L.A. Eby
My father, Luther A. (Lute) Eby, came to Medicine Lodge in 1884 from
Pennsylvania. His older brother, James B. Eby, was already located here.
Both worked for The Staniford, Eldred, and Rodgers or Youmans Mercantile
Store. My father worked for them until they went out of business in 1893.
He then bought what stock they had left and started his own business under
the name L.A. Eby and Company.
This store was located west across Main Street from the Grand Hotel.
He was in business in this location until 1901 or 1902. He sold out and
we moved to Acme, Texas, for two years; then we moved back to Medicine
Lodge. He bought The Sellers Men's Furnishings Store, where he remained
in business until he retired in 1938. This store was located just north
of Hibbards Drug Store, where Brooks and Spencers is now located.
January 22, 1896, Lute was married to Minnis Minnick. She came to
Medicine Lodge from Ohio in 1889 with her parents, the James Minnicks,
and her twin sister Clara (Or Callie as she was known).
To Luke and Minnie were born three sons, Franklin L., November 18,
1897, and twin boys John and James W., April 10, 1901. John died shortly
after birth.
Franklin was married to Nettie Groendycke; they had five children;
Virginia, Jean, Isobel, James F., and Kathryn.
I went through school here and graduated in 1919. I played football,
basketball, and was on the track team. We played Kiowa, Pratt, Coldwater,
Cunningham, and Wellington. When we went to games or meets, it was
generally by train. When we went to Coldwater, we had to stay all night and
come home the next day. When we went to Winfield, we stayed all night in
Wellington at the hotel. We would have a special train when we went to play
football at Kiowa because the town would turn out in force.
I went all the way through school here under the same superintendent,
D.W. Majors, until the last semester of my senior year when his health
failed, and J. Fuller Groom took over.
My teacher in the third grade was Myrtle Rodgers, now Mrs. Lee Chapin;
in the fifth grade was Gladys Gibson.
After attending Kansas State College in Manhattan for four years, I taught
one year in Carbondale, Kansas, then returned to Medicine Lodge. In March
1927, I went to work in the post office; Mrs. Elizabeth Simpson was postmaster.
November 22, 1927, I was married to Hazel Stroup at Lake City, Arkansas.
Her father was a Baptist minister at one time in Medicine Lodge. We have two
daughters: Margaret Joyce (Mrs. Ray Teverbaugh) and Linda Dale (Mrs. John
Martin). They now live in California.
I was active in Boy Scout work for several years, served on the Library
Board five years, and on the school board from 1951 to 1963.
In 1965 I retired after spending almost 39 years in the post office. It has
been a great pleasure to spend most of my 77 years in Barber County.
Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas, pg. 165
Submitted by: James W. Eby