Mary was born, November 16, 1934, in the ranch home south of Lake City, Kansas.
  Before long a sister, Georgie, and a brother, Dallas joined the family. What a time
  we had! Picnics, short explorations into the pastures to find special rocks, wading 
  in the creek, plum picking, and horseback riding were all part of growing up at our
  house. There were also cows to milk, chickens to tend, and plenty of garden work.
  Our family produced many of the foods we ate, since we had an orchard and garden.
  Our parents canned huge amounts of vegetables and often cured or canned their own
  meat for winter.
     The "rural recreation committee" was Carrie Ott. Almost every summer, Carrie,
  would drive her team and wagon to our house; she collected us older children in the
  radius of 3 to 4 miles to enjoy a picnic with her nieces and nephews at her farm.
  Sometimes we even stayed over for a slumber party, home made ice cream, and ghost
  stories. She gave our parents a vacation as well.
     I attended school at Julian School most of the 8 years of grade school. Part of
  the time, the teacher boarded with our family. Many times we rode a horse to school,
  the roads were too bad for a car in the wet and snowy months. Sometimes the horse
  would run off and leave us at school. When that happened, we had to walk 5 miles
  home. The horse would go only to the field to graze, so no one knew we were afoot.
     Our entertainment centered around church activities. We also played games, read
  every book we could get our hands on, and listened to radio dramas during evenings 
  at home.
     After graduation from elementary school, I boarded with Ralph and Edna Phillips
  in order to attend high school. The following year, Mother moved to Medicine Lodge
  to send all of us to school. In the summer, I worked away from home some. In 1949
  I did house work, cooked for harvest, and rode herd on one family's kids for $2 a
  day. I also worked at the dime store, Snack Shop, and for the Bell Telephone Company
  as an operator. I graduated from high school in 1953. The jobs I had during high 
  school made me very determined to become a teacher, so I went to college in Hays.
  After 2 years at FHKSC, I began teaching in Sylvia, Kansas, on a 60 hour certificate.
  I attended summer school to complete my BS degree in 1960. I then taught one year in
  Hugoton; then moved to Hutchinson.
     There I met Tom Copenhaver through a school teacher friend. Tom had grown up in
  Arizona but had moved to Hutchinson where he had relatives. Tom worked at Cessna
  and flew with the Cessna Flying Club. He also enjoyed sport parachuting on weekends.
  Such an interesting person! We were married within six months. We lived in Hutchinson
  12 years. During that time we had two sons, Tracy and Ronald. I continued to teach
  and Tom, with his brother, started aerial spraying.
     In 1972 Tom moved his aerial spraying business to Anthony. We moved our family to
  Anthony in 1974. Tom's business keeps all of us busy during spring and summer. Mary
  teaches reading and language arts in the elementary school in Anthony. Ronnie is a
  sixth grader, and Tracy is a sophomore at Chaparral High School.
     Growing up in rural Barber County had real advantages. We learned to work and
  play, to improvise, entertain ourselves, and still feel content. We didn't have much
  cash, but we didn't do without because our parents were resourceful. Feed sacks 
  became shirts and dresses; odds and ends became wagons, sleds, and snowshoes. We all
  learned some of those things by observing and helping. It was a great way to grow up.
                
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 142 
     Submitted by: Mary Copenhaver