A father who never quite got "show business" out of his blood was largly
     responsible for Mina's developing and sharing her musical abilities. Before
     school age, her father taught her to play ukelele and piano. Before age 10,
     they were performing together.
       Mina Elizabeth Marie Binning, younger of two daughters of Clyde and Mattie
     Binning, was born November 17, 1912, in the "Opera Block" - corner of First
     and Main in Medicine Lodge. She attended the public schools, where she was
     active in chorus, operettas, drama, and piano, graduating from MLHS in 1931.
       Contests sponsered by "Walls College of Music" in Wichita were entered
     and Mina won scholarships in both piano and voice. She drove to Wichita
     during her Jr. and Sr. years in high school for lessons. George Griffin was
     her accompanist. She graduated from Friends University, majoring in voice
     and piano, and studied drama and theatre under Irene Vickers-Baker. She
     taught piano in her home and many times drove to outlying towns to the homes
     of her pupils.
       Following WWI, a popular entertainment for the entire family was Saturday
     barn dance. Mina played piano, her father the banjo or guitar, and "Had"
     White the fiddle. Everyone joined in "square" and "round" dancing, often
     in uncle John Angell's big red barnloft in the Lasswell Community. The
     high loft and unusally smooth floor made dancing to the good music a real
     pleasure. Women brought sandwiches (on butterd home-made bread), cakes,
     and pies to enjoy with hot and cold beverages.
       Following school, Mina and her sister, Juanita Thomas worked together and
     were co-owners of two coffee shops.
       Mina met John Daxon, a Petroleum Engineer with Phillips Petroleum Company,
     Bartlesville, Oklahoma. He often jested that her mother's fried chicken
     played an important part in his decision to marry the daughter.
       Mina and John were married October 29, 1938, at the First Christian Church
     in Medicine Lodge. George Griffin, furnished the music. They established
     their home in Houston, Texas. John was transferred to several company offices
     through the years. In 1942 they went to Oklahoma City, where they maintained
     their permanent home.
       Their only child, Thomas E. Daxon, was born December 19, 1947. Mina and
     John were active in PTA and all school activities while Tom was growing up.
     She was an officer in the Shakesperian Club, and the family was active in
     the First Christian Church.
       Mina became involved in civic and political activities and thus began
     both political and religious foundations for their son at an early age.
     He is a CPA, an ordained minister, and in 1978 scored a triple triumph
     when he won Oklahoma State's election of the new office of Auditor-Inspector.
     He was the only Republican in Oklahoma history to win a secondary office
     and upset a Democrat with 20-year tenure. This don on a shoestring budget.
       Tom's wife, Linda Wright of Emporia, Kansas whom he married August, 1972,
     has a degree in Journalism from Kansas University. She encouraged and worked
     with him in his endeavor.
       John continued with Phillips Petroleum 42 years, retiring in 1972. Mina's
     love for her family, the school where she worked as librarian for 10 years,
     her care for the aging in nursing homes, but most of all - the affection
     and care of her mother during many illnesses, exemplified her life of service.
       Mina's heritage was a desire to share her talents, to be independently
     indepentdent and to deal responsibly with her fellowman. Her life of service
     was cut short by her death June 6, 1974. She passed on these desires and
     talents to her son, tom. John continues his residence in Oklahoma City.
                 
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 151 
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