do the farming and help Grandma raise the younger children. In the fall of 1918 my dad was drafted into the Army, taking his basic training at Camp Pendleton, California. He was already aboard ship, ready to sail, when the Armistice was signed bringing an end to World War I. He was shortly discharged, and returned home to the family farm, helping his mother until the summer of 1921 when brother Bill was old enough to take over the responsibility and Dad went to Republican City, Nebraska to help his sisters Tina and Frieda and their husbands with their harvest. It so happened church and community affairs, and always found the time to help friends and neighbors as needs arose, setting a good example for we children to follow. In 1946 my brother Lee and Leona Ziegler were married and Lee took over the family farm. The folks built a house in Burlington and moved there in May of 1947. Dad' still not quite ready to retire, went to work for McArthur Implement as parts salesman keeping this job until the early 50's. When Lee decided to quit farming and take up the barber trade, Dad again resumed farming until 1961 when he retired. Harold, his wife Esther (Adolf) and family took over the farm. My folks are in reasonable good health, still able to care for themselves and their home' Dad still drives his car. They celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary and Dad's 89th birthday Dec. 12, 1985. Mother was 90 in March of 1986. They transferred their church membership from Immanuel Lutheran of Bethune to St. Pauls of Burlington when they moved to town helping to build the church there. They remain faithful members to this present day. by Alvina Guy WELLER, W. E. of where Flagler is now. Dad's cousin decided to put up a general store in a large tent - supplies were hauled from a distance as far as Denver. Later Will Lavington started a lumber camp, which my father ran. During this time he met many new settlers and helped them settle on homesteads. Most of the homes were of sod, or dugouts in hillsides. Will Lavington then built a frame building on the site of Flager and started another store and also another Iumber yard - Dad worked in both. By this time Ella Lavington, Will's wife, came out from New York and she and my father looked after both store and lumber yard. Will had started both sheep and cattle interests and spent his time with them. A few years later, a school house, a church, and boarding house had been built. The Quinns occupied the Section house for Rock Island Railroad. My mother, Alice Bishop, had lived in Penn Yann, New York, and decided to come to Flagler to visit her sister and brother-inlaw in 1891. They had a homestead eight miles northwest of Flagler. George Gates, her brother-in-law, prevailed on her to file on a homestead adjoining their land. He built a small one-room shack on the land and she and her little niece walked there each night for six months. This entitled her to the land. She later went in to Flagler to work in the Lavington home. Here she met my father and they were married November 15, 1893. My father had previously filed on a preemption of 160 acres and had built a small one-room soddy. After their marriage, they decided to build two more rooms. My mother sold her homestead to a Mr. Geo. Reinemer for $2.00 per acre. In building more rooms, my father decided not to use the upland sod, but to go to the Republican River four miles east. Long grasses and weeds growing on river sod made it stronger. The house stood many years. The project was long and back breaking, as the sod had to be cut with spades and it was heavy from water content. No floors or gcreens could they afford their first year. Burlap sacks were nailed to the ground floor and my mother washed them often. Mosquito netting, sent to her from aunts in New York, covered the windows. In time, my father laid heavy plank floors. Heavy wooden shades were made to swing open and these shut out the cold in winter and kept the hail from break the windows in summer. Sod houses, with walls two feet deep, were warm in winter and cool in summer. The walls provided deep window spaces for flower plants in winter. F740 My father, W.E. Weller, and his cousin, Will Lavington, arrived in the Flagler Area in 1888. They were both raised in Liverpool, New York. They were among the many young men who had the urge to go "West". At Fremont, Nebraska, they experienced the "Blizzard of '88". Later they pushed on with covered wagons drawn by oxen - a few horses were led behind the wagons. They worked on the Rock Island Railroad, a new trail thru Colorado. Seventy miles north, the Bur- lington was building a line. Other crews had arrived earlier. I well remember my father telling of a big burly man, Mike Quinn, who was in charge of the Railroad Camp. He was section boss at Flagler for years later. His wife cooked for the men in the camp. This camp site was at Bowserville, about 1 7z miles east The walls were plastered and brown wrapping paper was used to cover the walls until later years when wall paper was available. My parents raised a family of nine children: Robert, Alma, Homer, Glenn, Bill, Doris, Stewart, Elsie and myself. All were educated in the Flagler schools. In 1912, my father was elected County Clerk of Kit Carson County. He served four years. The Rock Island Railroad issued passes to all County officials - this allowed him to come week-ends and supervise the boys in the farm work. Much credit goes to my mother in the raising of the fanily - directing work indoors and out-of-doors. She did not always get to church but each Sunday we children were sent; the older brothers and sisters staying for church. Evening services were held. and Christian Endeavor of the �Congregation Church attracted lots of young people. Previous to my father being County Clerk, he did carpentry work and helped build many of the houses and some of the business buildings. He and my brother hauled the bigger share of the sand used in building the school built in 1916. He had helped build the old frame building used before that, and also a one-room school house - the first Flagler had. Several of our family finished High School. Most went to Denver, like many other young people, to find work. My younger sister and I taught schools in Lincoln and Kit Carson Counties. In 1931, she had a very harrowing experience when a sudden blizzard, came up and the strong winds forced her car off the road. This was about 9:30 in the morning. The next afternoon she was found by a posse of forty men on horse back, led by my brother. The car was in quite a deep ditch with only a small bit of the top showing. My sister had frost bitten hands, feet and face. She was taken to Denver hospital for a few days of treatment. As I grew up, the church, the school and lodges provided the Flagler people with worship, education and social life. A Country Club, consisting of twelve families, originally provided a social time for young and old. I moved from Colorado to Nebraska in 1926, after marrying David Way in 1925. He had moved with his folks to Aniba, Colorado, where they farmed for six years. We farmed at Milford, Nebraska, for two years and then moved to Syracuse, Nebraska, in 1929 to operate an automotive shop. He was appoint- ed Postmaster in 1943, and served f.or 25 years, when his age made retirement mandatory. We spent our winters in California with a son for ten years, but health problems do not allow us to travel now. Flagler and Kit Carson County as a whole holds lots of wonderful memories for me and I took eagerly for each week's Flagler News by Frances TVeller TVay The family moved to Cozad, Nebraska, in 1937 and Albert was Ford and Mercurv automobile dealer until 1964. He and son BoL were then associated with dealerships at Kearney, Neb., Clovis, N.M., Burlington and Fort Collins, Colo. Albert and Ruth moved back to Cozad from Fort Collins in 1981. Bob was married to Beverly Block in Cozad on April 9, 1950. They were parents of five children, Victoria, twins Rhonda and Rochelle, Valerie and Robert Eugene II. Bob died in Fort Collins in 1979. Marilyn was married to David Zimmerman in Cozad in 1957. Two sons were born to them, Williem Douglas and Bryan Dale. Bryan died at age 4 in Breckenridge, Colo. Marilyn now resides in Boulder, Colo. Albert died in Cozad on March 8, 1982. Ruth still resides in Cozad. by Marilyn Wells Zimmerman WHIPPLE, CLAIR ALAN AND GLADYS MAY F742 Alan Clair Whipple, son of IraJ. and Hattie Whipple was born September 9, 1890 on the ranch originally homesteaded by his parents and which he later owned. The ranch was located north ofStratton on the Spring Creek where it junctions with the Republican River, just up stream from the Pugh ranch. They had land on both sides ofthese rivers and hill land for pasture. He and Gladys Alma May were united in marriage, October 13, 1918, at Burlington with C.A. Yersin the officiating minister. They made their home on the ranch until after the 1935 flood forced them to move. Gladys May, daughter of Hollis K. and Sarah Jane May, was born at St. Francis, Kansas, and spent her early life on the family farm near Armel, Colorado. She received her education there in the country school and later cared for her parents until their deaths. Clair attended the Tuttle school and WELLS, ALBERT AND RUTH F74l Albert E. Wells was born August 1, 1903, in Goodland, Kansas, to Bert P. and Alta Standish Wells. Another son, Dale, was born June 25, 1906, to Bert and Alta. Ruth Adaline Augusta Pischke was born Jan. 9, 1905, in Princeton, Wisconsin, to Gustave and Ida Pischke. Ruth had four brothers and sisters, Lewis, George, Evelyn and Alice. Albert spent most of his youth in Burlington, and graduated from high school there in 1922. Ruth moved with her family to Stratton when she was a girl. Albert and Ruth were married Sept. 25, L927, at the home of her mother in Stratton. Albert worked as a Ford salesman for Cecil Reed in Burlington until 1933, when he went to work for Bill David Motor Co. in Goodland, Kans. A son, Robert Eugene, was born Feb. 23, 1929, in Burlington, and a daughter, Marilyn Yvonne, was born Nov. 22,1934, in Goodland. attendance was scheduled around the ranch and home work. The story is told of him hiding in the school attic either as a prank or to tease and disturb the other students. Once while "walking the rafters" he slipped and fell astraddle the rafter and both feet crashed through the ceiling. He had a hard time getting out of that predicament. Gladys and Clair were the parents of five children: Forrest Alan, Clifford Kendall. Maxine Mae, Mildred LaVerne. and Mavis Jean. Clifford died of leukemia and Maxine died from pneumonia following scarlet fever. Both were in their teens. Mildred died as an infant with "summer complaint" or dysen- tery. Mavis married Albert Scherrer and they lived on a farm near the old Bar-T ranch until moving in 1960, to Crawford, Colorado. Forrest married Regina Scherrer and they raised their family on his farm in northern Kit Carson Co. until ill health forced him to retire. The principal livelihood of the Whipples was from farming, and raising cattle and horses. Being active members of their community there were often called upon for their ability to help out in time of sickness and death. Clair, a self taught veterinarian, was sought after to treat livestock, especially horses. He was a skilled horseman. In his younger years he broke and trained horses for saddle back use and for teams. His children were provided a saddle horse for their own use and they spent many hours horseback, either as helping with cattle or for fun. Clifford was quite a trick rider. The Whipple brand was W quarter circle open A W. Forrest still owns this brand. Social life at that time consisted of familv or community visiting, dinners and picnics. The Whipple grove was an ideal place to gather and for children to play. The children could climb a tree at one end and scremble from branch to branch and tree to tree until they reached the other end of the rows of black walnut and elm trees without touching the ground. Another popular and important source of entertainment during the depression years was the literaries. These were public get togethers, usually held in the local school house, at which anyone who desired was welcome to take part. There were plays, musicals, and recitations, with spelling bees being the most popular. Maxine Whipple was a champion speller and frequently spelled down the adults in the competition. When some of the students could better the elders in the area it was a source of real pride. One crop Clair raised was broom corn. The crop was harvested by hand, being cut with a corn knife. It was then trucked to Pueblo for sale at the broom factory there. The man who would inspect the load for quality was blind. He would run his hands over the ends of the stalk and say, "I see. I see. This is good." or "I see. I see. This is too knottv." or "I see, yes, I see. This is straight and str-ong." or "I see. This is too crooked!" Whenever Forrest was sent with the load of corn. he enjoyed watching the blind man see with his fingers. Clair raised and used mules as well as horses for work. At one time, while working on a crew that was building local roads, he used a team of mules with a fresno to move dirt. When it came close to noon one of the mules would bray and the foreman would call out "unhitch". He had learned that those mules would not do any more work until fed and watered. Mules have peculiarities of their own. Forrest and Clifford were taught how to farm with mules. Forrest tells about the time he was weeding with a team consisting of two buckskin mares and two mules. He was about 1% miles from home and planned to finish by noon so he could move the machinerv home. But just as he started the last round one mule brayed and no matter what he did he could not finish until he unhitched and took the mules home for their noon feed and rest. He even unhitched and led them in a circle and hitched up again, but that didn,t fool the mules. He was glad when they bought their first tractor. Gladys was the typical farm housewife and raised a great deal of the family food. She was a beautiful sewer and did not let any scrap wasted. Her son still has a quilt she pieced by hand. She used Bull Durham tobacco sacks. dyed them, and worked them into a beautifui design. Since Clair did not smoke, saying that if the Good Lord had meant for man to smoke he would have built a smoke stack on his head, it is questionable where she obtained all those tobacco sacks! After the 1935 flood left their farm virtually destroyed, Clair moved his family �several times before buying a farm near Bethune. After a long struggle with diabetes he died on January 29, 1946. In 1949' September 3, Gladys died from complications following surgery. Both are buried in the family plot at Armel cemetery as are their three children who preceded them. by Regina Whipple WHIPPLE, FORREST AND REGINA F743 Forrest Alan Whipple was born to Clair and Gladys Whipple on March 6, 1920, at his Grandfather May's home near Armel, Colo- rado. Clair and Gladys were spending the winter there because their house on the farm/ranch north of Stratton was not yet completed. They then made their home at this ranch that Clair had obtained from his father, Ira Whipple, and Forrest spent his childhood there. Forrest, his brother, Clifford, and two sisters, Maxine and Mavis, attended school in the local schools, Coyote Ridge later named Sunnyside, and for a short time at Hell Creek and Midway school. They remember playing in the caves along the river banks and finding Indian beads and other objects in them. One of the family pastimes was arrowhead hunting in the pastures on the riverbottom where they believed it was an old Indian battleground. Arrowheads were also hunted in the blowouts nearby. Another pastime, at least it seemed to be, was fixing 13 fence crossings. Much of their productive land lay on either side and between the Spring Creek and Republican and the rivers meandered through the lowlands, causing the fences to be washed out at only a slight rising of the waters. After the 1935 flood, his mother, Gladys, refused to rebuild on the home place and the family moved several times before buying a farm near Bethune. So Clair could be closer to medical care, he lived there until his death but Gladys and Mavis spent part of their time with Forrest on his own farm southeast of Kirk and 25 miles northeast of Stratton so that Mavis could attend school at Kirk. Regina was born at Agate, Colorado on October 18, 1921 to William and Helen Mattingly Scherrer. In 1929 the family moved from Agate to the ranch on the Republican River northwest of Burlington. The ranch had been purchased from Will's cousin, Dr. Elmer Shcerrer, and was at one time the site of the Hermes post office and store. Regina attended grade school at the Ritzius School on the river in Kit Carson Co' and graduated from the high school in Kirk, after having spent two years in Denver at Holy Family High School. She graduated from the Seton School ofNursing at Glockner Hospital in Colorado Springs in 1944 and joined the Army Nurse Corps that spring. After two years of overseas duty she worked three years with the Indian Service at Santa Fe, New Mexico. After her marriage she continued her nursing work and was employed by Grace Manor Nursing Home in Burlington for 13 years before opening the Mode O'Day store in Burlingt<,n. On October 18, 1949, Forrest and Regina were married at St. Charles Catholic Church in Stratton. They continued dry land farming along with cattle and hog raising until 1964 when they put in an irrigation well. In 1974, Forrest retired due to ill health, and the family moved into Burlington. Five of their eight children graduated from the Liberty High School and three from Burlington High School. Regina and Forrest are the parents ofeight children. They are: Gladys Elizabeth (Liz) who is Director of Area Agency on Aging of this area through the Council of Govern- ments at Stratton. David, married to Gabrielle Snelling, and works for K.C. Electric. They have two children: Greg and Jennifer. Stephen Edward, married to Kim Doris and parents of three children: William, Bradley and Stephanie. He owns Steve's Truck and Tractor. Gerald Alexander, husband of Judith Kramer and father of two boys, Gerald and Johnathan. They live and work in Denver. Clifford James, who is in the Marines stationed in North Carolina has two children: Maria and Loyd. Regina Marie married Dennis Oldham, they have two girls: Hailey and Rachael. Dolores Ruth married James Ford and has one daughter, Crystal. Lenora Anne who is married to Scott Winslow, lives and works in Wray and they have three children: Grant, Lydia and Angelee. by Regina WhiPPle WHIPPLE, IRA AND grove of walnut and elm trees on the home- stead and the grove was known for many years as the Whipple Grove, and was the site of many community picnics. All the trees are now gone. They lived in a sod house and cut Iime rocks to build a barn and pump house/milk house combination. Ira J. was well known for the way he had with horses. He is credited with introducing (or breeding) Appaloosa horses into this area. He loved buying and selling, and was a clever free hand artist with horses and Indians being his best subjects. He rented the use of some of his mule teams to be used by the railroad crews when building the railroad through here. His brand was IJW under the horse's mane and on the cows it was IJW across their ribs. In 1902, Hattie and Ira J. moved to Jaqua, Kansas, located on the Republican River, on the Colorado-Kansas border. His land is now part of the State Lakes in southern Yuma county. Hattie died on May 14, 1919, at 57 years of age with a ruptured hernia. Ira J. continued to live near Jaqua. In 1935, when he was 80 years old, the flood caught Ira J. and he spent 14 hours on the roofofhis house before the waters receded enough and someone could get in to him and get him out via horseback. All of his household belongings and most of his machinery were lost. After the flood, Ira J. visited relatives in Ayer's Cliff, Quebec. In 1939, his daughter, Ethel, and her son, Harold, brought Ira J. home. He passed away on January 25,1940 at 85 years of age. He and Hattie are both buried in the Armel Cemetery. Ira J. and Hattie were the parents of three children, all born in Kit Carson County. r.744 Their oldest son was Dallas Dunbar Whipple, born August 23, 1888. He married Alma Juhl on July 5, 1914. They were the parents offive children: Edith Laverne, Delvin LeRoy, Ira John Whipple was born December 30, Allen. Dallas passed away on September 14, IIATTIE 1854 in Hatley, Quebec, Canada, to John and Euphrosyne Standish Whipple. His father was a farmer around the Hatley and Ayer's Cliffarea. Ira often told ofplaying around the shores of beautiful Lake Massawippi. Around 1870, he moved to the Lowell, Massachusetts area where he worked as a teamster. On September 29, L874, he was married to Irene L. Stephenson who was born in Calais, Maine in 1852 to Luke and Elizabeth Hammond Stephenson. One son, Leon Wellington Whipple, was born to this union on February 29, 1876. In 1876, Ira J. was working in Lowell as a watchman. Shortly after Leon's birth, Ira J. moved to Creston, Iowa where he sold Bibles in 1877, and later operated a dairy business. He made his deliveries with a horse and wagon, which was equipped with a bell. On February 17, 1885. he was married to Hattie Amelia Dunbar, daughter of Reverend Otis and Abigail Gooden Dunbar. She was born Jan- Authur Dunbar, Perry Donald, and Philip 1956 at Parsons. Kansas. and is buried at St. Francis. Kansas. Alan Clair Whipple was born September 9, 1890 and married Gladys May on October 13, 1918. They had five children: Alan Forrest, Maxine May, Clifford Kendall, Mildred LaVerne, and Mavis Jean. Clair died January 29, t946 at Burlington and Gladys died September 3, 1949. Both are buried in the Armel Cemetery. Ethel LaVerne Whipple was born October 16, 1895. She married Bill Armknecht, and they lived north of Kanorado where they farmed. They were the parents of six children: Harold, Howard Alan, Raymond Henry, Wilda LaVerne, Richard, and Wanda Loraine. Ethel passed away on September 27, 1952 and is buried at St. Francis. Kansas. by Liz Whipple uary 1, 1862 in Springfield, Illinois. Hattie and Ira J. moved all their belongings in wagons to Colorado in 1886. They home- WHITMORE FAMILY to live on the Spring Creek and Republican River near where they merged, near the old Early Recollections of Eastern F745 steaded north ofStratton, later moving north Tuttle ranch. Hattie brought with her several tree saplings. One was a black locust tree, which planted near the house, brought shade and beauty to the home place. Others were black walnut trees and Ira and Hattie planted a Colorado Cheyenne County, Nebraska, had an ex- hibit at the Nebraska State Fair in the fall of 1886. A number of us neighborhood boys at Emerald. Nebraska saw the exhibit and �planned a trip to Cheyenne County with a view of taking up land. We started out that same fall. Those making the trip were McFarland, Wilson, Shipe, Snyder, Sinclair and Whitmore. Our tickets took us to Cambridge, Nebraska. McFarland's brother had lived at Emerald but had moved to Wilsonville, Nebraska, in 1885. He met us and took us to Wilsonville. We looked around there for a few days, but decided to go and see what Eastern Colorado was like. We hired a man with a good span of mules and a wagon camp outfit, going first to Oberlin, Kansas, west to Atwood then southwest to Sherman Center (now Good- land), the county seat of Sherman County, then west to the Colorado line. There was no settlement in that section of Colorado at that time. There were large ranches on the Republican River and its tributaries. We found large areas of level land still open to homestead entry. We looked around for one day getting corners located and range and township numbers. Our teamster then took us to the railroad at Haigler, Nebraska, on the Burlington line 50 miles north. We paid him off and took the train to Denver, Colorado. Our filings were made at the land office. We were sure pleased with the good level land. The winter of 1886 and 1887,I helped with the farm work at home in Emerald. In the spring of 1887, father gave me a team of rather aged mules. Wilson, Snyder and I loaded a car, each ofus taking a team, wagon, breaking plow and feed. McFarland loaded a car of household goods, stock and feed. George Shipe went with him as helper. George's claim joined McFarland's on the north. All shipped to Haigler, just a few miles from the Colorado line. We had good weather for our 50 mile drive to our claims. We found. however, that March weather can be very uncertain. We camped the first night at a crossing on the South Fork ofthe Republican River, unrolled our blankets on some hay in a stable. The next morning we crossed the river with the water up to the hubs on the wagons. I had the grain deck of my wagon loaded with lumber to make a 12 x 16 stable, something to get into until we had time to dig a dugout. We reached our land the next afternoon. We made carnp. The first night was cold but not stormy. We got our water from a buffalo wallow the first few days. We soon had our stable up with the stove in one end and one team in the other end. The other team stood outside blanketed. The elements favored us. We got our dugout built before any storms came. We found water holes in a dry creek about a mile west. The middle of April, 1887, found us with our house, 12 x 16 finished. It was three in the ground, half windows, board roof with tar paper and blocks of sod to hold the tar paper on. Our bed and stove were up and we were ready for any spring storms and we had a few before summer. We, Wilson and I, broke about 35 acres each on our own claims; the law was five acres broken the first year, and five the second year. We had to plant ten acres of trees, cuttings or seeds on our tree claim. by C.J. YVhitmore WHITMORE FAMILY F746, Early Recollections of Eastern Colorado Wilson returned to Nebraska late in Julv. He had an interest in a threshing machine and operated it the balance of the summer. I stayed and in August got work with my team on a Republican River ranch, the Double Wrench, their brand, helping put up hay. I was there for six weeks. I then returned to my claim and plowed sod for a 12 x 16 hours and a 12 x 16 stable. I laid up the walls then and put on the roof the following spring. Then in the latter part of October, 188?, I started for Nebraska driving my mules. I camped out each night. The following spring I returned to my claim. There I exchanged work with the neighbors, and got my house and stable roofed. Then in July of 1888 I went back to the ranch on the Republican River and helped with the haying. I remained on the claim that winter. In the summer of 1889 I went to Colorado Springs looking for work. I had answered an ad in the paper regarding a ranch cook job. Mr. Thurlow, the president of the Thurlow Livestock Co., also president of one of the Colorado National Banks, was the man that I had to see. I was timid about approaching a bank official, especially about ajob I knew nothing about. I was directed to his private office where by direct questioning he soon learned I was not a cook. He asked if I cared to work as a ranch hand. I sure did, so he gave me a letter to the ranch foreman directing him to put me to work as cook until a real cook showed up. The ranch was located 60 miles east of Colorado Springs, out on the plains of El Paso County. The railroad ran within 35 miles of the ranch, then I could catch a ride with a freighter hauling supplies to the ranch. The driver, Bill Skinner, made three trips a week. He drove four mules, single line, That was the first single hitch I had ever since since leaving Ohio years before. Skinner used two wagons, the lead wagon loaded heavy and the trail wagon somewhat lighter. The load was about a ton per mule. In crossing sand creeks, if necessary, he would drop the trail wagon, pull across then pick up the trail wagon again. We drove 15 miles that afternoon to Holtwald. a sheep ranch. This ranch was his regular stopping place, then the next day we went on to the ranch. They had a shearing crew at work (this is describing the Holtwald setup) and Bill took me around after we had gotten our supper. The shearers and other employees would gather in small groups, two, three or four, spread a blanket and gamble for the shearing tokens. Each man got a token for each sheep he sheared. The token represented 5 cents, the price for shearing at that time. A good man could turn out 80 to 100 per day. Bill said that professional gamblers got most of their money. All in that crew were Mexicans. We were on our way by sunrise the next morning. We arrived at the ranch at 3 p.m. and that gave Bill time to unload his wagons, grease them and prepare to leave the next day. I started cooking. I didn't do too bad because when the real cook arrived I had a job. The post office, Sanborn, Colorado, was located at this ranch. The post office itself was a cubby hole in one end of the kitchen, and when the foreman was not around. I had this small job also. by C.J. Whitmore WHITMORE FAMILY F747 Early Recollections of Eastern Colorado I soon foud out that the main part of cooking was to prepare plenty of good solid food and not to let anyone get up from the table not satisfied. They furnished plenty of coffee, potatoes, ham, bacon, rice, and canned goods of all kinds. Our meat mostly during hot weather was mutton. I had to do my own butchering. It usually took two a week. When fall came they would kill a beef. The boys never kicked to me about so much mutton. I would roast the hind quarters, and make stew of the neck and ribs. Late that summer the outfit bought 5,000 mixed sheep from New Mexico. These were tailed up, and it was about October when they arrived. It was really too late for dipping but it was very necessary. The men hastily fixed up the dipping plant about a half mile up the creek from the ranch buildings. Everything went fine until they were almost through and then a late October rain started and before dark it had turned to snow. The wind came up and a regular blizzard raged. Our ranch buildings were protected by a large grove of cottonwood trees, and just south was a hay meadow. Everybody was out and excitement raged. Nearly all those sheep that were recently dipped were still wet and had to have shelter. They were taken down to the meadow out of the direct course of the wind. We stayed up all night. I kept coffee and lunch on the table all night long. The men kept the sheep moving about so none piled up. There was hardly a loss. Reports came in later from other outfits where the herders had no extra help, that the losses were heavy. The sheep had piled up and smothered. I stayed there cooking for almost six months. I just gave myself time to get back on my own claim before the six months expired. They offered me $35.fi) per month. I was getting $30.00, the ranch hands 925.00. They also offered to turn over the proceeds from the post office, which was about $60.00 per year, if I would stay but I had to decline and get back to my claim. I had spoken to Frank Gilpin, the manager of the Maryland Land and Cattle Co. They got their mail at Sanborn Post Office. I was interested in the work for the next summer. 1890. He said that he might need help and to write to him when I got foot loose. I did not go to Nebraska that winter. One met some curious characters in those days. We had a Mr. Vanderpool from Glen Falls, New York. He was red-bearded and looked in perfect health, but had come west for lung trouble. Then there was George and Steve. George was English and in his fifties and had been in the English army. He said that he had served in India and he had a big �scar on his face. The foreman told me they were both good workers, but when they were laid off in the fall would get drunk as soon as they hit town and their money would be gone cook and I were the only white employees. The rest were Mexican herders. I was my own boss after we got the hay in the stack. My work was fixing up winter camps. The winter camps did not demand much water. I would kitchen at night while I was cleaning up and take a team and scraper and make temporary dams to catch snow water and sometimes a shallow well with a pump. With snow on the ground the sheep did not get water, so they told me. When this was finished I loaded my in a few days. George would come in the tell long tales about fighting in India. I liked outside work better. The new job with the Maryland Company gave me a lot of riding, and I got almost to the Kansas line. This round up was to bring back cattle to the home range. Settlers had come in and the cattlemen had to get out. There were over fifty riders in the round up. I counted five grub wagons and camp cooks. by C.J. T[hitmore WHITMORE FAMILY F74a Early Recollections of Eastern Colorado I shall attempt to give some description of the men and women who were owners and managers of the different companies that I worked for in Colorado, during the closing days of the free range. The Cap Rock Cattle Company range on the South Fork of the Republican River in Eastern Colorado. A Mr. Ed McCrillis was the manager and part owner. He was born in New England and was in business in Boston prior to coming to Colorado in 1876. His wife lived at the ranch in the summers, in the owner's house. He had a boy hired to tend the yard and to act as houseboy. He saddled her horse, hitched it to the buckboard, etc. I was told that the hard winters broke him. In 1889 the old Elbert County was divided and Kit Carson County was formed. Ed McCrillis was elected County Clerk. The Thurlow Livestock Company's foreman told me that they made money. Mr. Thurlow came from New England. He told me himself that he came to Colorado laying on a cot in a baggage car. He had had lung trouble. Their range was the Big Sandy, Big and Little Horse Creek, and Steels Fork Creek in Eastern Colorado. They had a reported 20,000 sheep and 1,000 cattle. The Maryland Land and Cattle Company was incorporated under the laws of Maryland. Barney Gilpin was the President and his brother, Frank Gilpin, was manager. Pete Henis was the round up foreman and Frank Summers was the ranch foreman. Their range was both Horse Creeks, Big Sandy and Rush Creek. Barney stayed in Maryland, but I saw him once in awhile when he came to the ranch to visit. He looked prosperous like a good businessman should. Frank spent his winters in Maryland. He was a good polo player. He married an eastern girl in 1890. They spent the summer at the ranch, and had a colored housekeeper and chore boy. They had a lot of house guests the summer I worked there. I understood they ran into financial difficulties later and lost the ranch. I worked for Mr. llamp and Silsbee, sheepmen, for three months after the Gilpins exploded. They were on Rush Creek, fifteen miles west of Hugo, Colorado. Hamp was an Englishman and Silsbee was a Yankee from Connecticut. The old gentleman who was a WICKHAM FAMILY F749 camp outfit and went down to the ranch. They set me to hauling their winter grain from the Rock Island Railroad to the ranch. The name of the station was Resloes and it was 15 miles to the ranch. We used four mules and two wagons. I would make a trip a day and a long day it was. The sorting was completed and the remaining sheep in winter camp, so the bosses were leaving; Mr. Hamp to New England and Mr. Silsbee to Connecticut. They bid me good-bye. I left for Resoles and got to town about 11:30 a.m. The town was composed of a section house, depot and one store. I contacted the agent and located the car and found that the freight hadn't been paid for. No paid freight bill, no feed. I knew that the bosses were leaving from Hugo that day and wouldn't be back, so the agent telegraphed Hugo. The bosses paid the bill and I lost over an hour. That hour was important. I would leave the ranch before sunup, and get into town about 11 a.m.. water and feed the mules, then start to load. The grain was in 100 Ib. sacks. The grain was in the middle of the car and coal at both ends. It took a bit ofwork to load four tons. I had one sand creek to cross and had to drop the trail wagon. I would eat my lunch on the way home, arriving there about dark. This meant unloading after supper, greasing the wagons, and loading mule feed for the next day. I would be about ten before I would hit the hay. I have often wondered who the cook was; if I knew his name I have forgotten. That was in 1891. The next spring I got a letter from a ranchman living near River Bend, Colorado, offering me a job, but I had a job in Wyoming doing some surveying work. For the next several years I remained in Wyoming doing a number of different jobs during the summers, but always returned to my claim in Kit Carson County in the winter. I always received my mail at Lamborn, Kansas, as that was the name of the town at that time. It later was changed to Kanorado. During the summer of 1894 I had the Rev. Willis care for the trees on my tree claim. He had homesteaded not too many miles from me. As it was a dry year he was glad to receive the extra income. I paid him $25.00 for the gummer's work. I married Miss Gertrude Bartlett of Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1895. She had been a schoolteacher at Taymond, Nebraska. We made our home in Lincoln, Nebraska, until we moved to Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Copied from the records of the late C.J. Whitmore. Written in 1950 bv Whitmore, 85 years old. by C.J. Whitmore William McKinley Wickham, Jr. and Lorris I.A. Wickham married on December 25th, 1933. Picture was taken on November 25,1970. William M. Wickham, Jr. John Foster, born September 5, 1942, and Samuel Paul, born August 18, 1945, graduat- ed from Flagler High School. They too worked in the store and for various farmers around Flagler. They joined the Army and served in Viet Narn. Sam spent a second term in Viet Nam. When they returned home they enrolled and graduated from Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, then transferred to the University of Northern Colorado. John married Sandra Lynn Schulz of Holyoke on December 14, 1969. They built a home in Greeley and she taught at Windsor and he was Assistant Manager of the Univer- sity Book Store. They moved to Colorado Springs where he was Manager of the Colorado College Book Store. He later went into Real Estate business, and then joined Fitzgerald, Talman, Inc. as a Senior Account Executive Stock Broker. Sandra taught Special Education and kindergarten, and is currently teaching third grade in District 11. They have 2 sons: Jason Todd, an eighth grader. He played football, and has been accepted into the Pikes Peak Youth String Orchestra with his cello. Gregory John is in the sixth grade. He enjoys Science projects at school, and is interested in becoming a cartoonist. Both are becoming accomplished pianists. Sam worked as a master carpenter in the construction of homes in Greeley and Limon. He married Karen Lynn Shamburg of Burlington June 21, 1975. Construction work became slow so he joined the staff of Lincoln Community Hospital at Hugo, in the mainte- nance department, and was honored as "Employee of the Year" for 1986. They have a son Robert William, in the fifth grade and a daughter Samantha Pau- �line, a first grader. The children of William, Jr. and Lorris Wickham still hold fast to their "roots" at Flagler. Orris Lee, born November 13, 1936, graduated from Flagler High School in 1955, and from University of Northern Colorado in 1959. He worked in his parents' hardware store and for different farm families during summers. In 1960 he graduated from Navy Officer Candidate School at Newport, Rhode Island. and served aboard the aircraft carrier "The Oriskany". In 1963 he started teaching Industrial Arts and Chemistry at Kremmling, Colorado. Alice Barbara Raymond from 9airfield, Iowa was teaching Home Economics there. They were manied December 27, 1964, and in 1966 moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming where he has taught Industrial Arts in Carey Junior High for 22 years. Alice has done substitute teaching in the Cheyenne schools during these years. They have 3 sons: Clayton Douglas, in his second year at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, majoring in Fire Fighting Sciences and Law Enforcement. Brent Dirk is a senior at East High, and is anticipating becoming a pilot, perhaps at the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. Ted William is a freshman in high school, and is very interested in computer science. Orris became deeply involved in the Naval Reserves at Fort Warren, Cheyenne, and worked on military projects at various points in the United States. He retired in 1986 with the rank of Commander. He continues to serve as Blue and Gold Officer in recruiting for the Naval Academy. His extra-curricular activity now is Manager/Secretary of their Laramie County Fair Board. Alice has been very active in exhibiting in the culinary arts division of the fair, and has won Grand Champion numerous times. by Lorris T9ickham WICKHAM FAMILY F750 William M. Wickham, Sr. The winter of 1931 is remembered as the "Towner School Bus Tragedy". Mr. Wickham had 3 school bus routes to Second Central. He, Foster and Bill each drove a route. The morning of the storm all 3 buses got to school before the storm broke in full fury - they turned back home. Mr. Wickham got the Helmes children home and to the Orris Sloans when he could get no further. He put the bus in the big barn and stayed with them 3 days before he could ride Orris'horse Trixy to his home. It was after dark when he got to the draw south of his house. He called and called to get the attention of those at home. They brought a lantern so he could see to get across the bridge. Foster got all of his bus children, including the George Blancken youngsters, to their hohes, and when he got home Ione was making supper. Bill took Bruce Stone home - a small adobe house at "uncle Sol Stone's" place. He then got the Hamilton and Berry children, cousins of the Hamiltons, home (on the Ackerman place). His bus got stuck in the draw between Hamiltons and Matzkes (on the Wilson place). They braved the storm and he walked the Matzke children, Evangeline and Emogene Wickham to Matzkes, then walked home, a mile east. Bill had a 1928 Ford roadster. He put chains on it and started to go pick up the girls. The snow blew into the motor and it stalled in the yard gate, so he was forced to give up. When the storm subsided after 2 days there was nothing but the very top of the car to be seen. Tom, just a little tot asked, "What's that black thing in our gate?" Mr. Wickham, Bill and Foster made their way afoot to the stranded bus. They started scooping and were soon joined by Frank Matzke, Walter Hamilton and Elmer Buffum. They were then able to get the little girls home. Following the Towner incident when the driver and some of the children froze to death, all school buses were required to carry blankets. Mr. Wickham also put a portable kerosene heater in each bus, but never used them. Another incident found Mr. Wickham with a team hitched to a sled, horse blankets over the students' heads and a kerosene lamp under that to help keep them warm. Mr. Wickham stood at the front of the sled, driving the team, icicles 6" long forming on him. There was an understanding that if a bus motor conked out - just drain the radiator and walk to the closest farm house. It John Wanczyk, a student, tried - at to watch out the side to help Bill stay on the road, but they slipped off into the ditch, and the motor died. The "self starter" was out in front - they cranked and cranked, but no spark! - Iifted the hood - water was pouring offthe overheated engine - so - drain the radiator and walk to the Van Wanning place! Bill took the lead and Julia Wanczyk happened! brought up the end of the line. Van Wannings were having dinner, invited the group to join them at the big pot of beans and she made another huge batch of biscuits. Bedtime, and all the kids bedded down on the floor with their coats. Mr. Van Wanning put a big chunk of coal in the heating stove - and again during the night. Next morning the boys helped milk or put hay down out of the mow to feed the stock. The sun came out clear and bright, and with a 5 gallon can of water and a scoop Bill walked back north to the vehicle. It started easily. The Wanczyk and Joe Short children walked home. Bill got the Ben Short kids home, and more water for the radiator, and also at Fred Griffiths, and eventually got himself home. Foster got his bus to Fred Martins (on the Bill Conarty place), and she too made biscuits by the dozens to go with beans. One bitter cold morning when Foster arrived at school with his bus load Mr. Finley, teacher who lived at the school, asked if he'd like tojoin them for breakfast. Foster replied, "No, thank you, Mr. Finley, I had breakfast this morning." The Westover boys would come to Wickhams with rocks in their pockets to play. They once brought gourds which they threw and broke. Seeds started unwanted gourd plants around the farmstead. by Lorris Wickham WICKHAM, LORRIS AND WILLIAM, JR. F75r William McKinely Wickham, Jr. 1-25-1907 at West Plains, Mo., son of William McGlinchey and Susie Alberta (Brisbin) Wickham. Lorris Ida Agnes Sloan 7-13-1915, daughter of Samuel Wesley and Gertrude Mae (Kious) Sloan, married 12-25-1933. Children: Orris Lee 1936, John Foster 1942, and Samuel Paul 1945. Lorris was in college at Ft. Collins and when school was out they moved to Lavington Ranch SE of Flagler. Wages 930 mo., a cow to milk and grain to raise chickens, and a pig to butcher. $5 a mo. went for a Montgomery Ward gas motor washing machine - the envy of neighbors, but utilized by many. Bill's father and younger children lived 2 mi. NE. They came Saturdays to bake bread and wash. The drouth, depression and dust storms were devastating to the whole community. The May 31, 1935 Sand Creek flood brought destruction in its path and death to neighbor Gesnens. The prairie dog town N. of the house harbored rattlesnakes and one afternoon Bill and Lorris dug out and killed more than 150. They joined Ladies' Social Circle (LSC) which his mother had helped organize in 1915. Ladies took turns entertaining - a delicious dinner, then patching, embroidering or quilting, etc. for the hostess, and the men played pitch. There were school func- tions, family gathering, card parties and pooling ofration stamps to have cake refreshments. The family moved in 1937 to 25 mi. S. of Flagler to work for Carl Bledsoe. Bill helped with cattle, and sheep, while Lorris cooked for the crews, and Mrs. Bledsoe bottle-fed bum lambs. A rattlesnake coiled beneath the baby's high chair was a frightening experience. In 1938 they moved to Swink and worked for Ora Dunavan on his dairy, in the watermelon, cantaloupe, and tomato fields; 1940 to the Sloan place SE ofFlagler, and in 1941 bought the Renken place 3 mi. E. of Flagler. They farmed and milked 20 cows, and delivered cottage cheese (a ton one summer), dressed chickens, and baked goods to stores and cafe. Ed Fanselaus, Schuyler Shorts, Roy Tarpennings, Eddie Fullers, Slim Goodwins, Gene Nicholses and other neighbors exchanged farm, and household work, and had many exciting pitch games. The farm was traded for a hardware in town in 1948. Bill and Orris maned the store. John, Sam, and their little dog Snooks were constant shadows of Grandpa Sloan. Lorris kept books at the store, and worked at the Flagler Hospital - from nurse aide, to assistant in surgery, to full time cook, and 'gal Friday' until it closed. The store was sold at auction in 1955 with about 91000 clear and much more out on bills never collected. Bill worked for Oliver Blancken at John Deere. He, and his sons, Kenneth Mort, Red, Miller, Elmer Joy, Pat Burgess, and others enjoyed big game hunting. Bill also enjoyed school and community activities, and held offices in Odd Fellow Lodge - including District Deputy Grand Master. He took great pride in his gardening, assembling, delivering machinery, or any task he performed. The hospital closed in 1963. The boys were in collese or Militarv Service. Lorris went to �: w '":i; : I t l:, a& r. 11 The children of William and Susie Wickham taken in 1982. (7 of their 12 children): Back row: Tom, Ted, John. Front row: Evangeline Holtzinger, Irene Stinton. Ione Tolton, and William, Jr. Taken at the p mountain cabin on Evangeline and husband, Gerald Holtzinger. ""aa a Back row: Alice and Orris Wickham, John and Sandra Wickham, Brent and Ted Wickham, sons of Orris. Son Clay not present. Front: Karen and Sam Wickham with their children Samantha and Robert, Bill and Lorris Wickham, Jason and Greg, sons of John. Taken at our 50th wedding anniversary at Flagler Baptist Church, December 1983. organize Flagler High Alumni Assoc. in 1949, and served as secretary, and as President. Was a 4-H and Cub Scount leader. She enjoyed canning, baking, cooking, and was culinary Grand Champion at the county fair at Burlington. There were college extension classes from Greeley, Bible classes from their seminary in Kansas City, Cake Decorating classes, and teaching cake decorating classes. Orris, John, and Sam. Bill and Lorris Wickham. Taken at our home, the house my father built in Flagler, CO on our 25th wedding anniversary, December 25th, 1958. Baking, decorating wedding and anniversary cakes (from scratch), and catering receptions is still a hobby (from 1941). Since retirement, has baked at their church camp, in Black Forest north of Colorado Springs. Church and Medical Mission Tours have also been a part of her retirement - to China and Central America twice each, Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Zaire, Europe (Vienna, Munich, the Passion Play at Oberamergau, Geneva, London), India and Nepal. She enjoys sharing those experiences through colored slide presentation, and artifacts. bv Lorris Wickham Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing in Denver - baked weekends for school faculty and made a Hospital anniversary cake each year to pay tuition. She graduated in 1966' and worked as office nurse in Limon 15 years' She brought what medical services she could to Flagler to save people a trip to Limon. Bill retired in Jan. 1972, but worked part time at John Deere for Tom Kennedy, and John Coryell. Oct. 19, 1973, while picking the last of his tomatoe harvest, he suffered a stroke, and entered Prairie View Nursing Home 1-12-'74. Lorris moved to Limon. They moved to Aurora in 1979, Bill to Camellia Care Center. All family members were baptized in Flagler Baptist Church, and were active in its program. Lorris served as Sunday School teacher, on the church board, as clerk, and offices in American Baptist Women including President of Eastern Assoc. Later of Rocky Mountain Assoc. in Denver, and was on the state board 22 yearc. She helped WICKHAM, WILLIAM M., SR. F752 William McGlinchev Wickham t874 - 1943. Susie Alberta Brisbin 1875 - 1915. Married 12-25-1896, Syracuse, Ill. Children: Harold T. 1898 - 1978, Myrtle Irene 1900, Foster Samuel 1904 - 197?, William McKinIey 1907, Malvina Emogene 1910 - 5 mo., John Milton 1914. Will and Susie first lived in Mich., he was a telegrapher. Moved to Mo., but heard of a 50 A. farm in Howell Co. Scraped together money to buy it and moved in 1905. It was a Garden of Eden! - but rocks, rocks! Red clover the only cash crop' Raised corn to feed horses, cows, and pigs. Garden, orchard, woods provided vegetables, fruits and nuts for the cave. Apples made into apple butter over an open fire or taken to cider mill. They dried corn, apples, made hominy, and molasses. Lived near White Church, community center. Fourth of July and Fall Festival celebrations with horse-powered merry-gorounds, Iemonade stands, bands, fire crackers, baseball, horse shoes, and basket dinners. Homesteading in Colo. sounded like Paradise - 320 A. of Free land just for living on it and cultivating the land. Grandma Brisbin had come from Ill. the spring of 1911 to claim her homestead 10 mi. SE of Flagler, and had a cement black house built. Wickhams came in Oct. Will and Harold came by emigrant car with the stock, machinery, and'goodies'from the cave. Susie and the other children were met at the train by Grandma Brisbin with borrowed team and wagon. No rocks - to build a house, No trees - for fuel, nuts or fence posts, No springs - for water for home or stock; just wide open prairies - beautiful in spring when buffalo grass was green and prickly pear cacti in bloom - but treacherous on bare feet! Very little rain - so gardens and crops meager. Sod house built for the family and a well drilled on Grandma's land, later a frame house and well on the Wickham homestead % mi. north. Children herded cattle, carried a hoe to kill rattlesnakes, picked up cow chips for winter fuel supply. Eventually posts and barbed wire bought in Flagler and fences built on some property lines. Sears Roebuck phones were connected to wire fences. Children walked LVz mi. to Albright school - Iva Reynolds a teacher. 1915 small school districts consolidated and Second Central School, 10 grades, opened. Susie died when John was 10 mo. old. Irene was'mother'for the family, till WiU married Anna Rose Valenta 1886 - 1929, on 6-24-'16. Children: Anna Rose 1918-1958, Geneva Jane 1919, Theodore Roosevelt 1920, Evangeline Veronica 1922, Ruth Emogene 1924, Thomas Lee 1927. Gertrude Sloan, Minnie Blancken, neighbors, and Dr. H.L. Williams delivered the babies. Will and Rose had pride in community, and school. They, and the older boys drove school buses, and experienced stalling in snow storms, walking children to closest house to stay overnight - or longer. They bought a new �Chevrolet truck chassis, and built wooden bus bodies. Will had many terms on the school board. Family gathered evenings around the kitchen range while Will read books to them, and Rose crocheted edgings for the little girls' dresses, which she made Smoky Hill was located seventeen miles S.E. of Burlington, Colorado. After a four month "whirlwind courtship", Leona and I were married on September 2, 1934, at Immanuels Lutheran Church eleven miles N.E. of Bethune. We heard that two people could live as cheap as one and our possessions included love and a dime. The time was during the great depression of the mostly from flour sacks. Entertainment: school programs, debates, students by bus to Flagler to shows such as Ben Hur, box suppers, card parties, summer parties, Lost 1930's and the drouth of the Midwestern Springs to dances, Ladies' Social Circle (Grandma Brisbin and Susie were charter members in 1915) for a bountiful dinner. They patched overalls, and socks, tied comforters on quilted for the hostess while the men played pitch or horseshoes. Rose was noted for delectable Bohemian foods - poppy seed biscuits, breads, and at butchering time the souse, blood pudding, sausage stuffed into the cleaned intestines. They rasied a big garden and put up lots of foods for winter. Had lots of pinto beans, sorted seed corn kernel by kernel (rats played havoc with it one year). The youngsters herded cattle, were rivals in collecting rattlesnake rattles (jerked snakes out of their holes by the tail for the dogs to kill so they could capture the rattles), trapped skunks, and sometimes got to go to town on Sat. with their folks to ship 5 gal. cans of cream to Beatrice Creamery, trade eggs for groceries and went to free shows provided by merchants. Rose died in 1929 - Tom was 2. Will took the 6 children to Texas that Christmas to see their maternal relatives - a memorable trip in a new 1929 Chevrolet car with no heater, and inclement weather. Anna Rose stayed home from school the first year, and Jone the next to fill the role as 'mother'. Mrs. Fred Martin baked bread for them until the girls learned. Weekends they washed (hand pow- states. In February 1935, following a public sale, the Gottlieb Adolf family and us moved to Newberg, Oregon. Many families from the Midwestern states migrated to the west coast in search of work to support their families. George and Leona Fanselau Wiedman married September 2,1934. three months old and mother and I lived with attended and graduated from Burlington High School. Darrell graduated from Wart- Stahlecker until March 25, LgL4, when my mother married Gottlieb Adolf. We moved to mothers farm, which became burg College of WAverly, Iowa where he met and married Darlene Petrek. At the present time he is on his 27th year of teaching in the Denver Public Schools. my grandparents Martin and Katherine hers following my fathers death. As a stepfather, Gottlieb Adolf, was special to me, and I shared equally with my brothers Gottlieb Jr. and Herman and sister Leah. I attended a one room adobe elementary school at Yale, Colorado. Eight grades were They rasied turkeys, and in the fall the family picked and pinned them (innards remained) taught by one teacher. Our earlier mode of transportation was a top buggy or spring wagon until 1917 when our family purchased a new Model T. Ford touring car. The immediate community was mainly of German Lutheran decent and worship ser- Hugo. vices at Immanuels were taken seriously. The church yard on Sunday mornings was a ered machine), ironed, baked break, and cleaned house. Later they baked and washed with the gas motor machine at bro. Bill's home - 2 mi. by cart and'Old Nig', the horse. and took them to the marketing center in The younger family all attended Flagler High School - stayed with Strohmeyers, Rowdens or brother Bill. Tom enlisted in the Navy after graduation. He was not yet 21 so brother Foster signed for him. Will moved to Flagler in L942.He became ill and spent some time in Brush with Irene and in Denver with Foster and with Evangeline, and died ?-121943. by Lorris Wickham WIEDMAN, GEORGE AND LEONA (FANSELAU) F753 I was born on December 9, 1910, near Yale, Colorado, sixteen miles N.W. of Burlington, Colorado on the farm homesteaded bv mv father. I was named George Martin foilotit of my grandfathers. My parents, Jacob Wiedman and Barbara Stahlecker were manied February 3, 1910. My father died March, 1911, at the age of thirty. At the time of his death I was only Going wages for a man, were $.25 an hour. and no coffee break. Even then jobs were scarce. Our two sons, Darrell Orin and Garvin George, were born in Oregon. In February, 1939, we moved back to Colorado to our original farmstead. The plains states had received some moisture and some crops were being raised. From 1989 until 1962 we lived on our farm located twelve miles N.W. of Burlington. Following eight years of elementary education at Emerson School, Darrell and Garvin spectacular sight with varied types ofwagons and buggies drawn by teams of horses. Some young men rode their saddle horses, sporting elaborate saddles, and bridles. They were envied by those with lesser gear and horses. Sunday afternoons were the highlight of the week. Following church services, we entertained or were entertained by relatives or friends and families. The elders would visit and rest while the children improvised their own entertainment, which varied from foot racing and tug of war (for the boys), to drowning out gophers and catching them. The girls made mud pies and played with paper dolls cut out of Sears Roebuck and Company catalogs and etc. At the age of eighteen I bought my first car, a 1926 Model T. Ford Coupe, which was next to impossible to start when the temperature got much below freezing. Anti-freeze was unheard of and keeping a radiator from freezing became a chore in winter. I lived and worked with my parents until my marriage to Leona Fanselau. Leona Gertrude was born April 30, 1916, the second daughter of Henry and Lillie Fanselau nee Bamesberger. Mildred and Geneva were the other two daughters of the family. Leona attended Smoky Hill School for ten years, graduating from there in 1931. Garvin married Sherry Kleweno in 1961 and they took over the family farm. Darrell and Garvin were both drafted and served in the U.S. Army. On September 2, Lg84, Leona and I celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary, which was sponsored for us by our sons and their families. by George Wiedman WIGTON, DEAN AND ARLENE F754 John Wigton was born in Kansas and lived most of his early life South of Kanorado. Kansas. He was one of a family of ten. Here he worked on the family farm until he was married to Florence Bogart. Florence came from a family of five. She spent her early years on her father's farm Southeast of Burlington. After Florence and John were married in January 1930, they moved twelve miles south of Bethune. While living here Dean was born and later Florence taught school in the surrounding communities many years and then she was County Superinten- dent of Schools. They moved eight miles Southeast of Vona in 1934. Later. thev had another daughter, Nadine. The Joirn Wigtort family farmed and raised cattle. Most of the cattle roamed for miles as there was free range and all fields were fenced. Leander Becker was born and raised South of Vona in the German Settlement. There were ten children in his family and they all helped on their parents farm. The family attended church regularly at the Mennonite Church. Leander attended eight years of schooling at the Pleasant Valley School. In 19BB he � https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/17/509/Families-W2.pdf 59b6e6d2172cfa80cdbd1970cd170ab9 PDF Text Text married Madeline Ott. Madeline attended Plainview School North of Vona and then attended Seibert High School. They lived and farmed South of Vona for a short time and then moved to Monte Vista, Colorado where Arlene was born. A few years later they moved back to Vona where they ran the Vona Telephone Exchange. After a short time of living in Vernon, Colorado, they bought their present farm in 1938 and moved back to Vona. Arlene attended the Pleasant Valley School for seven years. The school then consolidated with Vona. It was on this farm that Donna and Douglas were born and attended Vona School. Arlene Becker and Dean Wigton were married in 1954, and lived at Smoke Angle for four years while Dean taught. They bought their farm southwest of Stratton and started a dairy and Dean also taught at Vona for eleven years. They had seven girls Radean, Charlene, Shirley, Janell, Kathy, Rhea Kay, native lime and we never had prettier walls than those were for when the lamp was lighted the walls sparkled as though there were sparks of gold or silver in them. were born: Nellie Jane Yale, 2/12/1886 2/4/1978; Charles Seward Wilcox, 6/13/1889 We lived 3 years on this place and hauled water all the time. We got water from a man 8/18/1893; Earl Dewey Wilcox, 1/18/1898. 7 7/10/1926; William Wallace Wilcox, /I5/L89L - 2/2/L96a; Eva May Gergen, by Irene Wilcox called Way and also from the old well in Burlington. When there was no wind or repairs for the wells we got our water from the lagoons. I remember one family that lived a mile from us and had to get water from us because they had no team or wagon. They would come with their buckets and cary the water home. There was a well east of us, where Peconic is now located, and we thought if we could get there early, we (my brother and I) we would get our barrels filled and get home early. So we rose at four o'clock in the morning and when we reached the well, there were twenty barrels ahead of us, so we decided to go to the well in Burlington. We drove the six miles and when we got to WILCOX, WILLIAM WALLACE F756 William (Billy) Wilcox was the only one of the five children of Wallace Hose and Mary Margaret Wilcox who stayed in the Burlington community. He was born in Burlington, Colorado on July 15, 1891 after his parents gave up their homestead and moved to town. Burlington we found others there and deci- As a young boy, he attended the Burlington and Judy. Dean has been active in Boy Scouts and they have both been active in 4-H. Radean married Allan Mattson. They now live in Lawndale, California and they have ded to wait our turn. Just before the last man got his barrels filled, the two men at the pump came down a bit hard on the handle and it snapped in two. There was no way of fixing Charlene married Randy Gorton. They live Southwest ofStratton and now run the dairy. They have two boys, Rodney and Bryan. Shirley married Larry Squire. They live in Colorado Springs and have one son, Benjamin. Janell married Jay Pettibone and they presently live at Kanorado, Kansas. Kathy is attending college studying nursing. Rhea Kay and Judy are still living at home and Well, we inquired around a bit and learned that there was a rancher nearby by the name of Bevelheimer who had a well about LVz miles west. So we drove there. We found no one at home but we hitched our team up to the windlass and it did not take long to fill our 4 barrels. But we did not get home until about 8:00 P.M. that night. A number of wells were dug by hand and it cost about $40.00 to put in curbing which was needed to keep the sand from filling in. So you see not many could have wells. We are still using the chairs we brought out school and helped his father with the dray business. He always had a love for animals, especially horses, and for many years was responsible for the livestock for the fairs and rodeos. He would travel to all the surrounding towns to pick up the stock horses and cattle and then deliver them back again after two daughters, Anna Lee and Bethany. attending school. by Rhea Wigton WILCOX, WALLACE IIOSE F755 I was born June 6, 1853 at Courtland, Illinois. I spent my youth in Illinois 65 miles W. of Chicago. When 18 years of age I moved with my parents into Champagne County, Ill. There I married Mary Margaret Seward on March 26, 1885. (Mary Margaret was born to Samuel and Ophelia Seward on Aug. 25, 1861 in Rantoul, Ill.) She died April4, 1985 at age of 96 yrs., and 7 months. She was baptized at age 10 and was a life-long member of the Methodist Church and a charter member of the Burlington Methodist Church. I came to Colorado on March 7, 1887, with my wife and baby. We cnme by train to Stratton, Nebr.. Then, after buying a wagon and team, we went on to Benkleman where I left my wife and baby with my brother-inlaw, then I came on out to Burlington. My brother. Alvin N. Wilcox (later the first sheriff of Kit Carson County) located me on a pre-emption adjoining his. My claim being the NW% of Sec. 15-8-43. When I first came to my claim, there was not a thing in sight and one could see ten miles away. After staking my claim, I returned to Nebr. to bring my wife and baby and was gone about a week. When I ca-e back to my claim, I counted sixty shacks and dugouts from the high point ofmy land. My brother had a frame house on his claim, so we lived in that until we had our sod house built. We plastered our houses with it and no repairs this side of Haigler, Nebr. with us. We had no roof on the house so the first night they had to be left out in a storm. My wife was in tears. But it didn't hurt them and today even our great-grandchildren have played on them. One of the first nights, a very heavy rain storm came up and the roof of my brother's shack leaked so we rolled up mattresses, covered them with oilcloth and my wife and daughter sat on top of them. She held an umbrella and kept fairly dry. The water ran down a cowtrail and into a dugout, it soaked my brother's books and trunks. I have often wished for such rains since then when we needed them so much. The first year I paid taxes in Kit Carson County, I paid just 700. Rolled Oats were selling at two cents a pound so I bought a dollar's worth. When I got home I found worms in them. I haven't been able to eat oats since. My wife ordered stove polish and the storekeeper wanted to know what it was like and how one used it; anyhow, I could not get it. The only meat we had was salt "sowbelly" which we bought in large slabs at 40 a pound. We would get so tired of eating it. For a while we bought milk from a neighbor, then we bought a cow. But we never kept a herd of cows or horses. My team was a pair of sorrel broncos and they were light for farm work, but I did manage to break up 40 acres, which I put into corn. After living here almost four years I bought the dray line in Burlington and carried the mail from the post office to the depot. I was engaged in the dray business for a number of years. I served on the town council from July 3, 1893, to April 14, 1895. I was also town marshall for 13 years. To this union 5 children the fair or rodeo. At the age of 19, he married Lillian Mather Jan. 5, 1910. Lillian was the daughter of Arthur and Maude Mather. (Maude Mather will be better known as Maude Smith). Lillian died 10-23-1915. Around 1912, he took a homestead out on the river but stayed only a couple years moving back to town. To this union was born three children: Kenneth George Wilcox 7-zI-LglD L223-t952. Hazel Grace Wilcox 4-13-1912 - 3-7-1915. Elmer Wallace Wilcox 7-5-19L4 L974. - 1-9- On Oct. 2, L919, William married Ella Esther Homm. (Esther was born 8-25-1899 and came to Colorado from Gove Co. Kansas 1-7- 1919.) Billy worked for Hugh Baker in the elevator from 1923 to 1926. At that time. he started work for Sim Hudson who owned the Cities Service Oil Station. The station was then sold to Standard Oil and Billy worked for Standard until his retirement 715-1956. To this union three children were born: Dewey Eldon Wilcox 11-26-1921. Betty Jean Wilcox 4-L9-1924. Russell Dale Wilcox LL-5-L927. William (Billy) Wilcox passed away on February 2,1964. by Irene \ililcox WILKINSON FAMILY F.757 In the spring of L922 my parents Roy and Margaret Wilkinson and their children, Lloyd, Thelma, and Arlene moved to eastern Colorado to a farm northeast of Vona, where they made their home for many years. My father, the eldest son of John and Abbie Myers Wilkinson, was born June 23, t894 near Atwood, Ks. He had four brothers, Virgil, Jesse, Guy and Herschel and five sisters, Florence, Grace, Gladys, Opal, and Ruby. Two sisters, Opal and Ruby, and one �brother Herschel are still living. My mother was born at Everest, Ks. Sept. 8, 1896, the eldest daughter of Aloys and Susan Sobba Zuubek. She had five sisters, Agnes, Barbara, Evelyn, Bessie, and Ethel, and three brothers, Alex, Henry, and Chris. Four sisters, Barbara, Evelyn, Bessie, and Ethel are still living. Margaret, along with her parents, brothers, and sisters moved to western Ks. where she grew to womanhood. She was united in marriage to Roy Adelbert Wilkinson on March 24, 1915, at Beardsley, Ks. After moving to Co. two daughters Wilma, and Helen and two sons Earl and Loren were born. Lloyd was married to Virginia Havens; they lived at Vona for awhile, then they moved to Goodland, Ks. They were the parents of four children, Ferma, Lloyd Jr., Larry, and Sandy. They have 10 grandchildren. Thelma married Wayne Cushing; they have two sons; Gary, and Roy. Thelma and Wayne lived north of Vona after they were married. They moved to western Nebr., near Stratton where they lived many years, before retiring from farming and moved to Max, Nebr. They have six grandchildren. Arlene was married to John Fredrich; they had five children; four sons, Gene, Bud, Lowell, and Roger, and a daughter JoAnn. They lived in the Vona and Seibert areas, where they farmed. They divorced. Arlene then married Raymond Andrewjeski; they moved to Lakewood, Co. Two sons and three daughters were born; Rick, Mike, Shelley, Sue, and Teresa. Arlene has sixteen grandchildren. Wilma married Carl Woller on Dec. 5, 1948, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Stratton. Co. They farmed north of Vona until 1952, when they sold their farm and moved to Vona. Carl started working for Kit Carson County in November. I have worked in the Vona School cafeteria now, Hi-Plains Elementary, seventeen years, the last nine years as School Food Service Manager; a job I enjoy very much. The students always brighten your day. I have belonged to the Kit Carson County Carousel Association since it was started. I have really enjoyed working on the cookbooks and the other things we have done to raise money for the restoration of the Carousel so it can be enjoyed by everyone now and for the future generations. We are the parents of five children; Sharon was married to Roy Trimm in 1971 in Fl. They have one son, Scott; they live in Jacksonville, Ar. Carlton, Jr., better known as "Ace", married Kathy Monroe July 23, L972; they have two sons and a daughter, Fred, Justin and Jeanie. Ace and Kathy lived in Vona for a while, then moved to Stratton. Stanley was married to Nona Eisenbart on Aug. 12, 1972. They have one son, Brian and three daughters, Michelle, Kristine, and Victoria. They live in Stratton. Cathleen lives at home. Susan was married to Allen Eden, June 27,1981. They lived in Stratton, then they moved to Moore, Ok. Susan now lives in Stratton. Helen was married to Raymond Rose; they lived in Stratton, moving to Wichita, Ks. where their son Raymond was born. They were divorced. Helen then married Dale Gyer. They had a son, Randy. Helen has two granddaughters. Earl married Gloria Chapla; they moved to Denver after he returned from the army. They have one son Jeff and two daughters Monica, and Mona, and two grandchildren. Loren was married to Prisilla Shanks; they live in Colo. Springs. They have two daughters, Rhonda and Debbie, and one grandson living and one grandson passed away at four months. Some of the neighbors I remember the folks speaking of were the Godfreys; the Finleys, parents of Eula Browning, a very dear friend; the Gulleys, parents of Opal Boger; the Crists and the Kechters. I went to a country school. I have many fond memories of those days. We never went to school on busses. The teachers had to do everything; bring in the wood and the coal even cow chips to heat the school room. I remember when going to school north of Vona, Mrs. Helen Herrell was our teacher. We went out on the prairie on weekends picking up cow chips. The teacher sometimes had to haul water to school. They also had to keep the school clean as we didn't have janitors then. We rode horses, walked or drove a buggy maybe; sometimes in the winter when there was snow we would use a sled pulled by our faithful horse Ben to take us to school. It seemed like the road was pretty long when you were small and had to walk to and from school. Some of the teachers I remember were Alvina Becker Esarey, Miss Elva Richards, Mrs. Virginia Felch, Mrs. Grace Clark, Miss Jennie Tressel, and Mrs. Helen Herrell. by Wilma Wilkinson Woller WILLIAMS FAMILY F758 In the excitement of his birth to Marion Phillip and Doris Anne Williams at 12:30 p.m. on September L4, 1922, the intended name of Lowell Lawrence Williams was recorded as Lawrence Lowell. Thus he became known as "Lary". His grandfather, Dr. Hany Lawrence Williams, delivered him with a Mabel Gray as the attending nurse. He had a special kinship with his grandparents and when they died in 1933, he was eleven years old . . he chose not to attend their funeral. After graduating from high school, he attended the University of Denver for two years majoring in chemical engineering. His fraternity was Sigma Phi Epsilon. His college career was interrupted when he enlisted in World War II. He served in the United States Army with much of the three years spent in Guam. He was discharged March 6, 1946, a day he recalls better than any family birth date or anniversary! In 1947 he graduated from Capitol College of Pharmacy in Denver. Vivienne E. Stauffacher, born September 10, L924 in Tonica, Illinois, came to Flagler December 8, 1945, as a registered nurse to work in the hospital for Drs. McBride and Straub. Larry and Vivienne were married on September 2, L947 at the First Plymouth Congregational Church in Denver. Marion Justin Williams was born to them March 19, 1958 and died March 25, 1958. The following December 12, Lisa Louise was born on her great-grandmother's birthday . . . Jenni Hawn Williams. Lisa graduated valedictorian of her high school class in Flagler and then went on to the University of Northern Colorado where she graduated Magna cum Laude with a BA degree with majors in Acoustically Handicapped and Elementary Education. The following year she completed her master's and now teaches the hearing impaired in Grand Island, Nebraska. Lisa married Rick Allen Ward, son of Donna Stone Ward and Ed Ward of Flagler on December 19, 1981, in the First Congregational Church of Flagler. Linsay Susan Ward was born in Grand Island. Nebraska on August 3, 1985. Larry Williams has worked in the family drugstore for forty years. Vivienne has been Flagler town clerk since 1979. by Vivienne Stauffacher Williams WILLIAMS - FOSTER FAMILY F759 Andrew Allen Williams and wife, Alma (Foster) and two sons, Albert Ross and Ellis Lee, came to Colorado for health reasons in 1888 and settled near Cope. His was the first immigrant car coming into Seibert, the railroad having just been completed to that point. With the exception of one year spent in Missouri, he resided on a ranch near Cope for 16 years, where he was appointed U.S. Land Commissioner and moved to Cope. This position he resigned in 1912 to move to Flagler where he resided until his death in 1917, age 73. Alma died in L924, age 78. Both are buried in the Flagler cemetery, along with their son, Ellis and his wife, Maude. Andrew was a Civil War veteran (Co. G 55th Illinois Infantry). He was wounded during the assault on Vicksburg, from which he recovered. However in 1864 due to general poor health he was medically discharged. Many years later, a doctor in Bernadotte, Illinois advised Andrew or "Uncle A" as he was referred to by many, "to move to Colorado for the benefit of my health." At the time of his death he was a stockholder in the Flagler State Bank and a stockholder and director in the Farmers State Bank of Flagler. Andrew joined the Baptist Church when a young man, so it was natural for him to assist in building the Shiloh Baptist Church. He also helped organize the Congregational Church at Cope and was Sunday School Superintendent for more than ten years. Two Foster progenitors were Methodist ministers. In reading the Foster history, religion was an important part of their life. John Lewis Dyer, known as Father Dyer the "Snow-Shoe Itinerant." is a Foster cousin. Andrew Allen's grandfather, John Williams, Sr. was born about 1766 in Maryland. He married Mary Duncan, who was born about 1767, the daughter of Charles and KeziahDuncan. John and Marywere married in Queen Anne Parish, Prince George's County, Maryland. They had six children. Andrew's father John Jr. was born in 1802 in Adams County Ohio. He married Nancy Smalley in 1831. Nancy was born in 1813 in Adams County Ohio, the daughter of Isaac and Nancy (Wikoff) Smalley. Both are descendants of old American families. John Smalley of Devenshire England cnme to America aboard the "William and Francis." He arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts in June 1632, (New England Historical Regis- ter, Vol. 14). Pieter Claesen Wyckoff (Wikoffl of Amsterdam Holland came to America aboard the "Renesselaerswick." He arrived �4 r Alma and Andrew Williams with their first grandchild, Ruby. Taken October tvur. Maurine (Bill) Williams, daughter of Ellis and Maude Williams. Probably taken in 191?, when they lived in Flagler. per article of their marriage and reception states the place as Cope. However, my mother always told the story that her parents were married out on the prairie in a snow storm. Ellis finished his teaching term at Boyero that school year. He also taught at Cope and Hugo. Then he and Maude settled down on ; a homestead a few miles from Cope. They had ;a:.::::. iii':'l:'l :riai:r..r. U::ii. l:r"' b & V I Ellis and Maude Williams with their daughter, Treva Williams, daughter of Ellis and Maude Treva. Taken in 1909. Williams. Probably taken in 1913. New Amsterdam, New Netherland (New York) March 4, 1637 (Hoppin, Washington Ancestry and forty other families, Vol. III' pg. (Neil) Cope. They had three children: Alma Ruby, Bira Maxine and Doris Alice. According to Andrew's obituary, Ross was a stockholder and director of a bank in Ignacio, 103). Alma was the sixth generation Foster to be born in America. Her great-great-grandfather, Rev. John Foster was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. Her grandfather, Thomas served in the War of 1812. Alma's maternal grandfather, Jonathan Alder was captured by the Mingo (Iroquois) Indians when he was a boy of eight. He lived with them for twentyfour years before returning to his mother in Virginia, year 1805. Albert Ross Williams, oldest son of A'A' and AIma, (my mother, Treva, told me that grandmother AIma, called Andrew, A.A.), married Grace Ann Cope. Grace was the daughter of Jonathan Calvin and Mary Ann two children, Treva Wilma and Maurine Lee (Bill). My grandfather, Ellis, wrote, "President Teddy Roosevelt forced us to take down our fences off the Government land. As I did not think I had enough pasture to run my cattle, I sold out and moved into the store business with my brother, Ross. I owned stores in Joes, Kirk and Limon." Aunt Bill told me that she, Treva, and their mother moved to Flagler to enroll Treva in school. Ellis ran the store at Joes. There were other relatives who also lived in Flagler; namely, Dr. H.L. Williams and family, parents, A.A. and Alma, Maude's mother, Rosella Nourse and sister-in-law Bertha Nourse. Bertha, widow of Frederick Ray Nourse, Jr., owned and operated the millinery shop located on the main street in Flagler. Another cousin and family, Clyde O. Williams lived in Arriba. According to Lhe Flagler Nea,s, "Thursday, October 5th (1916), was the 51st wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. A.A. Williams and was celebrated at the home of their son, Ellis Williams. The occasion was planned as a surprise for these good old people and there Colorado. AIso a stockholder in the new bank was no mistake about this feature. They were engaged in the mercantile business. Ross owned a store at Thurman; Ellis owned a the house filled with friends and relatives and the table spread for a dinner that only Mrs. Ellis can prepare, with a huge wedding cake banked and surrounded by carnations, as a of Kirk and in the Farmers State Bank in Flagler. He and his brother, Ellis were store at Joes and had joint ownership in another at Kirk, which Ross Iater sold to Ellis. Ross then moved to Denver where he died in 1954, age 88. Grace died in 1964, age 86. Flagler became home for the Ellis Williams family in 1914. On January 17, 1900 Ellis married Maude Nourse of Jericho, Missouri. Their marriage license states they were married in Kit Carson County. The newspa- invited to dinner and on their arrival found center piece." Maurine Lee married Jacob Lee Barnett and they have four children, namely Gary Lee, Thomas Ray, Mary Maurine and Viki Lynn. Bill and Lee have spent most of their married life in Sterling, Colorado. They are both retired school teachers and have always been active in their communitY. Treva married Joseph Henry Mclaughlin �and they have three children, namely Richard Ellis, Treva Jane and Margaret Maurine. The author, Margaret Maurine, married Martin Emery Clark and they have three children, namely Dale Martin, John Joseph and Theresa Jane. Theresa married Gary Dean Flynn and have one daughter, Allison Maurine. This author has lived in Montana most of her Iife but has visited Flagler several times. The visits have given me a warm close feeling. I think of my great-grandparents, grandparents, mother and aunt, going to church, to school, to the grocery store, shopping andjust generally living, working and playing. A memorable part of my heritage is from Flagler, Kit Carson County, Colorado. by Margaret M. Clark WILLIAMS, BOYD AND LYDIA F760 Very little was raised that year due to lack of moisture. The neighbors said that Swadley corn was the best for dry land farming so that was what they put in. That fall, when it was ready to be picked, the ears were next to the bottom of the stalk and half buried in the soil. Our close neighbor was a real early homesteader and was a great help to us, telling us what and when to plant. Jeff Huntzinger and family were such good people. They kept flour, sugar, coffee and such and we often had to rely on their help. Our school was only % mile away, which we called the Huntzinger School. Our mother was a good helper with everything. She planted the garden, sewed and patched and was midwife for the many babies born which was always a good crop. She gave us girls organ lessons while father gave the boys violin lessons and many a night was spent playing and singing. Later she organized a Sunday School class which was held at our school house. For enjoyment they took us to dances in a wagon. The seat was reserved for our parents with us kids in the back which was lined with straw and blankets. Later on and later Gordon Parrot, living in the Denver area before her death. Claude and his wife, Barbara, lived in the Arriba area where he worked for the Rock Island. They raised a daughter and two sons. by Ivy Stevens WILLIAMS, DR. HARRY AND JENNIE HAWN there was "Literary" which the older people enjoyed. Even though the school was only Vt mile from our home, a blizzard, came up and was so bad that we could not see Father who had started after us until we were right by him. He had a lighted lantern and was waving it around and calling our names but it was so bad, we neither saw nor heard him. Blizzards were our dread and also rattlesnakes, too, but Sod house built about 1908. Back Row: Boyd Williams (father), Lydia Williams (mother); Ivy Williams Stevens holding baby Cecil Stevens; EIsie Williams Hosmer; Viola Williams: Everett Williams; Earl Hosmer, husband of Elsie; John Williams. Husband of Viola; Charley Stevens, husband of Iqy. Front Row: Claude Williams, Clarence Hosmer, Ralph Hosmer, Alvin Stevens, and Gladys Williams Parrott. Taken about 191?. Our parents were L. Boyd Williams and Lydia Eliza (Largent) Williams. It was the year 1907 that our parents decided it was best to try their luck homesteading. At that time, many people were having the same notion so there were 2 or 3 other men from that locality who were interested in going out to Colorado to look the land over. They went by train, landing at Seibert where they got transportation to ride out and see the land. They ended up by each filing on some land, some at Seibert, but father wanted closer to Flagler and also close to school where we could finish our education. Finally finding what he thought our mother would like, too, he filed his claim which was 12 miles north and 2 miles east of Flagler in Kit Carson County, Colo. On returning home, all of us spent the winter at Oneida, Kansas, getting things ready to move. The next spring, March, 1908, we were all packed and ready to go. The men had chartered an immigrant car and had it full of farm implements, household goods, a dozen chickens, fruit, 3 or 4 cows, horses and hogs, so as to have things to start with. First they must find water, then a sod house had to be laid down and after that ground broken for farming. they never bothered us much. Once though, one of the boys was starting after the cows when a rattler was seen curled up in a snake weed. He called back and Father ran to the house to get his old shotgun and did away with the snake. The plains were beautiful hardly any - would fences. So many times people drive from corner to corner to shorten the way. At that time there were no mail routes. and we got our mail by the neighbors passing our place no electricity or phones. Later - also on those who were lucky enough to have a fence, put the telephone wires on it so they could enjoy visiting. Oh yes, and no cars either. One 4th of July we celebrated by taking our lunch and going to Flagler. Now Dr. Harry L. Williams that was a treat! We had hard times and good times, too. Most everyone was no better off than we were. When our parents could no longer tend the farm, they moved into Flagler and remained there the rest of their lives in more comfortable circumstances, never complaining. They took life as it came. There were seven of us children Clair. Elsie, Ivy, Everett, Viola, Gladys and-Claude. Clair, Everett and Gladys are deceased. Clair taught school a few years but returned to Sabetha, Ks., where he and his family owned and operated the Williams Cleaning and Pressing Establishment. He married and had two children. Elsie married Earl Hosmer and lived in Keenesburg where she spent her life. They had six children. She now lives in a nursing home. Ivy married Charley Stevens and had three sons and a daughter, living mostly in Limon and Denver, returning to Flagler about 16 years ago. Everett spent most of his life in the Flagler area. Villa married John Williams and had four children. They spent their life mostly on a farm or ranch. Gladys married Harry Blair Jennie D. Hawn Williams F76l �$50.00 payment on fixtures and stock, The Flagler Drug Company from a Dr. C. Schroyer. He moved his family into the building on Main Street and from here he conducted his medical practice and the drugstore. Art Clark served as driver for Dr. Williams both in the horse and buggy days and later when he acquired a car. Even after the purchase of the car Dr. continued to use the horse and buggy when roads were unsui- table for travel by car. He had a great fondness for horses. When the family home was built in 1915 a barn was built on the north side of the garage; it still stands today. Marion told of accompanying his father to Denver for medical supplies. His duty was to get out and open and close the gates as they crossed private property. Art Clark had many experiences with Dr. Williams which he enjoyed relating. They grew to know each other well for they spent much time together on calls that took them miles into the countryside in all kinds of weather. There were times they spent from one to Dr. Harry L. Williams Dr. Harry Lawrence Williams was born November 10, 1870 at Bushnell, Ilinois to Frances Marion and Sarah Elizabeth Foster Williams. There were four brothers and five sisters. Chalmer, the last survivor of the family, celebrated his 100th birthday on January 5, 1986 at his home in Beverly Hills, California; he died August 10, 1986. Dr. Williams received his Teacher's Certificate from Fulton County, Illinois February 13, 1893. He taught school one year in a rural area near Bushnell, illinois. Jennie D. Hawn, born December 12,L870, received her Teacher's Certificate from Fulton County, Illinois July 1, 1893. They were married at the home of her parents, Phillip and Sarah Hawn, in Remington, Indiana May 6, 1896. To this union was born four sons. The first son died at birth. Marion Phillip was born March 9, 1898, Arthur Justin born July 7, 1901 and Lowell Lawrence born July 28, 1905. After his marriage to Jennie Hawn, Dr. Williams engaged in farming on his father's farm for two years but was forced to quit because of ill health. In the late 1800's he took his wife and young son, Marion, and moved to Denver. In 1902 he entered what then was known as the Denver and Gross College of Medicine at Denver University; he graduated in 1906. He was a member of the Delta Chapter of Omega Upsilon Phi F raternity. During his years in medical school he was fondly known as "Old Abe" because of his similarity to Lincoln in appearance and character, so his obituary reads. In November of 1906 he was returning to Illinois with his family when the train became snowbound in Flagler. He purchased, with a three nights at an isolated home because the patient was too sick to leave or the weather locked them in. Dr. Williams died in Presbyterian hospital in Denver February 22,\933. Jennie left Flagler soon after to be with her son, Dr. A. Justin Williams, in San Francisco. She died at his home November 7. 1933. The youngest son, Lowell, died at the family home in Flagler on November 28,192L at the age of 16. Arthur Justin Williams graduated from Denver University with an AB degree in 1923. His fraternity was Sigma Phi Epsilon. He taught school for one year in Bethune. He graduated from Colorado University in 1928 with a degree in medicine. He married Carolyn Helbig of Denver June 26, 1928. He then continued his education by specializing in radiology. Shortly after Pearl Harbor, Dr. Williams went on active duty, returning from Europe after 3-Yz years of service with the rank of colonel. He and Carolyn had two children; Dr. Justin Lowell Williams, a radiologist living in Fresno, California and Lynn Williams Pfleuger of Ross, California. Marion Phillip Wil- liams graduated from Denver University School of Pharmacy; his fraternity was Sigma Phi Epsilon. He served in the army in the first World War. Doris Lane came to Flagler after graduating from Normal School in Michigan. And, after teaching second and third grades in 1920, she and Marion were married August 7 , I92l at the home of her parents in Gentry, Mo. Their children are, Lawrence Lowell, "Larry", Williams of Flagler, Florence Louise Lloyd of Albuquerque, Betsy Riegel of Lakeland, Florida and adopted daughter Cindy Cochran of Lakeland, Florida. by Vivienne Williams WILLIAMS, JOE AND GOLDIE r.762 Joe and Goldie Williams moved to the Millisack Place in the Spring of 1941. The Dr. Harry L. Williams (Three sons in car & Jennie to right of picture) place was badly run down and so Joe got busy and did a bunch of remodeling to make it into a home they all loved. He rented some farm ground and pasture, and ran some 200 head of cattle every summer for many years. �Doug and Mary Lou went to Smoky Hill School in 1941, where Doug graduated as 26 years, as well as with church activities and the RSVP since 1973. Near neighbors while valedictorian, and then on to Burlington High School. Classmates there were Verna Butterfield, Joe Daniel, Mary Hahn, Dale and Dixie Sparks, Lawrence Schaal, Kenneth Butterfield, and Evelyn Drager. JoNell started to school at Smoky Hill. Her teacher was Leatha Dickinson and her husband was the Principal and High School on the farm were the Kellers, Duncans, Sittsworths, Morts and Blanckens. Jake Browers now own the place. On Feb. 15, 1946, Agnes and Virgil Short were married at home with the Rev. Millie Gibbs officiating. Agnes and Roberta both taught school on war permits with Agnes finishing the Victory Heights term and teacher. Bob Williams worked on a cattle ranch for C.A. Buetel, who lived on a ranch about 2 miles north of Smoky Hill. Times were hard and most farmers milked a bunch of cows and raised chickens. They ordered 500 baby chicks every Spring. The cream and eggs were hauled to town in the back seat of their car and sold to buy groceries. Joe farmed with a team of horses until early 1950 and then bought a used John Deere tractor, which he hand painted. Henry Drager was a neighbor and was considered a good John Deere mechanic. During the war years there was very little to do for entertainment. There was a family named King who lived in Cheyenne County and they were all musicians. They would gladly come to the Williams home to play for dancing. They would move all of the furniture into other rooms and spend the evening dancing. Lots of people came from Burlington and Stratton. Lester Pierson was an excellent square dance caller. Those who didn't dance would play cards. Most of the women belonged to a community club called the Willing Workers. They would meet at different homes and make something for the hostess. One year the made mattresses in the Smoky Hill basement. Another year they met with Flora Drager and made cheese. Saturday was always shopping day for almost everybody. This was a chance to visit with neighbors and the kids often got to go to the matinee which cost just 50. Years later Joe bought the Millisack house and moved it to town. He remodeled it and made a lovely home. by Bernice Eberhart WILLIAMS, VIOLA AND JOHN F763 Viola A. Williams came with her parents, Lincoln Boyd Williams and Lydia E. Williams from northeast Kansas in 1908. Her father had filed on 160 acres. 2 miles east and 12 north of Flagler in 1907. He returned to Kansas and in 1908 he and his son, Claire, came in a box car with their belongings while Mrs. Williams and the family, Elsie, Ivy, Evert, Viola, Gladys and Claude came by train. Jim Quinn met them and drove them to the Mose Wright house, one mile east and 10 miles north of town where the family lived until a water well was drilled and a shack the family could live in was built. A sod house, L4 x 28' was built with their father laying every sod with help from the family and neighbors. Elsie went to Denver and Claire returned to Kansas while the rest of the children Roberta, one year at Shiloh. Maxine and Albert Koleber were married Nov. 20, 1947 in Denver by Rev. Robert Allingha-. The sons-in-law were all in World .., ...,':.,,. , t ,. .t - i, .' rlir' :: r ': War II. 1]' :i'. .1 The Williams' 50th wedding anniversary in 1967. L. to R.: Agnes Short, Virgil and Roberta Martin, Viola and John Williams and Maxine and Al Koleber. attended the Huntzinger School. John Williams was born in Cameron, Missouri. He came to Colorado with his parents, Daniel and Arcenia Williams, Lou, Nett, Ione and Aileen, during the 1913 blizzard and were stranded in Seibert awhile before going to the place they had purchased which the Leroy Jones now own. Mrs. Williams operated the Blake Restaurant, then the Hotel where the Legion Building is now and Mr. Williams ran a meat market in Seibert. Later Mr. and Mrs. Williams moved to Denver where they lived their final years. All are now deceased with the exception ofhis sister, Net Gelick, who lives in Sterling. In 1916, John filed a claim on a'go-back' piece of land, 3 miles east and 4 north which the Gene Nichols'now own. John and Viola were married on Feb. 15, 1917, by Judge C.A. Yersin in Burlington, and lived on his father's place, until Mr. Fisher and he could get the one-room house on the land repaired and moved there that summer. John helped A.C. Fisher with his farm work as well as with his own. This home is where the family was born. Near neighbors were the Fishers, Searcys, Chases and Brandenburgs. With school so far away and John not well, the farm was sold to Mrs. A.C. (Stella) Fisher and the Williams moved to town in 1926 where John was employed by the Farmers Union and Viola worked in the creamery. In 1936, the Williams moved 17 miles northwest ofFlagler, and lived there until the end of 1942. Their daughters stayed in town to finish high school. Roberta and Virgil Martin were married at home on Feb. 15, 1942, Rev. Millie Gibbs officiating. After they left on their honeymoon, the neighbors came and helped celebrate the Williams' 25th wedding anniversary. They were the Michals, Elricks, Larues, Millers and Holdens. The Williams purchased the Dr. O.S. Neff place and moved there on Jan. 1, 1943. John was not in the service due to an injury when young. He was a 50-year member of the Flagler IOOF Lodge 135. Viola has been a member of the Crystal Rebekah Lodge 130 since 1.930, and a member of the Flagler Congregational Church where the daughters were also members. She was also a member of the Welcome Club, Home Demonstration Club, the Gingham Girls, a charter member Connie Janel came to make her home with Agnes and Virgil Short on Dec.24,1955 when 6 days old. On July L2,L9il,Patrolman Short of Castle Rock was shot by Dean Spooner of Des Moines, Iowa, near Kremmling. Agnes passed away in 1973. Connie Short and Clint Nix were married in 1973 in the LaForet Chapel in the Black Forest. They have a daughter, Colleen Gayle, 3 years old and live in Montana. Roberta and Virgil Martin lived in Salida. Their son, Robert, his wife, Marcia, Rob, Mike and Kenny live in Pueblo. Their daughter, Cheryl, passed away in 1970 and Virgil Martin in 1982. Maxine and Al Koleber lived in Pasco. Wash., where their sons, Gary and Ron, also live. Their daughter, Joyce, and husband, Steve La voie and daughter, Donna, live in Okinawa. Al passed away in 1983. John Williams died in 1970 and an infant son, Clarence in 1917. Maxine lives in Prosser, Wash., Roberta in Salida, Colo. Viola's sisters, Ivy Stevens in Flagler, Elsie Hosmer in Brighton and brother, Claude Williams in Arriba, Coio. by Viola Williams WILSON FAMILY F764 My parents, Frank Herbert (Bert) and Maggie Wilson, moved from Lexington, Nebraska, in March 1921. They had purchased one quarter of land located 7 miles south and 1/z mile east of Stratton in the Bethel Community. The family made the trip in an Overland car. Livestock and family possessions came via train. At that time there were six children: Vivian, Elvin, Ruth, Clair, Virginia and Dorothy, who was three months old. Later another son, George, was born to them. There was a tiny two room frame house on the land when the family arrived. I was too young to recall what other buildings, if any, there were. My father said he was a "jack of all trades and master of none." Soon after becoming settled and planting the crops, he started making adobe blocks in preparation for building a house. The outside walls for a five room house were completed in 1922. When the family moved into the house the interior was not completed. The original house was used for a granary. In the following years more adobe blocks were made and a garage and chicken house was built. We children walked two miles to the West Bethel school. During some rainy, muddy weather Elvin wore high rubber boots to �school and a classmate, Floyd Whitmore' nicknamed him "Boots" a name he kept throughout his life. As well as farming for a living, Dad had a flair for carpentry and built several homes in the county, including the former Henry Wilson and Harve Hughes residences in the Bethel Community, the Frank Lesher house in the First Central area and the E'R. Deakin home near Vona. My father died October 17, 1929, and Mother was left with the family of seven children to carry on. Much of the farming responsibility fell to Boots who continued living at home until 1936. The family kept the land until about 1947 when it was sold to Kenneth Scheierman and Mother moved into Stratton, Colo., where she lived until she could no longer care for herself' She then went to the nursing home in Burlington where she died April 14, 1966. of '35. The dust lodged in the animals' coats and when the rains finally came the seeds sprouted on the cows'backs. Also large spots of the cows' hair fell out. Pleasant memories are: Mother picking and canning wonderberries, making preserves from ground cherries and yellow pear tomatoes, making braided and hooked rugs, piecing and quilting quilts, tatting and crocheting, making many of our clothes. Dad putting new soles on our shoes, braiding new halter ropes for the horses, using the forge for sharpening tools, seeing the portulaca (rose moss) blooming on the cellar roof, the hollyhocks along the garden fence, hearing the coyote howl at night, hearing the singing mockingbird perched high on the windmill, people searching for arrow heads on Rock Hill north of our house after the dust storms in 1935. As a family we often played dominoes and Elvin lived in the Stratton area until his a card game came Flinch. Our SundaY death January 19, 1978. Vivian died January 5. 1933. Ruth Nowak and family moved to papers we received at Sunday School. Some- Idaho Springs, Colo., in 1,937 and she still resides there. After serving in the military in World War I[, George and Clair and families lived for a time in Nebraska and later moved to Missouri. After World War II, Dorothy McFarland, her husband and son moved to Everett, Washington and then to Crescent City, California, where she died in August 1959 Her child, Harold, also is dead. Harold's afternoons were usually spent reading the times as a special treat we would pop homegrown corn and make taffy. by Virginia Wilson Foster Elvin and Lois Wilson. WILSON - BOWKER FAMILY widow and daughter reside in Tacoma, Washington. I moved from Stratton in 1950 and have lived in Denver since 1952. At the present time my family is in Denver or F766 nearby. As a child I was fascinated by the butchering process. We looked forward to the time when the weather would be cool enough so that the meat would keep. Through the summer months we would have fried chicken. We had pork more than beef. At the butchering time, a fire would be built under a 50 gallon gas barrel to heat the water which was used for scalding the animal so that the hairs could be scraped. The fat would be rendered into lard which was stored in stoneware jars in the cellar. The "cracklins" would be used for making laundry soap. Hams, shoulders, etc. would be salted down and put into a 15 gallon stoneware jar and kept in a cold place. Some parts would be trimmed and used for Denise, Barbara, Myrna, Lois and Elvin Wilson. "Boots", a name that remained with him all his life. His father died at an early age and Elvin being the oldest son had to go to work to help his mother take care of his four sisters and sausage - oh, how good that tast€d with pancakes on a cold morning! Also there was some meat that was made into mincement and canned to be used later in Pies. We had a cellar where canned foods, potatoes, pumpkins, squash, etc' were kept in the winter so they wouldn't freeze. In the summer it was cool, and butter, cream and milk had to be kept there. Part of our land was pasture but as the cattle herd increased, the open range was used for grazing. We younger children were responsible for watching the cattle' The range was 1/z mile over the hill to the south and sometimes we could see the animals by climbing to the top of the windmill. Other times it was necessary to walk or ride a pony to check on them. This chore seemed to us to require a tremendous amount of our time. The very dry summer of 1934 brought a complete crop failure. We cut and stacked the green Russian thistles for the cows. Even though they were green, they were "stickery" and I wonder how the cows managed to eat them. This was followed by the dust storms two brothers. Lois lsabelle Bowker was the oldest of eight children born to William H. and Mabel O. (Judson) Bowker. She was born July 22,L914 in La Vern, Oklahoma. As a young girl, she recalled many times riding their horses in the sand hills of Oklahoma. When she was ten years old they Maggie and Bert Wilson, Elvin's parents. At the age of thirteen years, Elvin Frederick Wilson came with his family to Colorado where they homesteaded. Their home was located seven miles south and two east of Stratton, Colorado. Elvin was born November 6, 1908 at Lexington, Nebraska. He came to Colorado in 1921. Here he finished his education, through the eighth grade in the Bethel Schools. Elvin wore a great big pair of overshoes to school and his schoolmates called him moved to St. John, Kansas. There she completed her education. From there, the family moved to McCook, Nebraska. They came to Colorado in 1934. They lived on a place two miles north of the Wilson place. As young people, Elvin and Lois met at Sunday School. They started dating and they recalled many times the times all the young couples got together at church on Sunday evening for parties. They were married on April 24, 1936 by Reverend Ray Hooper. They moved to the Walter Hooper place where they lived for three years. �To this union three daughters were born. Florence Denise and Barbara Jean were born in the grandmother's home. Myrna was born five years later in the Maternity Home in Stratton run by Rena Borders. Lois and Elvin moved to the J.H. Hoot place where they lived and farmed for thirteen years and then to the Rex Zurcher place formerly the old Truman Hazen place. He farmed many years with horses and then he purchased one new Oliver tractor that he farmed with until his death. Elvin enjoyed his life as a farmer and rancher. He loved the land. He enjoyed the companionship of one son-in-law for twentythree years. They spent a lot of time helping each other with their farming and also helping the neighbors thrash their crops. The special memories of childhood shared by their daughters was that they always had a real Christmas tree and Dad always bought them a box ofcrayolas and oranges and candy for their stockings. Lois had a dream of someday taking up nursing. She completed a correspondence course in nursing. They saw to it that their daughters had an education. All three girls graduated from Stratton High School. After her daughters were grown she took up cake decorating as a hobby, which grew into a full-time business. She spent many hours baking and decorating over one hundred wedding cakes plus birthday cakes for the young and old alike. Elvin and Lois together enjoyed belonging to a card club. He also loved to spend time playing cards with his family. One thing he always did through the years was to take his girls to the Kit Carson County Fair. Our one great thrill was riding the merry-go-round. Lois also spent many hours making and quilting quilts for her loved ones and friends. Elvin lived to see his youngest daughter Myrna marry in 1977. She married Ronald Bill who works for the Denver Broncos and the family all became interested in football. We were all excited the Christmas of 1978 when the Broncos won the right to play in the Super Bowl. They enjoyed the birth of a granddaughter, Debbie and a grandson Jerry and three adopted grandchildren, Raymond, Garrett, and Donna McConnell. Elvin loved to garden and always raised a big garden and Lois spent many hours canning food for her family. She also spent time teaching her daughters how to cook and sew. Lois was baptized into the Evangelican United Brethren Church in 1955. which merged into the United Methodist Church. She served seven years as President of the Methodist Women. They retired from farming and moved to town in November, 1977. Elvin got to enjoy problems. She underwent open heart surgery in 1976. After Elvin's death she lived alone and kept herself busy with her hobbies. Through the years she suffered several more attacks. In 1983 it became necessary for her to enter Grace Manor Nursing Care Center in Burlington. Lois passed on in November 1983. Elvin and Lois are buried in the family plot in Fairview Cemetery, Burlington, Colorado. by Florence McConnell WILSON, BESSIE F766 Mrs. Bessie (Peggy) M. Wilson, daughter of Emma See Lamon and Uriah M. Lamon, was born Sept. 10, 1884, in Lincoln, Ill. On Feb. 6, 1907, she married Arthur Wilson. They immediately moved to Burlington, where her husband was the editor of the Kit Carson County Record. She taught school briefly, before sharing the operation of the Racket Store here. Mrs. Wilson lived in Burlington all her married life, except for eight years, which she spent in Denver when her husband was in business there. When they returned in 1918, they established the Burlington Call and she helped operate the business until Mar. 1, 1944, when the local papers were consolidated. She also operated a gift and clothing shop at the corner of 14th and Lowell for many years. For many years she was the county vice chairman of the Republican Party and thru her political and social activities made a large circle of friends extending from her home town of Abilene, Kansas, to the capitol of Colo. at Denver. She took an active part in all elections and one ofher greatestjoys was to see a hometown acquaintance, Dwight D. Eisenhower of Abilene, become the president of the United States. The Burlington Library was founded by Mrs. Wilson in 1921 and she served as president of the board until her retirement in 1966. During this time a new library building was erected to house the collection of books and pieces of art and a room for a museum of pioneer relics. In 1928, she with two other women founded the Burlington Garden Club, which was responsible for many plantings, including the hospital grounds, as well as the roadside pines and evergreens on Highway #24. Organiza- Liskey Brothers near Lower Klamath Lake. Most of the land they leased from the Federal Government, and the Government decided to make some of the land available for homes- teaders for war veterans. Leo was not a veteran, so he lost hisjob. Since Leo's parents lived on a farm about 12 miles south of Burlington, and his grandparents, a sister and an uncle also lived some 9 miles south of Burlington, they packed up what few things they had and headed for Burlington. Times were hard and they would at least have a place to stay until spring work began. They certainly did not intend to make this their home for the rest of their lives. The drought and the dirt storms had played havoc with the whole country, and with all of the dust piles, it looked like a "jumping off place." Leo thought he could find work in Colorado Springs or Denver, but C.A. Buettel owned a ranch 3 miles north of the Smoky Hill School and he offered Leo a job at $50. per month, also a small house in which they lived. Some of the out-buildings were partly buried with the blow dirt, up to the eaves and it wasn't a very pretty sight. Bessie was born in Oklahoma and Leo in north central Kansas, where there were lots of trees. It took some getting used to when there was not a tree or even any growing things in sight. Leo worked for Mr. Buettel until the fall of 1940 when he had a chance to rent a farm owned by John Reuter, who was moving to Burlington. This farm was located 3 miles west, l south and % mile west of Smoky Hill School. In 1947 they bought that farm. The rains had come and crops and prices were good, making the economy boom. The Windscheffels rented some more ground, settled in for good and were raising their family. They had three children, Phyllis, Eldon and Gary. Leo served on the school board at Smoky Hill and then continued on the board after the school was consolidated with Burlington. In 1974 the family moved into Burlington because of health problems, and then in 1981 the farm was sold to Lewis Nider. Gary tried to keep the farm going for a while, but decided to seek employment in Burlington. Leo passed away in March 1985. What they thought in 1938 would be a temporary move, turned out to be not so temporary after all. Bessie, Phyllis and Gary are still making their home in Burlington in 1987. by Bernice Eberhart tion of the Burl cemetery district, its financial support and the landscaping of the plot was due in a large part to her endless hours of determined effort. Mrs. Bessie Wilson passed away on June 15, 1971, at the age of 87 years. by Janice Salmans his retirement only a short time when he was stricken with a heart attack and died in January of 1979. Elvin missed seeing his second daughter, Barbara, many. She and Glenn Edmunds were married May 5, 1979. Lois got to bake them a beautiful cake. She also baked her daughter Myrna's wedding cake and a beautiful cake for her oldest daughter Denise and Jim's Twenty-fifth Wedding Anniversary. Lois was stricken with health problems in 1975, learning she had diabeties and heart near the Oregon line. Leo was working for the WINDSCHEFFEL, LEO AND BESSIE F767 Leo and Bessie Windscheffel moved to the Smoky Hill Community in March of 1938, after being manied in Merrill, Oregon in January. They were living in Tulelake, Calif, WINFREY HARDWICK FAMILY F768 John Robinson Winfrey, son of Henry Winfrey and Nancy Edwards Ballenger, was born in Boone county, Missouri May 30, 1863. He was named after the Baptist preacher, John M. Robinson, who had married his parents in 1860. In 1880 when John was 17 years old, he moved with his parents to Carroll county, Missouri, near Wakenda. On Wakenda Creek the Hardwick family had built the "Hardwick Mill" about 1821. Anetta "Nettie", daughter of James E. and Teresa A. "Tracy" (Gosnell) Hardwick, was married to John Robinson Winfrey at the �home of her parents on February 2, 1885' John & Nettie farmed in Carroll county' Mo. for several years. During this time six children were born to them: James "Jimmie" Warren born Nov. 21, 1885; Virgie Lee was born Sept. 4, 1888 but died the following year on Oct. 11, 1885; Oscar Robinson born May 31, 1891; Edward Newton born Mar. 4, 1893; Grace Florence born Apr. 27, 1895; and Nora Hasseltine born Aug. 13, 1897. It was difficult to make a living on the small upland farms and the bottomlands were infested with mosquitos and fever. About 1898 they took their children, moved to Cedar County, Mo., but found the situation no better there' One more child, Cecil Otto, was born Dec. 24, 1899, while they were there. Grain and cattle prices were being pushed up because of the United States involvement in the Spanish American War, so in 1900 they moved back to Carroll County, Mo. Cecil Otto passed away with an attack of scarletina on Jan. 9, 1902. On Oct. 13, 1902 their eighth child, Floyd, was born but died with complications following whooping cough on Dec. 17, of that same year. On Nov. 26,L902, they bought 40 acres of land for $1,000 and on this farm their ninth child, Hurley Estel, was born Apr. 28, 1904. Their crops and prices had been better since moving back to Carroll County, but John was beginning to feel restless again and wanted something better. They sold their farm on Feb. 11, 1905, for $1,500, had a farm sale and loaded their household furniture on an emigrant car or box car and headed west. John, at 42 years of age, was full of enthusiasm as having paid all his debts he still had what to him was a large amount of money, $528 cash, to start the journey to a new home. On March 3, 1905 they unloaded in Atwood, Ks. Their tenth and last child. Mildred Ruth, was born on a farm about 6 miles west of Atwood on Nov. 25, 1906. During the summer of 1906 John went west to St. Francis, Ks., and followed the South fork westward into Colorado. After looking around the area a few days, John chose a plot just 3 miles south of the Cook ranch which was located about 4 miles up the river west of Hale. John's homestead application was made on June 18, 1906, 3394 and the land description was Lots 1 & 2 and N t/z of the SE % of Sec. 33 inT 5 1/z S., R 43 W. Except for a few years in Arkansas, they spent the rest of their lives in the Burlington, Kit Carson County, area of Colorado. When the family got notice that their application was approved, John, Nettie, and 6 children ranging in age from 16 years to 3 months, loaded up their belongings into a caravan of 3 vehicles and started their 3-day trek to Colorado. John and his son, Ed, led the way in a wagon with sideboards loaded with farm tools and machinery, next came Oscar and Nora in a hayrack loaded with furniture, straw ticks, feather beds, etc', and then Nettie with Grace, Hurley and baby Mildred brought up the rear in a one-horse top buggy. Their oldest child, Jimmie, had stayed in Atwood where he was working. The first night out the spent with an old bachelor where they made their first acquaintance with the prairie dweller's heating fuel, the lowly cow chip! They became well acquainted with it during the next several vears, The second day they got to within a few miles of their destination when it began to snow. Darkness set in quickly so they drove into a farmyard. The good people who lived there, the Haywards, took them in for the night, even though their house was already overcrowded. The next morning they traveled on to what was to be their home. It was a dugout 36 x 16 ft. A "dugout" was made by digging an excavation into the side of a hill so the back and side walls would all be formed by earth and only the roof and front needed to be built with lumber and tar paper. Their dirt floor usually sloped gently toward the front so any water leakage would flow out the only door. John's "dugout" was only one room but it did boast a crude wooden floor and a glass window in the front. Before the family moved in, John had made arrangements for a well to be dug by a horse-powered drill which was in use at that time. It was 120 feet to water at his homestead and they pumped water by hand for several years until they could get a windmill. Shortly after they settled into their new home, John got a job at the Cook ranch and soon was making $25 a month as foreman. The older children started to school, walking 3 miles north to the old sod school house known as the Cook School. Families had many difficulties to overcome such as loneliness, as neighbors were usually 4 or 5 miles away, frustrations of trying to raise feed for the stock, and there was always the dread of prairie fires. The dry weather and open range law made it extremely difficult to farm, but the Homestead Act required that a certain amount of land be cultivated. Cow chips from the prairie were gathered to use as fuel for cooking, as well as heating, until they began to raise enough corn so they could burn the corn cobs. The cobs made good clean fuel but burned very rapidly. Even though coal could be bought in Burlington, it was too costly for most farmers. When John filed his claim, his land was in Yuma County but on June 9, 1910, the commissioners of Kit Carson and Yuma Counties decided that the land in Township 5 % South should be in Kit Carson County, so this placed all his land in Kit Carson County. In the fall of 1914, John decided to build a new house of adobe bricks. They made wooden forms to mold the mixture of mud and straw into 12x12x16 inch blocks. When thoroughly dried, they could be used like concrete blocks in building a house. The house could then be plastered on the inside and was a big improvement over the dugout. John's house was about 24 x 24 f.eet square and had a shingle roof. Several years later, John plastered the outside with concrete to stop the wind and water erosion, and it stood until about 1978 when it started crumbling into the cellar and was pushed down. Necessity is the mother of invention and certainly that is true when you live on a farm which is 20 miles from town and your only transportation is a team and wagon. John could do about anything that needed to be done and do it well. He always had a small blacksmith shop which boasted an anvil, a shoe horses, make hinges and fasteners for barn doors and gates, and do almost anything with malleable steel. He could also build a house or other building from foundation to roof and chimney and out of whatever material, sod, frame, adobe, concrete block or brick. Since there was no veterinary within miles, John also did all doctoring of his Iivestock. About 1920, John bought his first Ford touring car. It was one of the few in the neighborhood with an electric starter and demountable rims which made it practical to carry a spare tire. Some of John's other endeavors were taking orders for "Tailor Made" suits; carrying the mail from the Bonny Post Office to meet the carrier from Burlington. In the early 1920s he bought a little grocery store from Warner Johnson; but after a year or two, sold it back to Mr. Johnson. He took a franchise to sell Lange products. These were patent medicines like Raleigh products. He bought a Model T Ford roadster, built a cabinet on the back for his products, and drove around the area selling the Lange line to farmers. The Winfreys came from a long line of Baptists and on February 18, 1916, with the help of Rev. E.M. Ayers, a Baptist preacher from Alma, Nebr., organized the Liberty Baptist Church. Rev. Ayers then held meetings in various homes and school houses. Eventually the church started holding Sunday School and sometimes Church at the Happy Hollow School, which served as their meeting place until the First Baptist Church was organized in Burlington in 1952. John and Nettie's son, Jimmie, was a predominate influence in keeping this church active so long. Everything went along well for John and his family for several years, and he was 67 years old when he raised a good corn crop in 1930. Since the price for corn was low he decided to feed it to his hogs and see if he couldn't do better by the time they were fattened in the spring. He and Nettie were both in good health but John needed a new set of teeth and planned to use the money from the hogs for that purpose. The hogs had started catching chickens, so he built a small pen with corncribbing on the south side of his blacksmith shop to keep them in until they were ready for market. He had,24 head of hogs so he thought he could not only get his new teeth but pay all his debts and have a little money left. When they were ready to sell he made arrangements with Floyd Crites, a neighbor who owned a truck, to haul them to Burlington on Saturday, March 21, 1931. John was up early but waited most of the day before Floyd sent word he had truck trouble and could not make it that day and promised to be there early the next Saturday. The next Thursday, March 26, it started to snow. All day and night and the next day and night it snowed fiercely, the wind velocity was as high as 70 miles per hour. It was one of the worst blizzards the country had ever experienced and it took more than a week to get the highway cleared to Denver. Corncribbing was used a lot for snow fences because it would cause the snow to drift on forge, a few blacksmith hammers, and a post drill for drilling holes in steel straps and bars. the side away from the wind. This is what happened to John's hog pen. The snow replace broken ones, sharpen plow shares and completely. Since it was just a temporary pen, He could improvise parts many times to drifted deep inside the pen covering the hogs tol �there was no shed for them to get away from it and despite all the shovelling he could do, belongings, loaded the rest into a box car, and the family, Jimmie included, headed west for Kansas. They arrived at Atwood, Kansas on March 3, 1905 and moved to a farm John had rented. John soon homesteaded about 70 miles west of Atwood in Colorado. Early in 1907 Jimmie homesteaded 142 acres which bordered his fathers farm of the west. His homestead entry No. 4868 and the legal description was Lots 3 and 4 and N % of SW 7+ Sec. 33 Township 5 W S. R 43 W. This land was in Yuma County at the time, but a later survey in 1910 moved the county they got wet and cold. Before the roads cleared enough to get a truck to Burlington the hogs were noticeable ill. John thought they had cholera but the Vet pronounced it "flu" caused by the exposure. Instead of improving they just kept losing weight and looking worse until finally they all died but one and it never did seem to fully recover. After working with the sick hogs for several weeks he was not able to save any ofthem and the 24 fat hogs that were supposed to get John t completely out of debt and buy his new teeth and pay the taxes, had to be piled up in the corral and burned. This was quite a blow to John and he began to talk oftrading his place for a farm in Arkansas so they could move to a place where it didn't get so cold. In the fall line to the north border of his homestead. thus placing his land in Kit Carson County. He built a small 3 room sod house on his claim less that 300 yards from his parents dugout so he could use his fathers'well and barn. The following yetr, Jimmie got a job at the Cook Ranch 3 miles north of his claim. That ranch is now covered by the Bonny Reservoir. It was there that he met Jessie Mae Biggs, a of 1933, just after the drought of the 1930s had started, John managed to trade his homestead for a small farm near Bentonville, Arkansas. They moved to the Ozarks but found the farm there pretty well run down, they were a long way from all the family, and at 70 years of age, John knew he was just not able to start over again. In 1937 when John was 73 years old he and Nettie bought a small house in Burlington and probably spent the most pleasant and carefree years of their lives in this home. Nettie had always enjoyed good health but after a short illness she passed away Jan. 6, 1953, at the age of86 yrs., 11 mo., and 6 days just 27 days short of their 68th wedding anniversary. John remained very active and mentally alert. He walked downtown about every day young lady who was helping Mrs. Myrtle Buraker with the cooking for the ranch hands. Jimmie said he thought she was the prettiest girl he had ever seen and the one he would like to marry. She must have shared his feelings as on Oct. 31, 1908 they drove to Burlington with a team and buggy and were married by the Rev. C.A. Yersin. Jessie Mae was born in a sod house on the Cook Ranch 3 miles west of Hale. Colorado James W. Winfrey and Jessie Mae (Biggs) Winfrey. Taken on their wedding day, Oct. 31, 1908. on June 16, 1890, the first child of Jessie Grant Biggs and Lillian E. (Taylor) Biggs. Both of her grandfathers were veterans of the Union Army in the Civil War. Shortly after they were married they went to Atwood and got ajob shucking corn. They both worked and by Christmas had accumulated enough money to start farming their land, so they returned to their homestead. They lived in the sod house for 7 years and the first of their 9 children were born there. In February 1909 the "Homestead Act" was liberalized to allow people in this area to and as he walked he was nearly always whistling one of his beloved old religious hymns. Many of his friends affectionately called him "Whistling Winfrey". On Nov. 29, 1956, a neighbor stopped by to see if John wanted to ride to town with him. As John bent over to pull on one of his overshoes, he gasped, slid gently offthe chair, and was gone at the age of 93 yrs. 5 mo. and 27 d,ays. Both John and Nettie were buried in Fairview Cemetery, Burlington, Colo. Two of John and Nettie's children are still Mr. and Mrs. James Winfrey and children, (left to right) Virgil, Everett, Iva, Clifton, Mabel and Lola. r !," , living, Nora Crews of Wray, Colo., and Mildred Smith of Lakewood, Colo. Information for this article was extracted ftom "The Winfrey Family", a book written by James Clifton Winfrey, who was a grandson of John & Nettie. by Alice M. Jacober WINFREY, JIMMIE AND JESSIE F769 James Warren Winfrey "Jimmie", the oldest child of John Robinson and Anetta "Nettie" Winfrey was born in a log cabin 6 miles east of Carrollton, Missouri, on Nov. 21, 1885. He received most of his grammer school education in Carroll County and attended one semegter at William Jewell College at Liberty, Missouri in 1904. He accepted the Lord as his Savior in 1902 during a revival meeting at the Wakenda, Missouri Baptist Church. In 1905 his father sold their farm, had a sale to dispose of the livestock and some personal Children of Jimmie and Jessie Winfrey taken March 30, 1972, the day of Mom's funeral. Left to right Ray, Everett, Mabel, Irvin, Iva, Floyd, Lola, Jim and Virgil. �homestead 320 acres instead of the original 160 A. Jimmie was fortunatc that there was 160 acres bordering him on the west which new church building was built at 250 Cherry St. As the membership grew, they were able to build on to the building and it is now one Hale School House Jessie accepted the Lord as her Saviour. In 1915 Jimmie built a new 5 room frame house 26 ft. by 28 ft. with a cellar underneath just Yz mile west of the soddy, had a well dug and put up a new windmill and on Nov. 21, 1915, which was Jimmies'30th birthday, they moved into the new house. The other 6 children were born there. Jimmie and his parents had always been church going people while in Missouri so they missed this association very much for there wasn't a church within 10 miles of them in any direction, so in 1916 they managed to get a young Baptist preacher, Rev. E.M. Ayers from Alna, Nebraska to come to the Hale school house for a series of meetings. Meetings were held for 12 nights and 18 people just 2 months later on March 26, Jessie had been abandoned so he filed on it immediately. Legal Description was SE % Sec. 32 T5 Vz S R43 W. In 1912 during a revival meeting at the accepted Christ. They decided to try to organize a Baptist Church so they called a meeting to be held at the home of John of the many active churches in Burlington. Jimmie sold the farm in 1954 and bought a home at 293 Cherry St., in Burlington. He passed away Jan. 17, 1972 at the age of86 and passed away at age 81 leaving to mourn their 9 children: Clifton "Jim" and wife Mildred (Bain), Kansas City, MO.; Rev. Everett L. and wife Hallie (Miser), Gadson, AL.; Iva and husband Leonard Barnhart of Edgewater, CO.; Virgil and wife Iris (Degler) of Yates Center, KS.; Mabel and husband Wade Davis of Burlington, CO.; Lola and husband Reuben Rhoades of Burlington, CO.; Irvin and wife Maxine (Lohr) of DesMoines, IA.; Ray andwife Beth (Miller) DesMoines,IA.; Floyd and wife Ellen (Magee) Independence, MO.; along with 24 grandchildren and 32 great the Liberty Baptist Church. Rev. Ayers stayed on for a year during which time take care of her ailing parents. Their first child (Emma Matilda) was born on 20 June 1864 in Canal Dover, Ohio. While in Worms, Germany three more children were born. Andrew Albert was born 31 Jimmie and Jesse are buried in Fairview Cemetery in Burlington, CO. This was written by their son Clifton October 1867, Katherine Elizabeth was born 6 May 1869, and Ludwig Edward was born 4 May 1871. During the 1870's they returned to the New Philadelphia-Dover area and lived there until the untimely death of Margaretha 15 January "Jim", who is now deceased. by Lola Rhoades WINKLER - REISS FAMILY I.770 meetings were held at various school houges, Happy Hollow, Pleasant Hill, Beaver Valley, and Plain View and during that year 32 more persons accepted Christ. They first had church and Sunday School in the Hale school and then eventually decided to uge the Happy Hollow School which was 4 miles south of the Winfreys. They called several pastors through the years but never could rally enough support to keep one steady. They would try to raise $600 a year for a preacher but sometimes could not even get that much, but even though they didn't have a pastor they continued to have Sunday School every Sunday until about 1952. When the military draft started for World War I in 1917, Jimmie was exempt because 1878. Solmon stayed in the area till about 1882 and then migrated West, settling in the late 1880's on the south side of the Republican River, which was in Arapahoe County at that time. It was on this land that he built his rock house which is still standing on the Ebeler Brothers property. Although the house is located in now Yuma Co., his mail was delivered to the Landsman Post Office in Kit Carson Co. in 1901 and maybe even before that. Just about all his business was conducted in either Burlington or Claremont. He established what is called the Winkler ditch in 1894 and during the early 1900's established a tree nursery business. Emma Matilda died very young on the 18 June 1881 at the age of almost 17. Andrew Albert married Esther Alice Bailey on 16 February 1903 and to this union ten children were born. Daughter, Mary Rosetta (1903-1974) married Emery Allen Hovermale. Children: Dorothy Helen, Earnest Elmer, Robert Leonard, Emmett Orville, Betty Maxine, Esther Virginia, Eva Lucille, Ruth Marie, Emery Jr., Ruby Darlene, and Minnie Catherine. Son, William Andrew (1905-1972) married (lst) Louise T. Riggle. Children: Frederick Lewis, Kathleen Ma- he was 31 years old, had 4 children, and was engaged in farming. All 9 of their children completed their first 8 grades at Cook School, Dist. 86, 3 miles north in Yuma County, and attended several different high schools, tilda, Mary Louise, Evelyn and George. (2nd) Alice Merty Bearnan. Children: James Lee married Letha L. Womack, Janice Marie manied Larry L. Whomble, Jerry O. married Nancy R. Neil, and Jackie Lynn married Donald D. Churches. Daughter, Clara Per- Happy Hollow, Burlington, Idalia, Wray and Bruning, NE. Like most farm families they milked cows and raised chickens for added income. Jimmie bought his first tractor in 1930 and the wheat he sowed that fall produced the best yield he had ever had, but the price cilla (1907-) married (1st) HeneryE. Geesesy. (2nd) Frank Standifer. (3rd) George Wood. Daughter, Hannah Francis (1910-) married dropped to below 50 cents a bushel. The next 7 years were rough. With the drought and dust bowl days many farmers just gave up and moved away, leaving their land to be gold for taxes. Jimmie had borrowed $3000.00 from the Federal Land Bank in Wichita, but things got so bad it was impossible for him to keep up the payments and eventually the bank foreclosed, then rented it back to him ifhe would stay there and keep trying to farm it. Before the '30's were over he managed to buy it back along with more gtass land. Two of their sons, Irvin and Ray, served in the U.S. Armed Forces in World War IL In 1952 they helped to organize the First Baptist Church in Burlington and in 1954 a The house was built in the late 1800's. grandchildren. Winfrey on Feb. 18, 1916. Those present were Rev. Ayers, John and Nettie Winfrey, Jimmie and Jesgie Winfrey, and Ed Winfrey (Jimmies'brother). It was decided to organize as Rock house built by Solomon Winkler. The house is still standing on the Ebeler Brothers Property. Solomon Winkler. (tst) WiUiam McCloskey. Child: William. (2nd) D.E. Long. Child: Bonnie. (3rd) C.L. Faulkner. Daughter, Mable Edna (1912Solomon Winkler was born January, 1842 in Tuscarawas County, Ohio to Joseph and Katherina (Neiger) Winkler who migrated from Canton Bern, Switzerland to New Philadelphia, Ohio in 1835. Solomon met Margaretha Reiss (who migrated from Wollstein, Germany) in New Philadelphia and was married 29 October 1863. They had a saloon, grocery, and dry goods business in Dover, Ohio until returning to Worms, Hesse Darmstadt, Germany to 1945) married (1st) Joseph McCloskey. (2nd) Leslie Stage, Children: Nancy, LeRoy, Geraldine. Daughter, Edith Viola (1914-) married (lst) Lorine (Tracy) Horton. Children: Walter, Everett Owen, Bertha May, Russell, Peggy Loraine, and Sharon Jean. (2nd) Monte Benson. Son, Edward Solomon (191?1972) married Christa Whaley. Children: David, Betty Jane and Edward Stanley. Three children, a baby boy (1908), Irene Alberta (1916), and Albert Eugene Maine �(192a) died in infancy. Katherine Elizabeth married John Martin Lee Yount on 6 February 1892 and to this union eight children were born. Daughter, Hazel Loretta (1896-1980) married (lst) Mr. William Bauder. Child: Ruthie. (2nd) Walter Riggle. (3rd) William Claussen. Son, Clay R. (1902-1983) married Geneva Fletcher. Children: Virginia and Norma Jean. Son, Frank F. (1902-1980) married Myrtle May Webb Hetzel. Son, Jacob S. (1907-1959) married Hazel McClure. Child: Jerry. Son, Harry G. (f907-1959) married Louise Phillips. Daughter, Margaret (1910-) married (1st) Louis Denny. (2nd) Irvin Lavier. Children: Sharon, Jackie and David. Two children: Baby boy and Howard died in infancy. Ludwig Edward married Anna M. Click on 2 July 1899 and to this union two children were born. Son. Sirvester Solomon Jefferson (1902-1980) married Mildred Weaver. Child: Shirley. Daughter, Phila Mina married Rudolph Poletti. Children: Regina, Richard, Dennis. David and Yevonne. Solomon passed away on 16 April 1917 and is buried at the St. John's Evangelical Cemetery at Idalia, Colorado. by Jackie L. Churches northwest of the present Peconic elevator, Within a short time, 2 of the family's 4 milch cows bloated and died, thus prompting the family to seek a place with good grass. This they found on the "Correction Line" 12 miles south and 3 miles west of Burlington. This place was to remain home to Dean until 1961, except for a period of time when he attended college. Dean grew up with farming and ranching, Iearning under the able leadership of his father. With cows to milk, calves and hogs to feed, tractors to drive, and a variety of other jobs to be done, the family always kept busy. Before Dean was old enough to attend school, the southwest district consolidated with the Burlington School System. He therefore started and attended school in Burlington all 12 years. Just before Christmas during his first year, the cloth topped bus he rode each day had the misfortune of having a mechanical failure and rolling over into the ditch of the then gravelled Highway 51 (now 385) south of town one morning. Several of the children were seriously injured, but fortunately they all recovered. Dean enjoyed school and took full advantage of all the opportunities it had to offer. One of his favorites was sports, especially football. During his junior year he met a senior girl by the name of Bonnie Joy Dobler. Following a 2 year WITZEL, DEAN FAMILY him home to a small house located 1 mile F77r courtship she became his bride. Bonnie was born in Sterling, Colorado on Nov. 19, 1938, to Theodore Herbert Dobler and Lydia Lebsack Dobler. Her entry into the world was made at St. Benedict's Hospital. On the cold frosty night of Oct. 10, 1939, Donald Dean was born to Franklin Leroy Witzel and Julia Lenore Pettibone Witzel at the Gieshonor Maternity Home in Goodland, Kansas. He was their first child and thev took Her parents were irrigated farmers near Proctor, Colorado because the Dust Bowl afforded no mercies to their little farm northwest of Burlington. In 1941 things began to look better and the family returned to the little adobe house 4 miles west and 5 miles north of Burlington. In this family too, there were cows to milk, eggs to gather, calves to feed, and corncobs to gather for heat. Cleaning the chicken house was one of the least favorite jobs. Bonnie rode the bus to and from school and loved going to town to school and meeting new kids. She too became active in the various activities, especially enjoying music. During this time she also became involved in the 4-H program, with Carl and Gerry Dvorak as leaders of Sunshine 4-H Club. During her senior year she fell for the football captain, Dean Witzel. Upon her graduation she accepted a secretarial position at the Kit Carson County Department of Social Services. On August 18, 1957 we were married at First Christian Church in Burlington in a very pretty summer wedding, going on to Gunnison to attend Western State College and for Dean to take advantage ofhis football scholarship. However, his love for farming was greater, and after football season was over (He played 1 season) we returned home to farm with his parents. In 1961 we moved to the Franke place, which was the original headquarters in 1900 of the Chicago Land and Cattle Company. We milked cows, raised hogs, irrigated corn, pinto beans and wheat. After a few years we changed the milch cows to a beef cow/calf operation to go along with the irrigation. Each spring for a number of years we did custom fertilizing for Western Fertilizer, applying Anhydrous Ammonia as well as dry fertilizer in later years. In the fall we did custom bean harvesting for various other farmers in the area. During these busy years we were also blessed with three children; Doug born Nov. 22,1958; Dena born Sept. 6, 1960; and Donn born Nov. 25,L964. Even through their young years they went with us to do whatever job there was to be done. Running siphon tubes out of an irrigation ditch proved to be the most "fun" job. Everybody always helped carry tubes, which meant mud from head to foot, losing an occasional shoe, and only once did someone fall into that cold water. Our children all attended the Burlington Schools. They too discovered the many new opportunities afforded to "country" kids. With a little encouragement they became involved in at least trying music, (not always with success) then sports (which we all seemed to thrive on), drama, and any kind of competition. We all worked hard at home in order to be able to go whenever the kids participated in something. This proved to be very rewarding when we attended state football playoffs (especially in 1976 when Burlington won the state championship and Doug played center on the team), Dena directing the band in her position as drum majorette and twirler, or Donn playing varsity football or wrestling in the State Wrestling Competition two years in a row. During these years Bonnie went to work in town again as a secretary to help pay for the extra driving. However, it was certainly all worth it. We also became involved in 4-H, first just the kids, and then Dean and I becams lssdsls in various capacities. We held these responsibilities in my former 4-H Club, Sunshine, for most of the next 10 years. These times were Dean and Bonnie Witzel. 1987. special when club members excelled in projects and activities and were rewarded �with trips to Chicago to National 4-H Club Congress or catching a calf at the National Western Stock Show or county fair, or just square dancing at Camp Tobin at Colorado "%r. girls. A cattle ranch had always been the dream of this young couple, but the availability of enough grass had always been a problem. State Fair. March of 1940 afforded the opportunity to Also during this time Dean served two terms on the RE6J Board of Education. In 1974 we were named Outstanding Young Farmer by the local Jaycees and placed third in a lively state competition. move to the ideal place for this dream, a farm 12 mi. south and 3% west of Burlington. Here there was lots of grass and go-back, no fences for miles, and the correction line was still only a trail. Moving day dawned bright and sunny, June of 1981 completed the transition from irrigated farming and cattle to mostly dryland farming and sheep. We began a new farmstead of our very own, located 12 miles south, 2 west and 3/ south of Burlington. We have designed and are working on an earth sheltered home (hopefully in the near future). After several years of being employed, Dean with 4-Corners Fertilizer and myself at The Burlington Record, we are once again working for ourselves. but by evening a real eastern Colorado Doug is married and has blessed us with a grand daughter, Maggie. He is employed at Herman Construction and is also getting into the sheep business. Dena is married and has blessed us with a grandson, Brian, and lives in Greeley where she is a computer operator. Donn, after attending 2 yrs. at Fort Hays problem was soon taken care of with straight State, is employed at Home Center in Burlington, and also has several other busi- ness ventures going. Involved? Yes, we remain involved. We are active members of First Christian Church in Burlington, have a feed business, work at the county fair and help out in the 4-H program whenever we can, and are members of Colorado Woolgrowers. Bonnie enjoys the Burlington Garden Club. Sometimes the schedule seems impossible, but it keeps life interesting. When you stop to realize the sacrifices made by generations before us so that we are able to be citizens of the United States of America, it is only a small favor to ask that we remain involved and continue to help make this world a better place for the next generation to enjoy some of the privileges we have had in our day. This land, despite hailstorms, drouths, and other disasters, has certainly been good to all of us. by Bonnie Witzel WITZEL, FRANK AND LENORE F772 A sod house located 9 miles north and 1 mile east of Kanorado, Kan. (in Colorado) was the birthplace of Lenore Pettibone on Nov. 9. 1916. She was the second of 4 daughters born to Clarence and Celia Smalley Pettibone. Her parents met when Celia taught at the Bert McCall School. Clarence, while transporting his younger brothers and sisters to and from school, became acquainted with and later married the local school marm, and together they raised their girls, Leah, Lenore, Maxine and Thelma. During this time they also built a new farmstead 7 miles north and Vz east of Kanorado. Frank Witzel was born in Gurley, Neb. on Oct. 8, 1915. He was the third of 5 children born to William Henry and Martha Krueger Witzel. In 1923 William and Martha brought their fanily and possessions by horses and blizzard had set in. The following morning there was a herd of range horses backed up against the house to find shelter. One of the many other experiences facing this family were the bedbugs who had already taken residence in the 3 room house. Extermination was a problem, especially with a new baby in the house. Lenore remembers setting the Iegs of the baby bed in tin cans full of kerosene, to keep them from getting on the baby. The gasoline. The first calves for the ranch were bought at the Stratton Sale Barn and hauled home in the trunk of the old Chrysler car. Gathering a reputable Hereford herd took several Frank and Lenore Witzel'on their 50th wedding anniversar5l. wagons, from Sidney, Neb., and became temporary residents of the now vacant sod house. William, also a lover of the land, farmed and raised livestock. Martha served as the community midwife, which kept her busy along with their children, Margaret, Ezra, Frank, Della and William. Frank and Lenore grew up in the same community, attending the same Sunday School, which was held at the District 76 School. Fun times were the basket dinners, neighborhood dances, and other neighborhood gatherings at various homes in the community. As the Witzels and the Pettibones neighbored back and forth, it came as no surprise when Frank chose Lenore to be his bride. They were married Jan. 22, 1934, in Goodland, Kan., and moved into a small 2 room house on Frank's parents' place. During the first years of their marriage, Frank worked along with his father. He and Lenore also ran a trapline in the area during the winter, trapping badgers, skunks, coyotes, and rabbits, selling the hides to Ebert Lynn at the barbershop in Burlington. April of 1937, they rented the Charlie Hansen place near Peconic, from Henry Hoskin. Frank's father gave them a 1020 McCormick Deering tractor on steel wheels with lugs. Farming land on both sides of the "Golden Belt Highway" (now Highway 24) they had to lay planks across the highway before crossing with the 1020, so as not to damage the roadway with the lugs of the tractor. They always had a few cows to milk and chickens for eggs. This was when you could trade a 30 doz. case ofeggs for enough groceries to last a while. During the off season of farming, Frank worked for Maynard Pratt and Abe Ratzlaff for $1.50 per day. In the fall of 1939, he worked under county boss, Jake Schlichenmayer, when the new bridge was built near the Rell Morrow place. Teams of horses were used to pull the slip or fresno during the construction. Oct. 10, 1939, their first son, Donald Dean, was born. This was a special occasion for the Pettibone family after raising a family of all years, during which they also purchased milch cows from Kenny Scheierman. Then the chance to purchase 60 head of Herefords from Charlie Gergen came along, and the numbers of the cattle operation began to increase more rapidly. Frank and Lenore continued the cow-calf herd until 1980. Nov. 17, 1944, brought the anival of Eugene Leroy, their second son. Two sons, farming, a cow herd, and custom work kept them busy year around. Frank worked on threshing crews for Frank Barber and Guy McArthur. As soon as the boys were in school, Lenore worked along side him, leaving when the school bus came in the morning, and being back home when the boys returned in the afternoon. Drought, hailstorms, and blizzards played a big part in the lives of this family. They recall butchering chickens all night July 4, 1946, following a devastating hailstorm. After a day of branding and working cattle, the storm came up, killing chickens, breaking windows, etc. Thanks to whole family working together, they were able to salvage at least part of the damage. The irrigation well in 1955, and machinery were among the many changes during their farming career. A 4440 John Deere tractor is a far cry from the 1020 McCormick Deering or teams of horses. One of Frank's favorite pastimes though is still horses, and he still has a few for his own enjoyment. In 1967 they purchased their new home in Burlington where they now reside, but are still actively engaged in farming, occasionally slipping away to enjoy some trout fishing. They followed and supported both their sons as well as 6 grandchildren as they attended and graduated from the Burlington School system, and have been active church members. In 1957 Dena married Bonnie Dobler and Doug, Dena and Donn became another generation of Witzels. In 1962 Gene manied Barbara Hayden and added Tom, Laurie and Greg. Now 2 great grandchildren have begun yet another generation. This past January Frank and Lenore celebrated 53 years of married life or, as they put it, "pulling together in a double harness". A busy but enjoyable life, with many many blessings; the smell of the freshly turned �earth, a beautiful Eastern Colorado sunset, the winter there were hot lunches. Different to mention only a few, but each new day is still al challenge for this ranching and families took turns preparing the lunches. The kids ranged from first graders to eighth farming family. graders. During a bad dirt storm, the kids had to stay at school till early morning when their parents finally picked them up. In 1943 Will, Martha, and Bill bought a by Bonnie Witzel WTTZEL, WILLIAM DON (BrLL) ranch south of Bethune for their cattle operation. Bill was drafted in 1945 and came back home the last part of 1946. The blizzard of 1946 left the family stranded for about 5 weeks. The food supply was almost exhausted F773 Frederick Witzel was born February 15, 1857, at Dolle, Germany. At age 11 he came with his parents to America, settling at Moline, Illinois. Fredericka (Guenther) Wit- zel was born at Burgstal, Germany on September 5, 1861. She met Frederick and they were married in 1881. They had 7 daughters and 3 sons - one being William Henry Witzel. "Will", as he was called, was born January 31, 1884, in Brainard, Nebraska. Herman Krueger was born on May 23, 1862, in Germany. Herman came as a stow- away aboard a ship bound for the U.S.A. when he was 17 years old. Augusta Henrietta (Wehsener) Witzel was born April 1, 1865. Herman and Augusta were married and had 3 sons and 2 daughters - one being Martha Marie (Krueger) Witzel. She was born on September 23, 1889, in Blue Earth, Minnesota. Will and Martha met in Nebraska when their two families were neighbors. Martha's family moved back to Minnesota. While in Minnesota, Herman Krueger died when he was 44 years old. He was working on a windmill and his hand became caught in the wheel. Herman turned the wheel backwards to free his hand. Infection set in and killed Herman. Augusta moved to town with the kids. Martha was sixteen and went to work for other people to help support her younger brothers and sister. Will was farming with his Dad in Nebraska. Although Will was in Nebraska and Martha was in Minnesota, they kept in touch. Will proposed to Martha on a postcard. One day Will put on his best overalls and boarded a train. Everybody thought Will was going on a business trip. Will arrived in Minnesota and found Martha. Will told Martha they were getting married, he couldn't wait any longer. They were married September 22, 1908, in Blue Earth. Minnesota. When Will returned to Nebraska, he had a wife. Will and Martha lived in Nebraska. To this before they finally got to town. Betty Lou (Bovd) Witzel was born November 25, 1928, in Polk County, Nebraska, to Pete and Ida Boyd. When Betty was 3 years old, her family moved south of Burlington. She attended one-room country school, First View, with her 4 brothers and 2 sisters. Bill and Betty met at a country dance. On February 18, L947, Bill and Betty were married in Goodland, Kansas. The next day they went home and fed cattle because of a blizzard. They lived with Bill's folks for a year. Times were hard in 1948 so Bill drove a school bus for First Central. Roads were through pastures to some homes. In 1948 Will and Martha moved to Arvada where they lived until Will died on June 23, 1963. Martha moved back down to the farm and lived with Bill and Betty until she died at home on February 26, 1986. Both Will and Martha are buried at Fairview Cemetery in Burlington, Co. Bill and Betty continue to live on the farm south of Bethune. To this union 3 children were born. The older son - Kenneth Paul and a set of twins Daniel Ray and Donna Fay. Ken is married to Donna (Thompson) and 5 children were born - Wendy, deceased, Kip, Todd, Lance and Kyle. Ken lives by and farms with his dad. Dan is mamied to Patty (Schwieger) and they have 4 sons - James, Kelly, Ryan and Scott. Dan farms southeast of Stratton. Donna is married to Dave Gwyn and they have 4 children - LaDawn, Amber, KaTina and Andrew. The Gwyn's live south of Stratton where Dave is involved in ranching. by Bill Witzel WOLFE - MATHEWS FAMILY F774 up there and graduated from the Kinsley high school. Clyde D. Wolfe, my father, was born on the Robert A. Wolfe farm at Lewis, Kansas, June 20, 1889. He attended country school Number 13 near there. He grew to manhood on the home farm learning to be a farmer, the occupation he followed all his life. Clyde and Alice met when she later beceme the teacher ofthat same country school. They were married in Kansas City, Kansas, December 15, 1914. Land was cheaper in Colorado than in Kansas. Clyde made his first trip to Colorado on a motorcycle in 1915 or 1916. He bought a quarter section of sod land two miles east and a fourth mile north of Flagler. He paid $1800.00 for the quarter section. A well was dug and a two room frame house and a frame barn were built. The weathered barn and wind mill still stand northeast of Flagler. In the spring of 1916, Clyde hired a young m€rn to drive a team and wagon loaded with supplies from Kansas to Colorado. The trip took about three weeks. The stock, machinery and household goods were brought in one end of a railroad car, the other end being used for the stock. Clyde traveled in the railroad car with the stock. Alice, with their first baby, came by passenger train in May of 1916. Clyde started farming in Colorado with horses, a moldboard plow, a disk, a single row lister and cultivator. About 1922, he bought a Case tractor, a three moldboard plow, a disk and a drill so that he could grow wheat. Horses were still used extensively. Seven children were born to the union Jack, Charity, Opal, Ruby, Betty, Robert and Clyde William. Our family lived on four different places in the Flagler area the home on the original quarter and then -the Ball place two miles east of town. In 1928, the Nielsen place, one mile east and four miles north of town was purchased. In 1934, we moved to the Henry Kliewer place one mile east and three miles north of town. We survived the depression, the drouth and the dust storms of the thirties. During the worst years our cows survived by eating thistles. We burned our share of cow chips and if we were lucky we had corn cobs. In good years we had coal. We raised, butchered and cured our own meat. We raised a big garden, canned the produce and over the years our mother hatched and raised thousands of chickens. My mother tells this story. It was about union were born 2 sons and 2 daughters. Will and his father, Frederick, sold their land in Nebraska and bought land in Colorado. They could get two acres of Colorado land to every one acre of Nebraska land. The families moved by a teom of horses and wagons in 1923. Frederick moved northeast of Bur- 1922. Silent movies were shown in Seal hall. As a special treat the folks decided to take in a movie. We all contracted small pox at the show. Fortunately we had light cases and we all survived. About 1924, radios became available. Our father bought a Crosley with a big metal horn for a speaker. It had A batteries, B batteries lington. Will moved 23 miles northeast of Burlington. Frederick died May 20, 1923, and Frederick died April L2, 1935. Both are buried at the Fairview Cemetery in Burlington, Co. While living here Will and Martha had another son - William Don Witzel (Bill) on January 9, t927. Bill was born in the sod house. Bill went to Plainview School District 33, a one-room country school 5 miles from his house. Different families each week took turns hauling kids to and from school. During My mother, Alice May Mathews Wolfe, was born on the Mathews Hereford ranch at Kinsley, Kansas, October 31, 1890. She grew Wedding picture of Alice May Mathews and Clyde D. Wolfe. married December 15, 1914 in Kansas City, Kansas. and a storage battery. It required an outside aerial from the house to a pole in the yard. Neighbors often came in the evening to listen to the radio. We also enjoyed an Edison record player with cylindrical records and a great tin horn. The great-grandchildren consider it a treat to hear that record player today. In 1938, the family moved to a farm four miles south and a half mile east of Elizabeth. �Y ,,iiffil] ' i.; i' t,lirra ',llll,:;ll''j was born on my Mother's birthday, Sept. 21, 1955. When we would move Dad would look f, :- : -t-.. for jobs in the want ads in the papers. Then we'd sell the larger household items, pack our personal belongings in a truck and car and we'd be off. When we got to our new homlre'd buy what ever we needed to get by on. I guess to some it might look like we never had much but we were always well fed and well clothed. Mom always said we got good educations too because we had to learn to get along with all kinds of people. On most of the ranches Mom would cook 3 meals a day for 10-Jp ranch hands, and still do the laundry, an{.jleaning, care it took to raise 5 children. Dadlnew and loved horses and cattle, he took good care of them and taught us to do the same. We always had a good dog, too! We were trained to care for all the animals before we ate or came in for the day. Dad was very particular about building a good fence and keeping a neat yard. Some of the states we lived in were: Nebraska, California, Idaho, Texas, and Colorado. Dad came from Herndon, Ks. and Mom from Culbertson, Nebr. We were living on a ranch at Roggen, Colo. when Gene and Jan Hadacheck from Vona cntne and asked us to work for them in 1959-60. I can Golden wedding celebration of Alice and Clyde Wolfe taken at Opal Wolfe Mauldin's home, Lakewood, Colorado in 1965. s* father stayed up all night and about 2 A.M. awakened her to view the celestial spectacle. by Charity Wolfe Clement WOLKENSDORFER FAMILY F775 My parents Urbin Raymond "Shorty" Wolkensdorfer, and Mary Louise "Marylou" Fish were married in 1941, in McCook, Nebr. My father served in W.W. II, where he was awarded the Purple Heart for a wound he Weathered barn built by Clyde Wolfe about 1916' Picture was taken in 19?9. Colorado. Jack and Charity graduated from the Flagler high school. Opal, Ruby, Betty, Robert and Clyde William graduated from the Elizabeth high school. The children all survive. All are married and have families. Jack served overseas as a marine in World War II. Clyde William served overseas in the Korean war. My brothers all reside in the Lewis, Kansas area. Opal and I live in Lakewood, Colorado. Ruby and Betty live at Elizabeth, Colorado. Our father passed away in 1978 at the age of 89. Our mother survives at the age of 95. She lives alone in her home in Elizabeth. She goes to church, writes her own checks and still raises chickens. She has twenty-six grandchildren and thirty great grandchildren. She recalls seeing Halley's Comet in 1910. Her sustained in battle. My mother kept a scrapbook of the happenings of the War as it spread across Europe. When us kids were older we always wanted to show off with the medals etc., but Dad wouldn't let us; he'd say, "put those away (or) throw them away" he, (understandably), wanted to put those dark days far behind him. I, Janice Louise, was born the eldest of five children on Feb. 3, 1947, in St. Joseph's Hospital in Denver. My mother recently gave me a copy of the bill, it was only $62.89, but I suppose that seemed Iike a lot then. My father worked on ranches, some were far from any towns. There was no elecricity, or telephones, I wonder how they did it? Dad worked hard. I can remember one cattle roundup where the men branded and worked the calves out in the pasture, and Mom brought the meal out to them. On Dec. 8, 1948, my sister Margie Kaye, was born in McCook, Nebr. and then on May 4 1950, my other sister, Theresa Raye was born in McOook also. Then we moved to a ranch called the Tausig Ranch at Kremling, Colo. where my brother Dennis John (Jack) was born on Dec. 10, 1951. From here to the Kilpatrick Ranch at Imperial, Nebr. where my younger brother Joseph Raymond (Joe), remember the blizzard of that year, the snow was so bad we missed school for two weeks. We had to make the days up by attending on Saturdays. We moved away in 1960 only to return again in 1963-64. At this time Dad worked for Roy Wasson, and Mom worked at the Kit Carson County Hospital. Then we moved back to the Reed Ranch and worked for Gene Hadacheck again. It was here that my husband Lyndell Salmans and I |.egan dating. Our house was on the correctionjidtrth of Vona, and I can still remember how excited I'd get watching for him to come down the Vona road in his brand new 1964 Chevrolet car. We graduated from High School together in 1965 and were married in 1966 at the St. Charles Catholic Church in Stratton by Father Edward Dinan. We lived in Canon City, Colo. for 3 years, then returned to the Salmans farm north of Vona. I hope to never move again because I love this Kit Carson county and the people in it. But . . . if my husband said "Let's go" I've have enough practice at moving so I'd say "I'm ready". Although my pioneer spirit had been quenched back in 1957 or '58, when I had decided to do like I'd heard tell of my forefathers and walk home from school. The one mistake I had made was, not telling anyone where I was going, and the other mistake I had made was, not taking a direct route home! I walked over the Dam, (I don't even know the name of it today, but it was near Minetare, Nebraska). When I didn't get off the school bus, my mother (very worried of course) went to search for me, and had to return empty-handed only to find me sitting there very smug. Well needless to say she took the pioneer spirit right out of me!!! She said "I'm tired of the "roughing it days", like the time when I'd killed several snakes (and she was scared of snakes) and piled them bq the burn barrel to show Daddy and there-you were right in the middle of them playing with the old dead things and the other time when Theresa was a new baby and nearly died of pneumonia, and you and Margie were playing at a stock tank you came screaming in to tell me Margie wasswimmingin the tank, I didn't know what to do, Theresa was turning blue �Henry Wood and his son Harvey Wood in the 1940's. The Gordon Burr homestead was a sod house, a barn with a stall on one end for his buggy team and a rock corral with part ofthis covered with a thatch roof of soap weeds, etc. Some of the corral rock foundation is still visible today. This is west of where my trailer house sets. The Burr homestead was known as the "horse ranch" because during this time many horse traders headquartered here. Henry Wood built a two story, four room rock house which still stands, raising his family of 6 boys and 1 girl; Lucy, Art, Haivey, Ted, Earl, Ralph, and Ivan. In 1916 they built a barn 20x80 feet which is still in good shape. In 1930 my parents Harvey and Dale Wobd moved on to the place and have operated it, later buying the place in May of 1940. They added to the old rock house in the late 30b and late 40's to its present structure and raised their family of 3 boys and 3 girls here; Lois, Bud, Merna, Bill, Bob and Audrev. From 1940 until April 1962, Harvey Wood put together some homesteads of Rosser Davis, Alfred Clair, Leah Glass Davis. Flovd Shields, John G. Davis, Johnny Jay, Elias Davis, John Glass Davis, Joseph Newberry, Jrbin Raymond and Marylou wolkensdorfer taken in Mccook, NE on May 81, rg41. tnd another kid of mine was drowning, and ;hat you'd better learn to appreciate things ike telephones and school-buses" . . . I ;hought (at the time) she'd made a little nuch of a "little ole walk" home. but todav vith raising children of my own I see hei loint very clearly. I always tell people I went to 20 schools refore I graduated and lived in 5 states. but like Colorado the best. My sister Margie narried Rodney Davis and they live south of /ona; my sister Theresa lives in Greeley, and s about to be remarried. My brother Jack is narried and lives in Shallow Water, Kansas, .nd my brother Joe is married and lives in )enver. My parents now have 10 grandchilden. They now live in Denver, but have never ost the knack to move around and Mother 98 says she's gotten quite used to it and can do it pretty well by now. by Janice Salmans William Wilcox, Morton Davis, Charles Woodard, Frank Rich, Homer Hightower, Carrie Root, Taylor, Carl Andrais, I.D. Messenger and the last piece of land, the Knoll place, making the ranch approximately 6000 acres. The late 20's and early 30's took a drastic WOOD FAMILY toll on the homesteaders due to finance, F776 Wood Ranch My grandfather, Henry Wood came here in 1909 and bought a relinquishment from Gordon Burr and moved his wife. Rachel. and family here in 1910 from Hill City, Kansas and later homesteaded the NW %, sec. 18, TW 6, range 46. moral, the "dust bowl" days. grasshopper plagues and the 193b flood. Rosser Davis moved his family after the 193b flood southeast ofthe ranch. Others moved to other parts of the country some leaving in the 1920's. While Harvey and Dale Wood were raising their family, they worked hard and long hours. Chores consisting of milking cows-, feeding calves and hogs and putting up hay and feed. In the summers of the B0's and 40's putting up the hay was done by horses stacking the hay loose. This always took from �7 to 12 hired men each summer and Dale always cooked for these men and still took care of her families needs. The hay fields on the Wood ranch have seen many changes from horse drawn machinery to the modern tractor, swathers and balers. Irrigation on the hay and alfalfa land has been a big change. My mother, Dale, and brother Bob still live on the home place, and my wife, Eva, and I live in a mobile home, moving on the place in 1960, raising our 3 children, Devin, Janet, and Lance here on the Wood Ranch. by Edward (Bud) Wood WOOD - ADOLF FAMILY r.777 ,,,;',, ,:': :' "Bud" Edward C. Wood was born Dec. 19, 1931, in a rock house twenty miles northeast of Stratton, Co., near the Republican River, to Harvey W. and Iona Dale Baker Wood. The second child of six children: Lois Wood Adolf born Jan. 8, 1930, died Feb. 26, 1955, Merna Wood Benton, born Aug. 29, 1934' William H. Wood born Oct. 9, 1936, Robert S. Wood born May 21, L940 and Audrey Wood Smith, born Nov. 30, 1943. Bud attended South Tuttle School District # 39 for six years, one year in Stratton school, then back to South Tuttle for his eighth grade. He stayed home one year then attended Kirk High, graduating in 1950. Bud was drafted into the armed services in 1952 during the Korean War. He served the ,';]:'l' Eva and Bud Wood on their wedding day June 5, ;.t:: 1955. Bud and one of his saddle horses in 1976. education. Bud and I both are members of "there's a snake out here." Bud and Philip went out and killed a big rattlesnake. They got to looking and killed 19 more! So there was enough of us as the rattlers had been bad for several years. We bought a mobile home and moved to Bud's folks' place in 1961. We still live there. Along with his Dad and brother, Bob, they raise cattle, horses, hay, wheat and corn, Their father passed away July 27, 1987. Bud enjoys raising top quality cattle and good saddle horses. Bud gets a great deal of Immanuel Lutheran Church. and our children were baptized and confirmed into the Immanuel Lutheran Church. Janet graduated from Colorado State University in 1980, Lance from the Nor- theastern Junior College, in 1979 and Devin will graduate from Utah State University in 1988. 29th Division with the 519th Engineers, being When we were first married we lived on a place belonging to Ed Stahlecker, 5 miles discharged in Oct. of 1954. Bud married Eva Marie Adolf on June 5, 1955. We had three children, Devin C. born Aug. 3, 1956, Janet M. born Sept. 3, 1958, and Lance D. born Sept. 29, 1959. All three graduated from Stratton High School. Two of our goals for our family was church and south from where we live now. We lived here for 5 years and this is where all three of the children were born. In the fall of 1960 Philip Waitman and two of his sons stopped by for a visit. The children were out playing in the yard pulling a wagon up and down the road. One of the boys came running in and said, enjoyment raising and racing thoroughbreds and running quarter horses. One of our highlights in our life has been a trip to Ireland in 1984. While there we got to go the Ireland National Stud Farm. This was a real thrill to Bud as he got to see some of the top National Studs and their young colts. They were very beautiful animals. I, Eva Marie, was born on Dec. 4, 1933 to A.W. and Mary Weisshaar Adolf. My younger brother, Allan, and I were often referred to as their "second family", as there was several years between us and the older children. I had 5 sisters and 1 brother older: Hilda (Ziegler), Amanda (Richards), Leona (Hefner), Gladys (Patterson), Art Adolf, Della (Pugh). With the exception of Della the rest were gone from home. When the kids were in school we enjoyed going to sports and activities, they were involved in. I like to sew, knit and like to be outdoors, gardening and raising calves. Bud was a 4-H leader for 8 years and I was a 4-H leader for 10 years. Bud served on the F.H.A. board for 3 years, and six years on the Stratton School board. I worked for one year at Duckwalls and 2 years as bookkeeper for J.M. McDonald Co. Our youngest son Lance married Teresa Admas on Aug. 22, L987. by Eva Wood Our family, L. to R.; Janet, Devin, Eva, Bud, Lance Wood and seated A.W. and Mary Adolf on their 60th wedding anniversary in L972, �WOOD - STORER FAMILY r.778 Henry and Rachel in Corpus Christi, Texas. Winter of 1929-80. Henry Harrison Wood, Rachel Haws "Storer" Wood, daughter Lucy Charlotte and son Arthur about 1900. at least once in the early 1900's from Vz mlle south of the farm to Vz mile north.) The south, or lower half, of the farm was purchased from Mr. Floyd Burr and the upper part was homesteaded by Henry and Rachel and it was on this part they built their home. (This home is presently owned by Harvey and Dale Wood and sons.) Besides raising the family of seven children there, Henry and Rachel bred and raised saddle and work horses, hogs, cattle, and always a large garden. The cash crop was always baled hay, eggs, and cream. Ag were all of the pioneers of the area, they were very frugal, inventive, and either "made do or do without". Ralph Wood relates the time when a "Merry-go-round" came to the old "Tuttle Store" (located only about a mile northwest of the farm adjacent to the "Messenger Farm"), that was powered by an old steam boiler. Shortly after its arrival the gates burned out and fell apart. His father, Henry, was an old hand at steam-powered threshing machines, and using some mud from a bog down on the river, fashioned some Henry H. and Rachel H. Wood around the year 1900. Henry Harrison Wood was born November 28,t870, in Shelby County, Iowa to James M. Wood and Celia Ann Harris. He married Rachel Haws Storer, daughter of Aaron Storer and Charlotte Minniss of Bloomington, Osborne County, Kansas, on Sept. 25, 1894. To them were born 1 daughter, Lucy C. Wood, and 6 sons: Arthur, Harvey, Lester (Ted), Earl, Ralph; The youngest, Ivan, was born at "Tuttle", Kit Carson County, Colo, on the 17th of June 1912. During the 15 years of residence in Kansas, Henry H. Wood was a farm laborer or share cropper, and plied a trade of following the harvest and running a threshing machine and crew. In the spring of 1909, Henry and family arrived in Burlington, Colo. by railway, and a Mr. Jake Pierce took them out to the site that was to become their new home. Located on the north side of the Republican River, approximately 20 miles NE of Statton, Colo. and within a Yz mile or so of the old "Tuttle School" (even though the school was moved grates and repaired the boiler. All of the Wood children got to ride "Free" for their Dad's services in fixing the engine. Rachel Wood was a saintly woman with a heart full of charity. She served as midwife to two-thirds of the babies born in this area (as the doctor had to come from Stratton at least an 8-hr. buggy ride away), as well as stepmother to several young women who were befriended by their only daughter "Lucy". They had been either maligned or abused by their own fathers. I'm sure Lucy enjoyed their company as well, being the only girl with 6 younger brothers. Henry and Rachel struggled hard to be sure all ofthe children had a good education, with most of them going to high school in Burlington. Art and Lucy went to college in Grand Island, Nebr. for 2 years; Ralph and Ivan both received college degrees. Harvey started to high school in Stratton, but after a couple ofdays walked home and stated that he 'didn't need that hassle'. That has been proven by his making the old homestead into one of the largest and successful ranches in the northeast corner of Kit Carson Countv. Harvey and Lucy were the only children who stayed to make their lives a part of Kit Carson County history. Lucy married EArl D. Messenger, and they resided first on the old Messenger Homestead, then in Stratton. until her death in 1948. Henry had some wanderlust in his veins, inherited from his father. As the boys grew older and departed, Henry and Rachel were driven to Corpus Christi, Texas, in fall/winter of 1929-30 by their son, Ralph; the lower, warmer climate would help with their health problems. They stayed in some cabins owned by an old sea captain, with whom Henry went fishing a great deal. They obviously were successful as the photo will attest. When his beloved Rachel passed away in May, 1933, Henry pretty well turned the ranch over to Harvey and Dale and spent his remaining years traveling throughout the Western states, fishing and hunting in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, California, and around Salida, Colo. He returned each witner to the ranch and to his daughter Lucy's home in Stratton. He passed on June 4, 1950, and he and Rachel are interred in the Burlington cemetery. by C.W. Messenger WOOD, HARVEY F779 Harvey Wood came to Colorado in 1910 as a child from Hill City, Kansas, with his parents, Henry and Rachel, sister Lucy, brothers Arthur, Lester, Earl, Ralph and Ivan. Harvey was the third child. They lived 20 miles northeast of Stratton on the Republican River. On November 11, 1928, Harvey married Dale Baker. Six children were born to this union: Lois, Edward, Merna, William, Robert and Audrey. All married but Robert. Lois and Ralph Adolf, her husband, had a pair of twin boys, Wayne and Wesley and a baby boy, Junior, two weeks old when Lois passed away in 1955. Each boy has children. .our great grands. Wayne and Vernie have two boys and orre girl, Shawn, Shadd and Shannon. Weslev and Katherine have two girls, Jamie and Kim. Junior and Debbie have one boy, Brian. Edward (Bud) and his wife Eva Adolf have �two boys and one girl: Devin, Lance and Janet. Devin is going to college in Utah; Lance and his wife live and work in Yuma, Colorado; and Janet lives in Sterling where she works for Farmland Industries. Merna and husband, Lee Benton, live 1/z mile north of Joes, Colorado. They have one girl, Lynn Benton Hill, whose two children are Brandon, 5, and Breanna, 3. Currently, Lynn is in Kansas city, Missouri, going to college. William's three boys live in the area. Mel and wife Debbie with baby Tyler, 16 months, live north of Vona. Darwin and wife Denise have two boys, Nathan, 5 years, and Niklas, 18 months. Marvin, youngest, is at Kansas to take care of Raymond's mother. After her death they returned to Burlington where they are now living in one ofthe houses moved into "Old Town", and they are both employed there. Old Town is getting to be quite an attraction being flashed on the T.V. news every evening. The huge restored old red barn, the little Methodist Church, the one room country school house, and the house the Woods family is living in, is only the beginning. Hopefully it will be a tourist attraction in years to come. by Mrs. Ted Eberhart Greeley, Colorado working and going to college part time. Grant is going to college at Rolla, Missouri. Darcy is in his second year of high school, at home with his parents. Harvey's wife, Dale Baker, was born in Kansas near Downs. In 1908 at the age of 17 months, she came to Stratton, Colorado, with her parents, John and lona Baker, a sister Olive, two brothers, Ed and Vean. They lived five miles northwest of Stratton. On the 27the day of July of 1987' Harvey WORTHINGTON FAMILY F78l Dad passed away Feb. 17, 1966 in Denver when I was 13. Ron was in the Navy and Lynn was a senior. My brothers and I farmed until I graduated from school. Lynn farmed for a few years and we leased the land for a period of time, but eventually we sold the farm. While in high school, we enjoyed going to the movies on weekends, going to the pool hall and cruising. The Phillips 66 gas station on the highway was a favorite place to hang out and work on our cars. Larry Kennedy bought a '57 Chevy from his cousin and we used to go to the drag races to watch Larry race. We also had a lot of fun going to Denver on weekends and skiing. School activities included band trips, ball games, and special programs like the Junior and Senior play. Homecoming was always one of the major events of the year, and I still enjoy attending when I can. The homecoming game in 1965 when Flagler beat Seibert 103-0 was one to remember. My brother Lynn had intercepted a pass and was running for a touchdown when F780 Raymond and Leah Woods came to Colorado from Beloit, Kansas in 1945 with their three children, Latry, Alva and Helen Ruth. Raymond went to work for Hinkhouse and Ersch on the Beverage Ranch, in the Smoky my Grandmother Cronkhite, who I don't believe had ever been to one of our gnmes, started calling to Lynn that he was running Hill Community. The children went to the Smoky Hill School, where Ruth Lengell was Larry and Alva's first teacher. Helen, Ruth's remembers her well because she spanked her Tina, Ralph, Karen, Geoff and Bard Worthington in front of their Midland, Texas home, Oct.1987' Bentley was her favorite teacher. Linda Rose was born in 1947 and Susan in My parents, Robert Riley and Shirley The Woods family moved from the Bev- erage Ranch to the Smoky Hill School where Raymond was employed by the school. Leah was one of the bus drivers and also worked in the hot lunch room. All of the Woods children went to Smoky Hill school except Susan until the school was consolidated with Burlington. The Woods moved to the Joe Lindsey place and then back to Smoky Hill, where Raymond was a mechanic and helped everybody with such problems. They bought the ground and the buildings there and later sold them to Barry Walters of Florida. Larry Woods and his family live in Oklahoma, Alva is in Wyoming. Helen Ruth, Linda and Susan are all in Colorado. After leaving the Smoky Hill Community Raymond and Leah went back to Beloit, got a lot of use hunting with Kerry Rich, Bob Polzin, Jay Fellers and other friends. The big ski. WOODS, RAYMOND 1955. off walks, and other odd jobs around town. I had a 4-H calf when I was 12 and used the money I had earned to buy a shotgun, which going to the lake and swimming or finding someone with a boat who would let us water by Dale Baker Y[ood for not spelling the word "this" . . Mrs. various organization get-togethers and card parties were always a chance to play with friends. My brothers and I were in band and played football and other sports. When band started in the 4th grade and we were able to bring instruments home, Odis Goodwin and I would stand on our porches and blow our horns at each other across the street. always be remembered. We always enjoyed - his mother still away in fact. Now Robert and live there. Edward and Eva also live across the driveway from the old home. first teacher, was Mrs. Statler, and she Legion, scouts, church and other functions and enjoyed visiting and playing pitch. The flood in '65 which filled the new dam will passed away. He and his wife had lived on the until he passed Wood place for many years AND LEAH town. Dad sold the farm house and part ofthe land and built a house at 725 Rufner. Dad and Mom were active in the American My brothers and I would earn money selling things, mowing lawns, shoveling snow home. Robert is living with his mother, Dale, at home. Audrey and husband, Doyle Smith, who live in a Kansas City suburb, have three boys: Shane, Grant and Darcy. Shane lives in when the school year was over, we moved back to Flagler, only this time we lived in the wrong way. After graduation in 1971, I went to Morgan County Community College in Ft. Morgan where I met my wife, Tina Marie Wray of Scott City, Ks., and we married in 1973. Mother married Sylvan Morris in 1971 and Margaret (Cronkhite) Worthington, came to they moved to Littleton, where they still live. brothers, Ronald Riley and Donald Lynn, in 1952. Dad had bought a half-section of land 20 miles north of Arriba at Shaw to farm. For a while they lived in Arriba where Mother's parents, Casey and Opel Cronkhite, lived. The family goon moved to a farm northwest of Flagler and I was born soon afterwards on Jan.20, 1953 in the Flagler hospital. Shortly after that, Dad bought a farm seven miles northeast of town from Mother's oldest brother, Kenneth Cronkhite Jr., where Dad farmed and raised cattle. Our nearest neighbors were Gene and Dorothy Nichols, Glen City, IA. in 1981 where I earned my M.S. degree in Geology from the University of Colo. from Seiling, Okla. with my two and Lannie Rutter, and Slim and Zoe Goodwin (who had the only phone in the area). We lived there just a few years and when I was four years old, we moved to Colorado Springs for the rvinter. However After getting a degree in Radio Broadcasting at MCCC, I served four years in the Navy as an Anti-submarine helicopter crewman. After being discharged from the Navy, I went back to college in Colorado Springs and then attended USC in Pueblo, where I earned my B.S. in Geology in 1980. We moved to Iowa Iowa in 1982. I began working as a Petroleum Geologist with Atlantic Richfield (ARCO Oil and Gas Co.) in Denver where we lived for two years. In 1984 we transferred to Midland, Texas, where we currently live at 1700 Cimmaron. Our children are Geoffrey Allan (Dec. 15, 1976, Jacksonville, FL), Karen Ann (May 27, 1981, Iowa City, IA.) and Bradley David (Feb. 5, 1984, Longmont, CO). Growing up in Flagler was a special time �because of the friends and relationships developed during that time which continue even though we have grown up and gone our and her brothers walked to school B miles, playing on the way. There was not too much time to play at home, as they were always busy with chores. They would meet the Rodwell kids on the way and would all sit down and share their lunches. Rodwells would have large cookies in their lunches and the cookies always went first. When noon came no lunch. different ways. by Ralph E. Worthington WORTHINGTON, ROBERT FAMILY In -the fall of '21, Grandad's nephew Cliffard recollects, that he and his Dad and brother stayed with Grandad and said "Nathan knew the Riemenschneiders and E7a2 talked about Mary alot. As Grandad was 24 years her senior he was cautious. but he dressed sporty and he didn't show his age." On their first date he was driving a horse and Robert and Shirley Worthington cnme to Colorado from Oklahoma in September, 1952. We had two sons, Ron and Lynn. In January of 1953 Ralph was born. We lived at that time two miles west of Flagler in the old Dragoo house. While living there the state was in the process of building Interstate 70 buggy. To keep their feet warm he brought along a hot stone and some woolen blankets. Great-grandma told them that one of Gran- ny's brothers would go along and Grandad said, "That's alright, the more the merrier." After that it was ok for them to go along by themselves. Grandad was known to sing to Granny on almost every date. Some of his favorites were "Whistling Rufus", "Doris", "My Little Girl", and "She's more to be so detoured the traffic by our house. We had lots of dust storms at that time. In 1957 we purchased a farm from Kenneth Cronkhite, 9 miles northeast of Flagler. We also purchased the Bonham place further north. We were still having dust storms and at one time the dust came in so thick it was pitch black at 8 o'clock in the morning. We had to put wet sheets up at the windows to try to keep the dust out. That was about the time farmers began to strip farm which helped. In 1960 we purchased the half block north of Charley Kellers at 8th and Ruffner in Flagler and built a house on it with the help of Babe Goodwin. We lived there at the time of Robert's death in 1966. I stayed on till all the boys graduated from high school at which time I married Sylvan Morris and we moved to Littleton, Colorado. Ron and his wife Paula and two children, Robert and Opel, now live in Kingsburg, California. He drives a truck for an insulation company. Lynn and his wife Barb and two children, Pam and Robin, live in Loveland, Colorado. He is a postman for the town of Loveland. Ralph and his wife Tina and three children, Geoffrey, Karen, and Bradley, live in Mid- land, Texas, where he is employed with ARCO as a geologist. by Shirley TVorthington Morris WRIGHT REIMENSCHNEIDER FAMILY F783 On my Mom's side: Great-great grandad William Wright lived in Maryland. He married a girl that worked in a factory. It is said that his parents didn't have too much to do with him after that. He and his bride went to lllinois for a time. then on to Galena. Iowa where my Great-grandad, Charles Other (Ollie) was born, on Feb. 26, 1850. Fire ravaged the house in Galena to destroy a lot. Great-grandad wasn't known to speak of his parents much, but at one time the family lived near Epworth, Iowa, where he met Great-grandma Catherine (Dolly) Cartnell. After they were married they lived in Dubuque, Iowa, close to the railroad tracks. Great- Grandad and Granny Wright (Mary and Nate) grandma was said to have used to feed the hoboes, as well as to trade with the Indians. She was born in Minnesota in 1852. My Grandad, Nathan Perry was born Aug. L3, L877. He had 2 brothers, Charles and Fred. Completing 4 grades of school in Dubuque he moved to Fairbury, Nebraska to begin his manhood. Later on the family moved to Oberlin, Kansas. Grandad recalls on a taped recording at the age of 84 that he and hie Dad used to come out to Colorado to hunt buffalo. He said "When the Indians were savages yet, they were traveling along one time, when they came across a covered wagon. A dog was tied up to a tree, looked like he didn't have anything to eat for a couple of weeks." The horses were still hitched to the wagon so they took the harness off and threw them across the tongue ofthe wagon. He said, "We suspected that the Indians stole the horses after they got out on the pasture. Then we saw someone coming from the East, who told us to be careful, Indians are just over the next rise." Asked if Indians were there Grandad replied, "Yeah, several of them, they must have come in trains." 1917 brought them to settle in Colorado, filing a claim on a homestead 1% miles south of Thurman. It was there they stayed until both their deaths in 1932 and 1934. Great-grandad George Frederick Wilholm Riemenschneider was born on July 31, 1861 in Edaness, Germany. Making the move to America he and his parents settled in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1873. During 1891 he moved to Denver and worked on the B and M Railroad. Great-grandma Fredrika Carolina Kalisch was born Aug. 17, 1873 in Wisconsin. Aug. 11, 1894 marks the wedding date of my Great-grandparents. While living in Denver they had 4 kids, George, Fred, Edward, and my Grandma, Mary Augusta Amelia. After Granny was born on .Apr. 9, 1902 the family moved to a place where they purchased land, near Thurman. Then 7 more children were born, Herman, Alma, John, Aaron, Louise, Simon, and Emma. Attending school at Capitol Hill near Thurman, Granny completed 6 grades. She Pitied than Censored". Wedding bells rang on May 3, L922 for Grandad and Granny Wright. When they returned from the cere- mony in Akron, a delicious banty rooster dinner with all the trimmings was waiting for them. Great-grandma gave them a cow for a wedding present. My mother was born Mar. 2,t923, Marjorie Luceil. After Mom was born they moved from the Henry Clayton place to the Dean Place. It bordered Kit Carson, Lincoln and Washington Counties. A 2 room house part sod and part frame built sheltered the 5 more sisters that were to be born, Elma, Delphia, Rose Marie, (whom died shortly after birth), Mildred, and Darlene. Later on another section of sod was added onto the house. In the winter of '35-'36 Grandad became very ill, which left him with rheumatism and pernicious anemia. The children picked up Scarlet Fever in school and Granny was pregnant. The doctor whisked her out of the house to a neighbors'so that she and the baby wouldn't get it. That left Grandad and my mom to tend to the rest of the children and battle quarantine and then fumigation with burning sulphur. Rough times hit hard when the bank foreclosed on them and took everything they had except the cow they had received as a wedding present. In 1939 they moved to the Davies Place about 5 miles south east of Thurman. It was here that they lost a flock of turkeys to wild coyotes. Nathan Edward was born in the Flagler Hospital and the youngest girl, Ardis, was born in Hugo. Great-uncle Fred lived with them until his death in 1956 and would always stick up for the kids when they got into trouble. The farming and milking was a way of life, with the farming done by a tenm of horses. Keeping milk cows and hogs kept food on the table. (When there was money to buy them.) Granny took the cream and milk to the Flagler Depot to be shipped to Denver. Sometimes when she couldn't get to town because of bad weather the mailman, Rube Sparks would cariy it to town for her: Grandad always had a garden and raised potatoes as his favorite. Granny also raised chickens and sold eggs to the store in Anton. Grandad was well known for his love of fiddle music, and entertained friends and neighbors � 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- W Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1988 Description An account of the resource Brief histories of Kit Carson County founding families whose names begin with "W." As found 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 Biographies 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> https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/16/510/Families-X_Y_Z.pdf 061d158c54d01f629e9365b94e7d1af6 PDF Text Text for miles around and often times played at barn dances. by Dolly Mae Elliston not suffer the hardships that others did. Mrs. Sarah Yale, whose maiden name was Sarah D. Bevier, was a native of New York oldtimers have stayed on, because there was no better place for us to go. being born in Ulster county on June 18, 1853. While still a small child she moved with her by Roscoe Conklin Yarnell parents to Illinois. She was united in YALE, WILLIAM HENRY marriage to Sherman Henry Yale on December 25, 1874. They had two children, Lillian Mae and William Henry. Lillian Mae married YERSIN FAMILY F786 A.N. Corliss. F784 William Henry Yale was born in Iowa on December 23. 1882 and came to Colorado with his parents in the fall of 1886. This is his story. Father took up a pre-emption in Sec. L2-7-45. There were no railroads here then and we traveled in a covered wagon and brought our household goods with us. Father plowed the land with a tenm of oxen. Father came our in February, 1886, filed on this homestead, and built a small sod shack. Later he built a sod dugout at the back ofthe soddy, and this gave us more room. The lumber needed for our home was hauled from Benkelman, Nebraska. Water was hauled from Lostman (Landsman) Creek, two and one-half miles east of us. Later we had a well dug with I.D. Messenger and his brother doing the work and digging the 170 feet with shovels. Then water was hauled up by a windlass. We used this well almost two years before we put up a windmill. Father got a contract to carry mail and did this for the first three years for $300.00 per year. Tho route was from Jaqua, KS, to Friend, CO. In 1889 a Post Office wag established in our home and named the "Yale Post Office." Then the mail route was from Burlington to Goff, then to Landsman, and then to Yale a distance of fifty-two miles. He made three trips a week using a horse and buggy and in all carried the mail for eleven years. When father got busy at farming, mother would carry the mail. Later Mother was appointed Post Mistress at Yale Post Office, a position she held until 1906 when the post office was discontinued at Rural Routes established. I went to a sod school house one and one- half miles from where we lived. Jas. T. Gilmore was my first teacher and I rode horseback to school. When thirteen ye{us of age I started riding for the BAR-T Ranch and worked we lived. Burt Ragan was foreman at that time and we had about one Thousand head ofcattle on the range then. I helped drive a herd of One Thousand Texas longhorn steers from Ln-ar to the Bar-T Ranch. I remember we had quite a time finding water for such a herd as the only water to be had was in the lagoons. It took us about ten days to make the trip. Our supplies at that time was brought from Bird City, Ks. We made about two trips a year so always got enough to last awhile. We were always fearful of prairie fires for the prairie was always so dry. I well remember one fire that came in from the north and burned elear down to the river. We had such hard working keeping it away from our hay stacks and we ruined a good team of horses plowing fire guards to turn it. My father was elected County Assessor in 1902 and I helped him for awhile in the office. I think my family was 4mong the earliest settlers here. But father having the mail contract gave us money to live on and we did She was a member of the Christian Church in Burlington in 1896 and later moved her membership to the Seven Day Adventist church at Stratton. She died October 22, 1929. Sherman Henry Yale died in 1922. by Marlyn llasart YARNELL FAMILY F785 I was born in Shelby County, Illinois, on July 19, 1873, and when eleven years of age came with my parents to Nebraska in a covered wagon. Father came to Colorado in the spring of 1888, and took a homestead and in the fall of the same year my two brothersin-law, V.H. Chandler and James Sparks, built a sod house on the claim and in the spring of 1889, we went to Haigler, Neb., by train, and there bought a wagon, five head of horses, three cows, and a calf, four hogs, and two dozen chickens. and came overland to Burlington, Colorado. We went at once to the sod house prepared for us, and soon got settled in our new home. Water was hauled from Lostman's Creek. about four and onehalf miles away, for about a year. Then we dug a well 130 feet deep and got 16 feet of water, which was hauled up by a windlass until we got a windmill. We did little farming, but could not make a living by doing this, so I did whatever work I could find to help the family. I hauled hay, plowed tree claims, helped run a threshing machine, did whatever I could. I remember the first Fourth of July Celebration I ever attended in Burlington; there was dancing, horse-racing, (I had a pony in the pony race) and it won and I got a prize of $3.00. This little pony had been caught on the prairie by Jim Sparks, and was about a year old that spring, the prettiest little thing I ever saw. There was a big tent Charles Albert Yersin was born in Switzerland in 1847 and came to America with his parents when he was four years old and settled in Missouri. He lived with his uncle, Henry Yersin, who allowed him to go to school "when the work on the farm was done," hence did not get much education. But by studying at home he fitted himself for a teacher. He came to Colorado, accompanied by his father-in-law, in October of 1886 with his wife and three children by way of the Union Pacific railroad to Cheyenne Wells and then by wagon and team to Burlington, Colo. After receiving a permit to teach on trail he taught school in a one room sod building for several years. After studying day and night he received certification to teach the first grade. And in 1870 he was ordained a Christian minister of the Gospel and at times was the only minister in the county who could perform a marriage service. On July 29, LgI4 he married his son W.H. Yersin to Alta B. Schaeffer of Montpelier, Ohio who came to Bethune in 1909 to teach school. W.H. Yersin opened a combination general store post office on Sept. 19th, 1910 in Bethune, Colorado. The Yersins homesteaded north of Bethune. Colo. after their marriage and in 1914 purchased the Red Front Market in Burlington, Colo. On Nov. 15th, 1916 Alta B. Yersin gave birth to a son, William Yersin, who through boyhood attended school in Burlington and after graduation received his degree from Denver University and New Mexico University in anthropology. William later went on to serve in the Colorado legislature from 1948 to 1952 and in 1948 married Naomi R. Thompson of Denver, Colo. William and Naomi had a son, Kenneth Yersin. Kenneth Yersin, aftcr attending Burlington Schools, married Della K. Webb in 1959. Of this marriage were born two sons Lincoln B. Yersin and Sullivan A. Yersin. put up on the corner where the Standish Drug is located, and that is where the dancing took place. It was a popular corner. I forgot what music they had, but am sure there was a Kenneth Yersin joined the family business in fiddler present. and attended Metro State College in Denver, Colo. graduating in 1985 with a degree in Business Administration. Sullivan A. Yersin received his grade and The year 1894 was a bad year, so dry that no crops or feed was raised anywhere, so we moved to Burlington and mother operated the old "Burlington Hotel", then located on the west side of Main Street. In 1899, I built a livery barn, and ran it till 1902 and then I traded it for the old Montezuma Hotel, and since that time I have been engaged in the hotel and restaurant business. The old barn still stands on the same location. and is the only feed barn in Burlington. I built the new Burlington Hotel, and several houses here; I have seen Burlington grow from a few little houses to the nicest little tov"n in Eastern Colo. Now in Jan. 29, 1934, many have come and gone but us 1960. Lincoln B. Yersin received his grade and high school educations at Burlington, Colo. high school educations in the Burlington School system. He attended Colorado Institute of Art in Denver, Colo. and will receive his degree in Photography in 1988. by Ken Yersin �YERSIN, CHARLES ALBERT w87 Born 1847 in Switzerland. Came to Missouri with parents when four years old. Lived with a uncle who allowed him to go to school "when the work on the farm was done" hence his education was limited. but by studying at home he fitted himself for teaching. Came to Colorado in October, 1888, with his wife and three children. Came by Union Pacific railroad to Cheyenne Wells, then the next morning hired a man with a small wagon and tea- of ponies to drive the forty miles across country to their new home on the plains. They brought with them clothing, bedding, cooking utensils, and about a thousand pounds of pork, for they butchered five or six hogs before leaving Missouri. He always liked plenty of meat at every meal. The road was heavy and the weather was threatening and at that time there were but two houses on the forty mile trip. At the six-mile house we got our first sight of the prairie dogs and snow birds, about the only living things we saw on the lonesome road. No trees, fences, not even grain of any kind. It seemed a most desolate and dreary land. We wished we were back in Missouri and had we been at the depot, we would have been tempted to take I had taught one short term of school and never expected to teach again but when crops failed year after year, and one of our horses wandered out of the barn one stormy night and died in the cold, we wondered just how we were to live. So I got out my books and spent some time studying and then got a ponies were becoming very tired and we did not want to be out on the prairie if they became unable to travel on. When we reached this house the owner informed us that he did not keep a hotel and could not take us in. Then he told us of a settler who had built a long sod house about two miles northeast of the "half-way house" and that he had plenty ofroom and he would take care ofus. Though it was getting very cold and storm clouds were threatening us, we had to drive over a rough, hilly route, the hardest part of the trip. However, we made it just as a regular blizzard struck us in all it.s fury. The owners of the home came out and welcomed us and took us in for the night. The sod house was thirty-five feet long and twelve feet wide, and was divided in the center by a canvas cover, one end ofthe house being used by the women and the other by the men. We all slept comfortably and well. The next morning the storm had abated and although it was very cold, we started for our homestead on the SW% of Sec. 19-9-44. This was eight miles away and by piling our boxes in the front end of the wagon to form a windbreak for my wife and children, we got through without anyone freezing. My father-in-law, Mr. Reed, who had accompanied us from Missouri, had taken a Yersin. by Ken Yersin permit to teach. The school was a sod building some ten miles southeast of our home. I took a supply of "grub" and some bedding and moved into the two roomed building, using the one room as a living room and the other as a school room. Teaching during the day and studying half the night, I completed four month term. I little later I got my First Grade Certificate and after that taught two or three terms in the county. I was ordained a Christian minister on the Gospel in 1870 and have been at times the only minister in the County who could perform a marriage service. I have driven many miles over the prairie in a lumber wagon to preach, to perform a maniage ceremony, or to speak the last words over the dead. I am proud of Kit Carson County and proud of Burlington, which I have helped to build. I have been here since I heard the first bell ring on the first engine of the first Rock Island train through Burlington. by Jayne Hubbell the first train east. The weather continued threatening and we discussed the possibility ofstaying over night at the "half-way house" for it seemed that the He died in January of 1980 survived by his wife, Teddy, his son, Kenneth and his wife Della; two grandsons, Lincoln and Sullivan YERSIN, \M. H. F788 William H. Yersin was born in 1916 in Burlington, Colo. where he attended grade school and high school. He received his college education at Denver University and the University of New Mexico where he majored in anthropology. At the onset of World War II he enlisted in the army and YOCUM, JESSE FAMILY Jesse Yocum started railroading ofthe age of 15 years in 1894. He was in Colorado Springs when Manitou and Colorado City were separate places, with the railroad as telegrapher and agent. He worked in many stations in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa. Jesse and Gertrude Page were wed November 9, 1902 and were located in Almena, at the time of their marriage. They transferred to Flagler in 1916 accompanied by their sons, Edwin Laclede, and Howard Page. Jesse retired in 1937 after 57 years of service. He passed away August of 1948. Gertrude died in January of 1952. The boys attended grade school and graduated from high school in due time. LaClede went to work for the Flagler First National Bank and served as an officer and director most of 52 years, retiring in 1975. Howard attended Colorado University as a civil engineer. He was associated in Utah Construction International as consulting engineer. Howard passed away September 1976 in Burlingame, Calif. by Betty Yocum YONTS AND served four years. Upon his return from the service he became involved in the family grocery business. In 1948 he was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives F789 SAWHILL FAMILIES F790 where he served three terms in the House and was minority leader of the House during his last two terms. In 1956. he was elected to the Burlington City Council and served two twoyear terms. In 1968 he was elected mayor of Burlington for a two year term, and then served for eight continuous years on the city council again. In addition to his municipal duties, Bill was a member at one time of the Colorado State Parks Board and belonged to the volunteer fire department, VFW, Chamber of Commerce, Masons, Izaak Walton League and the Burlington Housing Authority. Bill carried on a family tradition started by his father of planting trees, and might have been called the "Johnny Appleseed" of Zella, Lester, Everett and Kieth Younts, Christmas Day 1971. eastern Colorado. His hobbies were anthropology, geology Africa. In the early 1800's five brothers came to America from Switzerland. The name was spelled with 4 "2". The five brothers changed the "z" to "s". Any "Yonts" spelled with an "s" is related some way. My father, Wythe Yonts was a relative of one of the five brothers. He married Lydia Codner in Phillip's County, Kansas in the late 1800's. Their He was married in 1949 to Naomi "Teddy" Yersin at the First Baptist Church in Denver, Colo. while serving in the state legislature in Blonnie, Ruth, and Lester. My parents homesteaded on a farm in Logan county, homestead just across the road from where we and lapidary. He had one of the largest and located so we lived in their sod house until ours was built. We hauled water from the nearest neighbor's home. Later we tried to dig a well on this land, but found it impossible owing to the innumerable small boulders and sandy condition of the soil. All wells were dug by hand in those days, which often proved difficult and costly. Later a well dug on my father-in-law's claim, furnished both families best private collections of Indian artifacts with plenty of water. 1948. and anthropological items in the area. He was familiar with all the digs in the area and during his four-year stint in the service had the opportunity to search for artifacts in children were Claude, Blanche, Bessie, Mae, Kansas near Russell Springs in 1906. We �people drowned two and one-half miles west Gesners. Their house was of Seibert - Themiles washed to three north of Seibert on to the Sawhill place. Mrs. Gesner's body was found down in Nebraska and his was found north of Stratton. In the same flood another home, owned by Roy Minter, four miles south Lester and Zella Younts Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary, Dec. 17,1977. Taken at Vona Liona Hall at their Open House. lived in a sod house until the C K & O Railroad came through and built the Logansport Depot near the homestead. My folks and one-half east of Seibert on the Republican River bank, the bank was washed away and the house floated out into the middle of the river and was left standing in the middle ofthe channel when the water went down, the people living there escaped to safety. by Lester Yonts ZIEGLER - BOEPPLE FAMILY ran the depot and post office and lived in the depot. I was eleven years old when we moved to Colorado in 1917. My mother and I came F79r by train and my father in a wagon. He brought the horses and furniture. We lived in a one room cement house the first year nine miles north and one-half east of Vona. Then we moved two miles west and one mile south of Vona. We raised corn and feed, milked Neely and Martha (Weaver) Sawhill until 1942 when we bought the farm ten miles north of Von a. Zella remained on the farm as long as she was able. She passed away Dec. 25, 1981. I still live on the farm. Our son, Keith Marion Yonts married Bernice Jane Redmond of Chicago, Illinois Oct. 15, 1956. They have one son, Keith Marion Yonts, Jr. Our son, Everet Lee Yonts married Carol Breen of Bismark, North Dakota Nov. 25, 1960. They have one daughter, Tracy Lee Yonts. There was a flood in (I think) 1935 that pushed the rails and ties off a twenty foot grade of the Rock Island west of Vona. Ten inches of rain fell overnight. There were three Richard, born in 1898, migrated to eastern Colo. by train and homesteaded in the socalled Russian-German Settlement, north of Bethune. They lived in with the Martin Stahlecker family until they had a building put up to live in. Not fully satisfied, in 1903, they moved to Oklahoma, near Covington, where some of my mother's family had moved to after living a short while in Tennessee and then had moved to Okla. also. After a year there, my parents returned to their home- were wheat, corn, oats, barley and some dryland alfalfa. In later years, we also raised 1927. Denver and I worked at construction work My father's parents remained on their farm, or homestead near Scotland until their deaths. Their home was made of adobe, a long building with mud floors, a grainery, horse barn, and a cattle shed, all under one roof, of which much of it is still standing. My parents worked and farmed in the Scotland area with my father's parents. I remember my mother saying that she sewed the suits for the men folks of the family and other clothing. In April 1899 the Zieglers, with a small son, (Mrs. Albert Strobel), Otto, Fred, the twins, Emma and Elma, (Mrs. Art Dobler and Mrs. Ralph Stahlecker), and Esther, (Mrs. Carl Arends). Richard died from a stationary engine accident, age 19, and Clara drowned, at the age of 6 years, when my mother and the three smallest children were returning from a visit in Okla. via train. There had been a cloudburst near Belleville, Kan. In the dark of the night, as this train came to this place, the train bridge was washed out, they tried to stop, but many of the train cars went down in, Many passengers were drowned including my little sister at the age of 6 years. My parents had a family of 8 to support, but when us kids were old enough to work, they kept us all busy. Dad and the boys did the farming with the horses; the various crops a new school house, depot, five stores, five cream stations, hardware store, two hotels, three garages, livery barn blacksmith shop, three filling stations, post office, two elevators, lumber yard, bank, real estate office, and two churches. For recreation there was Sunday picnics when everyone took pot luck lunches and made ice cream from the ingredients donated by the different ones. Everyone ate together and played games of baseball, horse shoe, and crocket. I, Lester George Yonts, and Zella Irene Sawhill, daughter of Neely and Martha Sawhill, were married in Burlington Dec. 17, during the dust storm years. We went to 50th and 60th anniversary celebrations. stead near Bethune again, where I, Anna was born in 1911. Here the rest of the family were born and raised; there were: Bill, Clara, Lena, cows and sold cream and raised chickens and sold eggs and raised a garden. Vona was a good town when we ceme with married Feb. 8, 1878 came from Iowa in 1906 and homesteaded three miles north of Seibert on the Republican River. Their children were Bert, Maggie, Lena, Ben, Lawrence, Reva, and Zella. The latter four came to Colorado with their parents and graduated from the Seibert school. The Sawhills farmed, milked cows, and raised several hundred chickens and sold eggs. Zella and I had three children: Eldon, Keith, and Everet. Eldon died in 1939 of paralda hyde poisoning at the age of eleven years. We resided in the Vona communities most of our married life except in the 1930's marriage. They were blessed with a long wedded life of 68 years. Highlights were their some hogs and cattle. Mom and the girls hand-milked as many as 25 cows, separated the milk and bucket fed the calves, raised chickens, ducks and geese, always had a large garden and with not much running water, John and Christina Zeigler on their farm in the 1940's. My parents, John Ziegler and Christina Boepple, were both born in Dennivitz, Russia; my father, Aug. 20, L872, my mother on Jan. 14, 1876. Both came to America with their parents; my father and his parents, William and Barbara (Friedrich) Ziegler in May of 1877, at the age of 5 years; my mother and her parents, Christian and Johanna (Kramer) Boepple, in the fall of 1876, at the age of 1 year. Both families settled on farms near Scotland, S.D. (Dakota Territory), where they grew up and spent their youth, and here they met and were given christian training through their church and family homes. Both were baptized in the Lutheran faith as infants. They were also confirmed in the Lutheran Church in Scotland; my father, April 3, 1887, my mother on March 30, 1890. In Nov. 14, 1895, they were united in Dad built a two-wheeled barrel cart with which we hauled the water to the garden. We sold the cream and eggs and that was my mother's money to feed and clothe the family. I must say, she managed quite well. For meat, they did their own butchering, mostly pork, cured the bacon and hams, fryed the other meat and put it in a crock and covered it with the rendered lard and kept it in a dug out cellar. Poultry was dressed as they were used. Mother baked the bread, sewed most of the clothes and she was always busy knitting mittens and stockings for the smaller children. All of us children received our education in the one-room "IJnion School" of 8 grades. We usually walked the 2/z miles to and from school, unless it was bad weather, then they took us by horse and wagon and later by car, which was not very often. For entertainment the various country schools took turns of inviting another school in on Friday afternoons for baseball games, cypher down contests, (spelling and arithmetic), etc. Box suppers and literaries with all the family attending were always fun. On Sunday we �l::.irlu. -, -' John Zeigler and daughter Esther Zeigler standing on a 7'high wooden windbreak by the cow shed in corral on the Zeieler farm. This windbreak is covered with dirt from the dust storms of the 1930's. always attended Sunday School and Worship services at Immanuel Lutheran Church in the Settlement. My parents were the first to have electric lights in the Settlement; also were among the first for running water in the house. Most of the houses in the Settlement were made of Adobe. In 1935, after enduring several of the "Dust Bowl" years, my parents had a farm auction and sold out. but retained the land and went to Oregon and Washington, worked in various fruit and hop harvests for a short time, along with the four younger ones of the family and my two married brothers and their families, Bill and Otto. Once again they returned to the family farm near Bethune (no place like home). In 1950, when all their children had married and on their own, they moved to Burlington, Colo. and my younger brother Fred continued farming the home place. In 1933, I married Emil Strobel who lived on a farm 5 miles north of my folks; he inherited the home place from his parents, which was also his birthplace and their homestead. We lived and farmed there until ZOOK, JONATHAN S. February 6, 1876 AND BARBARA REBER Jonathan and Barbara Zook's wedding picture, F792 name "Zook" was originally spelled "Zug" and that Jonathan's ancestor, Motitz Zug. immigrated from Germany and arrive in Philadelphia on September 2t, 1742. Jonathan and Barbara Zook were married February 6, 1876. In 1885, they took up residence in Nebraska and three years Iater moved in a covered wagon to Thurman, Washington County, Colorado, and established their "homestead". To this union were born two sons and seven daughters. Their second youngest daughter, Fanny (Faye Pangborn Ferguson), was born April 14, 1895, Barbara Reber was born April 23, 1856, in Johnson County, Iowa. She was the third child. Her father, John Reber, was of Swiss descent and was born in France in 1819. The family was Amish Mennonite. John Reber was an ordained minister. by Mrs. William E. Pangborn in Thurman and at this writing is the only surviving child. At the age of 92, she currently resides in Grace Manor Nursing Home in Burlington, Colorado. Jonathan S. Zook was born September 12, 1847, in Belleville, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, and died on his 87th birthday, Septem- FAMILY STORY PICTURE SECTION F793 ber 12. 1934. The records reflect that the our son Leland was married in 1982. Then we moved to another farm house of Lelands, just 1% miles away and let him have the whole works there, farm, debts, work and all, and retired. This was the only move we had in our 53 years of married life, and Emil in his lifetime, outside of a few years in Burlington, Colo. to get our three children a high school education. Besides a son Leland, we have 2 daughters, Florence Scott, and Julia Liufau, 6 grandchildren, and 6 great grandchildren. My parents lived to the age of, father 98, mother 87. My mother's funeral was the day that President John Kennedy was assassinated. A sad day, but looking back over the years, I must say God's blessings were numerous, E:, 1 _:;.: "-: .:_i: :, :- by Anna M. Strobel The Zook homestead. Jonathan Zook is pictured left ofthe well. In the background is their sod home and the milk house. �Lisa 2, Kathleen 3, and Christina 4 are daughters of Tony and Susie Paintin and granddaughters of Garold and Jean Paintin. Lisa's dress was made by her maternal grandmother, Ruth Knodel. Borders family, three generations. Standing: Donald and Wesley; seated: Floyd, Rebecca, Shannon, and Dick Borders. George W. Blancken Sr., Helen, George W. Jr., Harriet, Madge, Richard, Velma, Eunice, Nona and Minnie E. Blancken, 1950. ['[.ay 24, 1959 Joe and Edna Doughty at Colby, Kansas. George W. Blancken Sr. (middle) and sons George Jr. (left) and Richard (right), July 1959. �:a:.a ;::t: & ,&3 w & :ry r,.::..at:-aa.:.. ''i" w .,i Wg 'aa:a: tq !f! li:t,l;.. W, raa *t#t .r .a ,ln ;t;a. ....,a tt:.: { t*t 1J ft t,;::1.,&&: ,,;:,.:..,' George William Blancken holding pictures of his parents and grandparents, June 1980. George, Dad Blancken, John Nordine, Mom Blancken and Arthur K., sons of Velma Blancken Nordine, July 19, 1962. Dietrick F. Blancken, George W. Blancken Sr., daughter Madge C. Blancken Martin holding first grandchild, LaVern Delmar Martin, 1942. William McGlinchey Wickham and Susie Alberta Brisbin married December 25, 1896. Mabel Walters Hudson Parke standing in front of her home in Burlington. Many of her family keepsakes and furniture are on display at "OId Town." 3iY w 9' {fr William Scott, age 10 months, and Julie Marie Cranmer, age 2, are children of David and Marilyn Cranmer and grandchildren of Garold and Jean Paintin. The rocking chair is over 100 years old and belonged to their maternal great-great grandmother, Carrie Mae Mast. Avirene and Bill Henry, 1970 at Disneyland � 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 History of Kit Carson County Description An account of the resource Brief historical stories and elements from the founding and recent history 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- X, Y, & Z Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1988 Description An account of the resource Brief histories of Kit Carson County founding families whose names begin with, "X," "Y" and "Z." As found 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 Kit Carson County History Biographies 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> https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/11/3882/seibertsettlerobits0002.jpg b27bc1797a0e1a54d49e47df4052d737 https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/11/3882/seibertsettlerobits0004.jpg d3895476755296b348750f38a4d823e5 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 Obituaries Pre-1930's Description An account of the resource Obituaries from before the 1930's for 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 Newspaper 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 Obituary for Thalmer Thorson Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1921-11-18 Subject The topic of the resource Genealogy Obituary Thorson, Thalmer ????-1921 Description An account of the resource An obituary for Thalmer Thorson as taken from the Seibert Settler in 1921. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Seibert Settler Language A language of the resource English Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Obituaries Pre-1930's Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Text/jpg Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seibert Settler https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/11/3883/seibertsettlerobits.jpg e6a84af8ec1b87ba957fa2c62f750b15 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 Obituaries Pre-1930's Description An account of the resource Obituaries from before the 1930's for 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 Newspaper 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 Obituary for Kyle Marple Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1922-10-21 Subject The topic of the resource Genealogy Obituary Marple, Kyle 1919-1922 Description An account of the resource An obituary for Kyle Marple as taken from the Seibert Settler in 1922. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Seibert Settler Language A language of the resource English Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Obituaries Pre-1930's Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Text/jpg Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seibert Settler https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/11/3884/seibertsettlerobits0003.jpg 4f22505480c56acce2ae4381b780538a 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 Obituaries Pre-1930's Description An account of the resource Obituaries from before the 1930's for 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 Newspaper 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 Obituary for Jonathan Cope 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> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1921-11-25 Subject The topic of the resource Genealogy Obituary Cope, Jonathan 1835-1921 Description An account of the resource An obituary for Jonathan Cope as taken from the Seibert Settler in 1921. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Seibert Settler Language A language of the resource English Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Obituaries Pre-1930's Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Text/jpg Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seibert Settler https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/11/3885/seibertsettlerobits0004.jpg d3895476755296b348750f38a4d823e5 https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/11/3885/seibertsettlerobits0005.jpg a3419bd54da55e3bebb54a1dca3e0652 https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/11/3885/seibertrescans0001.jpg e0cbb7333ee7473bd4a2f7dca839f829 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 Obituaries Pre-1930's Description An account of the resource Obituaries from before the 1930's for 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 Newspaper 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 Obituary for Thomas McCombs Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1921-12-02 Subject The topic of the resource Genealogy Obituary McCombs, Thomas 1855-1921 Description An account of the resource An obituary for Thomas McCombs as taken from the Seibert Settler in 1921. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Seibert Settler Language A language of the resource English Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Obituaries Pre-1930's Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Text/jpg Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seibert Settler https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/11/3886/seibertsettlerobits0006.jpg 2d726a09a6a02c50063215797de2034a 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 Obituaries Pre-1930's Description An account of the resource Obituaries from before the 1930's for 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 Newspaper 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 Obituary for Clarence Miller Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1922-01-07 Subject The topic of the resource Genealogy Obituary Miller, Clarence 1850-1922 Description An account of the resource An obituary for Clarence Miller as taken from the Seibert Settler in 1922. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Seibert Settler Language A language of the resource English Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Obituaries Pre-1930's Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Text/jpg Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seibert Settler https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/11/3887/seibertsettlerobits0007.jpg 1de66f43391af3e852c6e92194ffbc3d 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 Obituaries Pre-1930's Description An account of the resource Obituaries from before the 1930's for 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 Newspaper 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 Obituaries for J. D. Barclay and Isaac Hayes Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1922 Subject The topic of the resource Genealogy Obituary Barclay, J. D. ????-1922 Hayes, Isaac 1849-1922 Description An account of the resource An obituary for J. D. Barclay and Isaac Hayes as taken from the Seibert Settler in 1922. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Seibert Settler Language A language of the resource English Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Obituaries Pre-1930's Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Text/jpg Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seibert Settler https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/11/3889/seibertsettlerobits0008.jpg 92999163fbec2a712180335070c2c892 https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/11/3889/seibertsettlerobits0009.jpg 25a51486f485cea98a4c5ac999c4c399 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 Obituaries Pre-1930's Description An account of the resource Obituaries from before the 1930's for 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 Newspaper 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 Obituaries for Catherine Hutchens and Joseph Morris Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1922-03-10 Subject The topic of the resource Genealogy Obituary Hutchens, Catherine 1852-1922 Morris, Joseph 1900-1922 Description An account of the resource An obituary for Catherine Hutchens and Joseph Morris as taken from the Seibert Settler in 1922. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Seibert Settler Language A language of the resource English Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Obituaries Pre-1930's Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Text/jpg Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seibert Settler https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/11/3890/seibertsettlerobits0010.jpg 089ee51427f1a7202ca6ae946eafca7a 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 Obituaries Pre-1930's Description An account of the resource Obituaries from before the 1930's for 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 Newspaper 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 Obituaries for Abe Ingram, Evelyn Peacock and Ben Mabray Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1922 Subject The topic of the resource Genealogy Obituary Ingram, Abe ????-1922 Peacock, Evelyn ????-1922 Mabray, Ben ????-1922 Description An account of the resource An obituary for Abe Ingram, Evelyn Peacock and Ben Mabray as taken fromt he Seibert Settler in 1922. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Seibert Settler Language A language of the resource English Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Obituaries Pre-1930's Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Text/jpg Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seibert Settler