James Winterstein and Lyman Winterstein DeGeer were brothers born in
  Stouffville, Ontario, Canada. During an English-French conflict in that 
  region around the time of our Civil War, some members of their large
  family moved into the U.S. Both brothers attended Hillsdale College in
  Michigan and eventually settled near Cameron, Missouri, house painting,
  teaching and acquiring farms. They also acquired families. James married
  Emily Jane Renfrew and Lyman married her sister, Mary Ellen.
     James and Emily were parents of Cora Ida, Eva Mable, Renfrew Irving,
  and Vaughn Eugene.
     Lyman's and Mary's children were Muriel, Mable, Dahl, and Ernest.
     In 1885-86, Lyman drove 100 head of Shorthorn cattle to winter at
  Wellington, Kansas. His intentions were to settle around Coffeyville 
  where brother John resided; but the land there was all taken, so he moved
  west to Barber county. Again, finding most land taken, he settled on a 
  quarter section of Mule Creek, half in Barber county, half Comanche county.
  He built his house on the county line; when Frank Johnson was born, they
  had to determine in which county the bedroom was located to ascertain his
  birthplace.
     When James decided to leave Missouri for sheep ranching in Wyoming, he
  visited his brothers in Kansas. Barber County looked like good sheep country,
  so he took a claim adjoining Lyman's.
     His wife, daughter Eva and son Vaughn came to hold the claim while he
  returned to Missouri to settle his affairs. They arrived following a heavy
  rain that flooded Medicine River; for two days they stayed in Medicine Lodge,
  east of the river, while James waited on the opposite bank. James returned 
  from Missouri with Cora and Ren, bringing furniture, Sheep, and implements
  on an emigrant car.
     Later Lyman's family moved to the head of Bear Creek, where son Edgar was
  born. The family story relates that a wild ca came into the house one day
  when Lyman was gone. Mary fled with the baby and children and let the cat
  take over until a neighbor evicted it. Lyman, who had been admitted to the
  bar in Missouri, commuted between the farm and Medicine Lodge  to paractice
  law. He was elected County Attorney on the Populist ticket in 1890 and 1892.
  He resigned in 1893 to make the run into the Cherokee Strip. From his claim
  near Alva, he continued his law practive, later moving into town. He died
  suddenly in1902. Mary lived many years with her daughter Mable, and died in
  New Jersey in 1943.
     James remained in Barber County raising registered Merino sheep and Short-
  horn cattle. He was a Salt Fork Livestock Association member and an organizer
  of the Ranchman's Telephone. By buying claims from neighbors who were leaving,
  he developed a several thousand acre ranch, which he owned until his death.
     Both families were original pupils at Sunnyside School, taught by an uncle,
  Philander Renfrew, who had taken a claim. For further education James' family
  lived and attended school in Pratt for two winters. The three younger children
  attended Central NOrmal College, Great Bend; Vaughn graduated from Nickerson
  College, Nickerson, Kansas.
     Cora taught in a nearby district. She married Luther McElwain, a bachelor
  in her district; they moved to Idaho. Renfrew located on a homestead near Farry
  Oklahoma, and married Josie James. They resided in and around Farry and Alva
  the remainder of their lives.
     James, his wife and daughter followed the McElwains to Idaho, later moving
  to California.
     Vaughn stayed on the family ranch and countinued raising Shorthorn cattle;
  he sold bulls from Texas to Ohio. He married Hazel Race; they were the parents
  of sons, Vaughn Eugene, Jr. and Myron Winterstein. They celebrated their
  Golden Wedding in 1956. Both sons graduated from Lake City High School and
  Kansas State College. After serving in WWII in the African theater, Eugene
  returned to the ranch where he still lives. Myron, deceased in 1977, was
  Director of Engineering for the Tulsa District of the Corp of Engineers.
     Of Lyman's family only Frank remained in Barber County. He married Edith
  Trotter and worked on ranches for several years. After he attended Kansas
  City Barber College, they settled in Lake City, later moving to Medicine Lodge,
  where Frank barbered and promoted community projects including several early 
  Peace Treaty Pageants. Their children were Lloyed W., Wunice, Eula, and Chris
  W. During WWII, they bought and moved to the old Trotter ranch, south of Lake
  City. Edith died in 1943; Frank maintained the home until Chris returned from
  Air Force duty in the Pacific theater. During this period, Lloyd worked for
  Beech in Wichita. Eunice, a nurse, worked in hospitals in Hardtner and Alva;
  she married Earl Middleton of Hardtner and lived south of that town until her
  death. Eula was a secretary in the Medicine Lodge Welfare Office until she 
  moved to Waco, Texas, during WWII. She married Emmett Edwards, and they live
  in Waco.
     After a fire burned their home in 1961, Frank lived in Hardtner until his
  death in 1969. Of the J.W. and L.W. DeGeer family only Gene and his family
  and Chris remain in Barber County.
                
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 152 
     Submitted by: Mary G. DeGeer (Mrs. Gene) and Eula DeGeer Edwards