I, Madonna (Cole) Woodward, was born July 26, 1920, at home in Sharon, Kansas; my parents were
  Jerry Simpson Cole and Ruby P. (George) Cole. Dad was born May 20, 1892, near Sharon and Mother in
  Ohio. I am the sixth of seven children; three girls and a by died within a year following birth and
  are buried in the family section, Sharon.
     My grandparents came to Sharon in the 1880's. Grandfather Samuel P. Cole operated the livery
  stable in Sharon, and after his death Grandma Virginia Lee Cole ran the only hotel in Sharon. The
  old hotel building now houses Sharon fire truck, etc.
     My father was called 'Simp' short for Simpson. He was named for 'Sockless Jerry Simpson', a
  Barber County politician who wan election although some trid to discredit him because he never wore
  socks.
     When I was a child, Dad worked for Homer White, doing mechanic work and working at the station.
  Homer White was a most generous man and a credit to Sharon. Mom worked the local switchboard which
  was located in Grandma Cole's hotel. My father would go to Texas by rail and buy cattle to be
  shipped to Sharon. I remember the street in front of our house filled with cattle being driven from
  the stockyards near the train depot to pasture outside of town. Later Dad purchased a truck and hauled
  cattle to the Wichita stockyards. He also followed the harves, hauling wheat.
     My oldest sister, Eudora, youngest sister, Eunice, and I attended school in Sharon, the grade and
  high school being located inone building. I remember when they built the gymnasium onto the old school;
  we were allowed out of class to watch as they hoisted the huge steel beams to the ceiling. I also
  remember the outside toilets at the old school. It sure was nice later to be able to do inside what
  we were scolded severely for doing in the barn at home. The old school was destroyed by fire in the 
  40's I believe.
     Saturday nights were special for the whole family - everyone went to town. The men played croquet
  and visited at the special court midtown on Main Street. The women visited, shopped, and exchanged
  recipes. The children played and listened for the train whistle so they would run down and watch the
  train come in. Our Sundays were quiet and very special. To pass time we kids loved to walk, often
  meeting our friends at Jumbo Hill, north of town.
     Christmas was also very special as a member of the first Christian Church; the Christmas plays
  were looked forward to and Santa appeared each year to the local children. He appeard from the corner
  drug store, which still stands in the same place and operates as a drug store.
     In 1935 when I was 15, Mother, Father, and we three kids left Sharon in a 1928 Dodge pulling a
  trailer with all our worldly belongings. The dust was piled high on the snow guards as we drove west.
  We settled in Oregon for a time; later we all ended in Kitsap County, Washington, near Bremerton.
  Upon arrival, Father used his name "Jerry"; when visitors came from Kansas calling him "Simp" he'd
  say "I traveled 2,000 miles to get rid of that name."
     My oldest sister, Eudora lives next door to me; Mother and sister, Eunice, live just seven miles
  away. Dad passed away, April 27, 1960, and is buried in Veteran's Cemetery at Retsil, Washington.
  Mom resides at the Retsil Veterans Home; she celebrated her 85th birthday. Our entire family got 
  together this past Christmas.
     My husband and I are retired and enjoy traveling; we get back to Sharon often. I am a live member
  of Soroptimist International (a business women's club), a member of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority for 17
  years, elected and served two terms as Kitsap County Hospital Commissioner (resigning upon my husband's
  retirement). I worked for the local weekly newspaper 13 years, resigning as office manager to manage
  our Mobile Home Park, which we sold when husband Woodie retired from the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
  My father called me "Tag-a-long" as a child (from an old cartoon character some might remember - I
  don't); he said I was always tagging along behind. The name stuck; later in life he called me "Tag."
  We called our Mobile Home Park "Woodies Tag-a-Long".
                
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 137 
     Submitted by: Madonna Cole Woodward