The Gypsum Company was originally formed in the late 1890's by my grand-
  father, Wm. Carter Best. He was in the woolen business in England. He came 
  over here, for some reason, discovered the Gypsum in the hills and bought
  some of them. The original gypsum mine was located about 9 miles southwest 
  of Medicine Lodge, at the top of the big hill on the Gyp Hill Road. Gypsum 
  was quarried from the top of the ground. At Kling they also quarried, later
  opening a mine southwest of Sun City, Kansas.
     He then sent his brother, Thomas J. Best, over to start the mill. This
  was built and subsequently burned down. It ws rebuilt and sometime around
  1910 or so, my father, John C. Best, came over from England, lived with
  Mary Best on a farm, and helped Tom run the Company. John C. Best went into
  the army, then married Helen Meinche of Evanston, Ill., about 1918-1919.
     Shortly after that, he and Uncle Tom had a falling out; and he went to
  work for his father-in-law in Evanston. Around 1924 he returned to Medicine
  Lodge with his family - I was age 1 and my sister age 4.
     He became president of Best Bros. Keene Cement Company and ran it. T.J.
  (Tom) taking an inactive part at this time.
     Ethel Simmons Best, wife of T.J. died in 1916 at age 36. He later married
  Isabella Shuttleworth, who was also from England. In 1931 Tom J. only son of
  T.J. died in 1952 - aged 90. Isabella continued to live in the home as long
  as health permitted. She is living in the Medicine Lodge Hospital (10 years)
  and was 95 years of age March 31, 1979.
     In 1932 Dad, John C. Best moved the offices of Best Bros. to Chicago. Ill.,
  and we all lived in a suburb until 1938, when Da sold the company to National
  Gypsum and went with them to Buffalo, N.Y. as Vice President.
     Dad worked for National until retireing in 1954. He then moved to Cape Cod,
  Mass., and he and Mother lived there until their deaths in 1971. Mother died
  in August and Dad in December of that year.
     My sister, Patricia, was married briefly, but lived with Mother and Dad 
  until their deaths. She is now living in retirement in Tryon, N.C.
     After school I went into the Air Force in 1943 and again in 1950 for the
  Korean War.
     I lived in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, since 1946, and worked for Paragon Products
  Corp. there. They were in the Paraffin Wax business. I retired as President in
  1974 and moved to my present address, where I do management and marketing
  consulting work.
     I have a wife, Patricia, and three daughters ages 17-28.
     There are three generations of the Best family buried in the family plot in
  Highland Cemetery at Medicine Lodge - Great Grandmother Martha Best (1823-1907),
  T.J. Best (1862-1952), his sister Mary Best (1848-1924) and Tom J. (1903-1931).
  
               
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 104  
     Submitted by: W. Carter Best