My father, Leonard (Dutch) Achenbach was the first son of Fredrick Adolph Achenbach
     and Wilhemina Hauser Achenbach. He was born on Dec. 9, 1906, in Barber County, Kansas. He
     is a farmer and rancher who lives on the family farm 2 1/2 miles west of Hardtner. The
     second son was Howard Otto Achenbach who was born on May 13, 1909. He died at a young age
     on Oct. 15, 1915.
          My father helped built St. John's United Church of Christ. It started out as a German
     Evangelical Reform Church. He was one of many laborers who donated his time on it. It is
     still in use today with Rev. William Kraus as our minister.
          My father attended school in Hardtner, Kansas and graduated in 1928. He still tells
     of many times he rode his horse to school in the winter, and there would be so much snow
     he would ride it over the fences in the fields.
          In 1936 my father had a close brush with death. He was working on a windmill head,
     when the board he was sitting on broke. He fell off of it backwards breaking the top brace,
     bending the next two, and breaking the fourth one. He luckily reached out and caught a guy
     wire on a pole that broke his fall. When he grabbed the guy wire, it broke his arm. I 
     belive this accident is the reason his hips are affected as they are and he has difficulty
     getting around.
          My brother Jake and I are members of the Hardtner Fire Dept., and my father, wanting 
     to do something good for the community of Elwood Township, built the Elwood Rural Fire
     Department a new building for their trucks. The building is 50' X 75' and has electric doors
     on the front. It can hold six trucks with no problem for space. It has a meeting room, two
     restrooms, a shop area to work on our trucks, and a storage room. I belive that this building
     is going to help the community a great deal. I also believe that it will allow us to have one
     of the best volunteer fire departments in Kansas.
          My father married June Elaine Lasley, an Iowa girl, on Dec. 19, 1945. Four children were
     born to this union: Jacob Leonard, Fredrick James, Charles Edward, and Jeanne Marie. Freddy
     lived only eleven hours and is buried in the family plot in Hardtner Cemetery.
          Jacob Leonard went two years to Northwestern Oklahoma College, and 2 1/2 years in Hays,
     Kansas. He graduated in 1970 with a B.S. degree in Geology. He presently farms and ranches 
     with his father. Charles Edward went 4 1/2 years at Hays, Kansas. He graduated in 1975 with a
     B.A. degree in History. He also presently farms and ranches with his father. Jeanne Marie
     went to school at Northwestern in Alva, Oklahoma, and also to K.U. in Lawrence, Kansas. She
     finished her schooling at Wichita State University in psychology. She presently is working and
     living in Wichita, Kansas.
     
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 79 
     Submitted by: Charles Edward Achenbach