180 members

[Wilma]

OK, ddurbin, I will go next because I want to hear about the rest of you.  I am Wilma Weyrauch.  Janet Harrington is one of my daughters.  I have 3 other daughters.  I moved to Elk County with my parents in 1947, graduated from Piedmont High School in 1948, married in 1948, moved to Ottawa County in 1949.  Came back to this area with 2 small children in 1954 and my husband went to work at Beech Aircraft where he worked for 38 years.  We lived in Severy for 25 years, added 2 more daughters to the family while there.  Moved to Sedgwick County in 1979 with the intentions of coming back to Elk county as soon as we retired.  Due to my husband's bad health we stayed there 26 years.  I moved to Howard in 2005 so I could make Janet's life miserable.  I intend to spend the rest of my life here.

There's my life, be the next to post or 178 little demons will torment you until you do.  Honestly, I would like to hear about each and everyone of you.  I am nosy.

[genealogynut]

As Minnie Pearl (late country humorist) would say "Ho-o-w-w-dy! I'm just so proud to be heah!" Dan, this is an excellent idea you have of members posting a little mini-bio of themselves.

As most of you already know quite a bit about me, this will be for the newer members.  I'm Lois (Montgomery) Morgan, and I grew up in Howard.  My grandmother and a set of great-grandparents lived in the Moline/Grenola  and Howard areas, both are buried in the Grenola Green Lawn cemetery.  My parents Richard and Helen Montgomery were well known in the Howard area, but they are deceased now. I had a brother, (Dale Montgomery) that was very well known, that lived in Howard until his death. (1990)

I've done extensive genealogy research on my family lines, also on Don's.  About 7 years ago, I put the Morgan and Eisley history (Don's family) together and made books out of it.(I had over 100 requests for copies of those books, from family members) And since then I've put my histories together and made books for my own personal collection.

During my marriage, I've lived in Winfield at least 25 years, as for awhile Don was employed at Cessna at Strother Field, later he worked at Cessna and Boeing in Wichita and commuted to Wichita every day, but am now living in southeast Kansas, as we are retired officially. (Maybe I should just say I'm tired--not retired!  )  My other half, has deep roots in Elk County.  So many of his ancestors are buried in the Howard cemetery (Grace Lawn) and he still has a number of living relatives in the Howard area.

What else can I say?----but that I'm a genealogy addict! 

Now, maybe I won't be haunted by all these little demons.

[hhjacobs]

Well, we are the Jacobs.  Henry grew up west of 99 on now Turkey Road. He went to Upper Paw-Paw elementray and graduated from Severy in "63". He joined the navy right out of high school.
I (Marjean) grew up east of 99 east of 19th on Quail road. My maiden name was Brink. I went to Fiat elementary and graduated from Howard in "66". I went to Wesley School of Nursing but did't finish. We were married in June of "67". We lived a very short time in Eureka. I was working at the hospital and Henry was driving to Wichita to work for KG&E now Westar Energy. All of the driving and the shift work resulted in Henry hitting a train by the old alfafa mill south east of Eureka. We moved to the southern west side of Wichita. We there raised two wonderful daughters Jena of Burlinton and Jodi of Wichita. I had a daycare in our home for 31 years. I helped raise 189 children.
Our daughter Jodi was looking to down size to be able to afford moving futher out of Wichita. One day I thought I would tease her by reading off some adds in little towns imrpressing her with the prices. I said" Here's you one" I told her and read her the price and began to read the discription.  of the house. About half way though I told her" NO that' s the house I always wanted  in Howard!"Henry was being offered an early out with a nice going away package.So here we are!

[Joanna]

   Guess it's my turn!  I'm Joanna Hunter and I grew up in Eureka ~ now you all stop that booing and hissing! Ha!  My folks are Bill & Millie Cole in Eureka and run Cole Auto Service (another unpaid advertisement.) I have one sister, Diana, in Eureka; and one brother, Dan, in Baldwin City.
   I was in college at Emporia and my husband at Manhattan, when we met over Christmas break at Sam's Supper Club in Severy in 1981.  We were married in 1982 in Severy.  Marty and I have 2 terrific boys.  Clay is 19 and a freshman at Pittsburg State University.  Chris is 23 and will graduate from K-State in December this year.  Chris' wife Dana will graduate from K-State in May (and we couldn't have picked a better daughter if we'd tried.)
   My husband graduated from K-State, and since then we've lived in Howard, Altamont, Oswego and Humboldt.  Marty grew up in Howard and we have always planned to return.  When the opportunity came, he took the job in Fredonia; and after our youngest son graduated high school, we moved back here in November 2006. We've got a house with great 'bones' that we're working on now.  Our dream plans are to make this place so wonderful that our friends and relatives, kids and (future) grandkids will want to come visit us all the time.
   I have had a lot of jobs in my life; waitress, parts delivery, shipping clerk, optician, library aid, substitute teacher, day care, sheriff's dept office manager, computer manager, stained glass artist, compounding pharmacy tech, dental office bookkeeping, business owner/florist, antique store clerk, and selling on eBay.  I love to remodel houses, garden, read (mostly science fiction), cook, organize things; and I've tried my hand at almost every craft project that's come along.  Please, try to think of it as 'well rounded' and not so much 'flighty.'  

[genealogynut]

Joanna, did you say booing and hissing?   On a serious side, it's quite the contrary, and I want to "thank you" for posting that. I'm hoping that your post will "break some ice." Just because a person didn't live in Elk County themselves, (but has ties/links to Elk County) doesn't mean they can't post anything that pertains to Elk County area.  I believe we have many registered members on this forum that enjoy "lurking" but don't post any because they feel like they are "outsiders."  But I would like to to tell them to get off their duff and get that keyboard to clacking!!!!!  I am thinking of one person in particular, I won't name who, but they know who they are.  Those who fit into this category, have many stories to share, and much to contribute!!

(The older I get, the "crustier" I am!)

Added note- - I suppose I should not have been so blunt, but I am not the kind of person that uses eloquent speech.

[Buddyboy]

I will write some and my wife may want to add to it. I was born at Wellington and grew up in Belle Plaine for the first 12 years of my life. My dad's family (Zollars, Busbys, Jones, etc.) were all over in Longton and Busby and had been since the mid to late 1800's. My ancestor had a Civil War pensioin claim outside Longton. He later had an orchard there. My Grandma Zollars' family the Reynolds were from Busby. My mom's family was in Belle Plaine. After dad had to retire from the Gas Service Co. in Wichita, he decided he wanted to get back closer to Longton. Mom set her foot down and said no to Longton but she said Moline was ok. I didn't like my life in BP but I didn't want to move to Moline. It was small and the only people that I had seen there were at least over 50 (very old to me at the time.) Little did I know that it was the best thing that would ever happen to me. I may have been born in Wellington, but Moline will always be my hometown. We moved to Moline across the street from my Aunt Al and Uncle Ben Busby on 2nd street on the corner. The house is gone now, but it was a gorgeous old two story with a porch. I loved it. We then moved to third street across the alley between Mrs. Brace and the Murphys. That house is gone too. Last I knew there were some of the out buildings left though.
Dad died in 78. Mom stayed and inventually went back to school at ICC. I worked in the Moline Library with Esther Wilson from 75-81, even after I graduated from West Elk in 1980. I attended ICC for one year, 80-81. Then mom moved to near Branson, MO to finish her schooling at what was then the School of the Ozarks. I followed her and began my exile in MO and AR.
I met my wife Ruth at SofO and we were married while I was still in school in 82. The next year brought a boy, Joe. I graduated and started my teaching/library career at Lead Hill, AR. In 86 Tim joined the family. I gradually made my way to a community college in Harrison, AR. While I was there Ruth got her bachelors and Masters and I picked up my masters.
We ended our exile in 2000 when I was offered the position of Library Director at Labette Community College in Parsons. We moved here in June of that year. Both of the guys have graduated. Joe is living in Lawrence and is an assistant manager for a restaurant there. Tim has married a fantastic girl, Sarai and given us a terrric grandson Taylor Aaron. I agree with the other person that posted. I couldn't have picked a better daughter.
Someone told me once that, "Kansans have deep roots. They always come back home." It is good to be home.

[Janet Harrington]

My turn.  My turn.  My turn.  Momma, it's my turn now.   

Okay, I am Janet Weyrauch Lee Harrington.  I grew up in Severy.  I was born the same year that my daddy, Jim Weyrauch, started working at Beech.  My mother is Wilma.  I attended 2 years at Severy High School, then finished high school in Howard at North Elk High school, graduating in 1972.  Go, Trojans.

I married Woody Lee and lived that AWFUL marriage for 4 years.  Then I was stupid and stayed with him another year.  How dumb is that?  I went to truck driving school, drove a truck for about a year when my health made me stay at home with mom and dad at Wichita.  I met Jim Harrington, who is a great husband, in 1982.  I started working for the Elk County Sheriff's Office and the Elk County EMS that year. 

I became sheriff of Elk County in 1987 and served in that capacity for 17 years.  Jim and I have been married almost 11 years now.  I currently work at the Wilson County Sheriff's Office and the jail director keeping those inmates under control.

Jim is a retired custodian from USD 282, so he stays home and keeps house.  YEAH.  Jim grew up in Grenola, so his roots to Elk County are longer than mine are.

We like living in Howard especially with Mother living here.  However; if the right job with the right pay comes along, we will be gone like a thief in the night.  We love it here, but have to do what we have to do.

So much for me.  Someone else's turn.

[MarineMom]

No demons for me..my name is Beth I have raised 3 children my eldest is the handsome guy in the photo he is in NC for the time being although he is 34 and should have provided me with some lovely grandchildren by now he says the military is no place for a family and refuses to think about it until after he retires. My next son lives and works in AZ and he has not found "the one" yet my youngest lives over in Western Kansas and she graciously gave me a wonderful intelligent handsome (I'm not bragging it's all true ) grandson. I was a single parent for 15 years and ran daycare in my home for 25 so I too helped raise over 100 kids lots of fun.  I am originally from England came to the US as a military bride back in the 70's the marriage did not work.  I have lived all over the US thanks to the USAF. Came to Kansas in 1991Went back to college in my 40's and got a job outside my home in 95 when my daughter started high school. Met my new hubby online and after long instant message conversations lots of telephone calls and many weekends driving 400 miles each way I came to Howard 18 months ago married him. (price of gas was going to high for a long distance relationship ) Now I am a stay home stepmom.

[Janet Harrington]

Momma Wilma,

I just want you to know that I had to get onto Ms. T for being mean to her daughter-in-laws.  She was mean to them.  Yes she was.  I saw it.  I know.  I was nice.  I didn't say anything except, "If I had known that there were these kind of things for babies, I would have had a dozen."  Yeah, right.

[indygal]

My turn! I'm Lynne Thompson, and while I'm not an Elk County resident (yet!), that's the grand plan. I grew up in Illinois, married my high school sweetheart, moved to Indiana and raised a terrific son and daughter (who since have given me three gorgeous grandchildren). I worked in the newsroom of a small daily paper for 14 years, so I've got equal parts of ink and blood in my veins. The marriage ended in 1999, and in 2000, I moved to Chanute, where I was managing editor of the Tribune for a year.

Like MarineMom, I met the love of my life, Terrell, on the Internet. He was living in Washington at the time, and here's a testimony to true love: this man whose passion is boats ends up moving to land-locked Kansas just to be with me! Is that sweet, or what?? We've been together six years now and every day has been an adventure for us.

Anyway, the two of us were spending lots of weekends in Wichita, so we decided to move here. I worked three years for an insurance agency, and started my full-time college career in 2005. I'm majoring in anthropology, with a minor in religion studies. I also do freelance editing for a monthly entertainment newspaper, a quarterly magazine (Southeast Kansas Living...shameless plug!) and a monthly inspirational newsletter. On top of all that, I do shard-art mosaic (I break things and stick them to other things...LOL) and plan to have a nice large studio in Howard someday.

So how did we end up as future Howardites? While surfing on eBay, Terrell happened upon the former Church of Christ building for sale. We both are pretty wacky, and thought it would be cool to convert this dear old church into our home. We've named the building Harmony, and we spend as many weekends there as the weather allows. We hope to have it habitable with 2-3 years and at that time we will become permanent residents. The really strange and very cool thing is, it already feels like home.