William Henry Drury was born, 1857, in London, England. His family migrated
  to the United States when he was 10 years old, settling near White City.
     Emma Minnie Brussow of German descent, was born in 1867, near Herington,
  where she grew up.
     In August, 1894, William and Emma married. They ran in the Cherokee Strip,
  settling near Oxley, Oklahoma. Dessa was born, 1896, in a "Sodie." William
  was a blacksmith, but finally gave up the trade because the coal cinders hurt
  his eyes.
     The family went east in a covered wagon to Neosho, Missouri. They traded
  the Oklahoma Strip land for a Missouri farm. Here they established a country
  store and Post Office in a corn grainery with $17. He named the Post Office
  "Dessa" after his daughter. The school across the road was called Dessa School.
  Later, William opened stores in Seneca and Neosho, Missouri.
     They later moved to Worland, Missouri, where William went into partnership 
  with Allen Lasswell. After the store burnied, they moved to Medicine Lodge, 
  where William and Allen opened a mercantile business in the old Opry Block.
     In 1904 Lasswell and Drury dissolved the partnership. Allen opened Lasswell
  Store and Post Office, and William established Deerhead Store and Post Office.
  Since Deerhead was 25 miles from the railroad, grocery supplies were shipped
  in by team and wagon. Deerhead School was the site of frequent ice cream
  socials. William furnised the ice, ladies brought eggs and cream, and made
  ice cream. They also brought cakes and pies.
     In 1911 Drury's Store sold to Deerhead School teacher VErnon Gibbs. For
  about a year the Drury family farmed 2 places near Deerhead, but William was
  not satisfied in farming. From there he went to Forest City, buying the land
  where Ralph Nurse's Store had burned. William Drury never owned a car, feeling
  he could get anywhere he needed by having someone drive him. A friend, Grant
  Shigley, ran the Lake City Store; both bought groceries from the same suppliers.
     In 1912, George Lukens and Mabel Garten, and brother Claude Garten and Ida
  Rhodes were married in a double wedding cermony at Forest City Church. Riley
  Hester and Dessa Drury married there in 1914. These are believed to be the
  only weddings ever held at Forest City.
     Riley and Dessa ran the Forest City Store. They bought and weighed thousands
  of bushels of wheat on the wagon scales. A daughter, Roma, was born in 1916.
     William went to Davenport, Iowa, to Chiropractor College, 1916. Emma, helped
  run the store. In 1918 Dessa and Riley went to Palmer School. After they
  graduated from Chiropractor College, they practiced in Hartford and Fon du Lac,
  Winconsin (a son Riley was born there), near Mayville, where Dessa's parents
  lived.
     A son, Russell, was born in St. James, Missouri, where the Hester's lived,
  before moving to Salem, Mo., in 1922.
     Dessa has resided in Salem, since in later years Riley and Des were divorced.
  Christmas, 1952, Dessa married George Lukens, the old friend, who had married
  in Forest City, 40 years before. George and Dessa lived in Barber County and 
  Salem. George passed away, Christmas, 1966, on their 14th anniversary.
                
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 160 
     Submitted by: Kaye Kuhn