Elmer Collins came to Barber County in 1929 from McDonald, Mo. He worked on the Tom
  Warwick ranch betwen Medicine Lodge and Hardtner. He met Blanche Blankinship at Medicine
  Lodge while she was attending high school there. Blanche was born at Sun City, the fifth
  child of Oliver and Massie Blankinship.
     Elmer and Blanche were married in July of 1930. At this time, Elmer was employed by
  several farmers in the Sun City area, so they moved there with their infant daughter,
  Colleen. Elmer continued working for various farmers and ranchers and during this time
  Thaine and Blythe were added to the family.
     In March 1935 Elmer went to work at the Gyp Mine, where he worked for nine years;
  during this time Denton was born. Liking farm work better than mining, Elmer quit the
  mine and went to work on the Carl Riepe farm. In the fall of 1945 W.O. Dickerson hired
  Elmer to feed cattle, and in April 1947 the family moved to the Dickerson ranch. Elmer
  continued working for the ranch until Mr. Dickerson's death, then went on to work for
  Mr. Dickerson's niece, Mrs. Jennie Hull.
     The children all attended Sun City grade and high school.
     Colleen married Roy Neil Delp Jr. in 1950, moving to Burdett, Kansas. After their
  two children were in school she commuted to Fort Hays College, graduated with a degree
  in Art. She taught in the Kinsley high school several years. She now is a potter, selling
  pots at Arts and Crafts Fairs.
     Thaine, after high school graduation, went in the Navy for four years, then attended
  Pratt Juco. While there, he met and married Norma Young of Preston, Kansas. After graduat-
  ing from Pratt Juco, he went into police work in Wichita and Arizona for ten years.
  Returning to Kansas, they moved to Sun City where he was employed as a truck driver. Norma
  and Thaine have six children.
     After graduating from high school, Blythe earned a nursing degre at Grace Hospital,
  Hutchinson, Kansas. She married Ron C. Cramer of Alden, Kansas. They now live in Kalama,
  Washington. Blythe works at a hospital in Longview, and Ron is an engineer for Weyerhauser.
  They are the parents of three sons.
     Denton attended Emporia Teachers College for one year, then transferred to Baptist
  Bible College at Springfield, Mo. While there, he met and married Jodie Dew Spellacy of
  Richmond, California. Jodie and Denton went as missionaries to Ethiopia. They served
  there for eleven years, but had to leave because of the revolution. They have a daughter
  and a son, and brought four Ethiopian children home with them. At present, all are living
  in California.
     Elmer retired from working at the Dickerson Ranch in 1976. He and Blanche live on their
  "little ranch", one mile northwest of Sun City. They are looking forward to their Golden 
  Wedding Anniversary in July of 1980.
                
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 138