Jim Gerstner, eldest son of Royce and Leone Gerstner, was born on a farm
  west of Hardtner on January 28, 1927. In 1931 his family moved to Medicine
  Lodge, and this is where he grew up.
     When he was in high school, Jim dated a girl named Alice Cline. Alice,
  the fourth child and only daughter of Clarence and Beulah Cline, was born
  in Medicine Lodge on March 20, 1929. She grew up on the ranch near Deerhead
  with her three older brothers. She went to school in the one room school
  house at Deerhead which her parents had attended as children. Late, she and
  her brothres drove to Medicine Lodge to high school.
     In the early 40's the country was at war. Jim joined the Navy and was
  assigned to the destroyer Hanson. His tour of duty took him to both coasts,
  through the Panama Canal, into the Carribean, to Hawaii, and Japan. After
  18 months, Jim was discharged and sent home. The war was over.
     Meanwhile, Alice had graduated from high school, married Herman Snyder,
  Jr., in November, 1946, and proceeded to raise a family. Susan Caroline was
  born February 7, 1948, and John Michael on June 30, 1951.
     As far back as Jim can remember, he was drawing pictures on scraps of
  paper. He took art lessons in Hardtner and Wichita and painted his first
  picture, a pastel, when he was 12 years old. After his discharge from the
  Navy, he worked for a time with Albert Wadsworth at the Fox Theaters in
  Wichita. Then he enrolled in the Fine Arts Program at Bethany College in
  Lindsborg under Lester Raymer, a well known Lindsborg artist.
     From Lindsbork he went to Colorado Springs, where he worked for Alexander
  Film Company and attended Colorado School or Fine Arts. He studied under 
  renowned contempory artist Jean Charlot; German artist Cornelia Reuthenberg;
  and Lew Tilley.
     In 1950, Jim and an associate, John Roach, opened an advertising business
  in Colorado Springs. On May 10, 1951, Jim, after a full day in the shop, began
  the drive to Medicine Lodge to attend the wedding of his brother, Don. He
  never made it. West of Syracuse, Kansas, he fell asleep at the wheel and
  crashed his car. The resulting massive head injuries left him with partial
  paralysis of the right side, and he was unable to speak.
     After many pain and frustration filled months, Jim began to regain the
  use of his right leg and some of his speech, but he  had little hope of being
  able to function again as an artist. His depression was overwhelming.
     Following the advice of a psychiatrist at Halstead, Jim entered the
  rehabilitation center at Okmulgee, Oklahoma. Here he was given speech and
  physical therapy and a concentrated effort was made in redeveloping his
  artistic ability. He learned to paint with his left hand and studied 
  commercial art at what is now Oklahoma Technical Institute.
     Returning to Medicine Lodge, he opened a sign shop. The going was rough, 
  but he persisted. Later, he opened a similar shop in Salina. After eight
  years in business, he closed the shop and joined Lowen Company in Hutchinson
  as a designer and sketch artist. He has been with Lowen for almost 10 years.
     Alice's marriage ended in divorce in 1975. Her children had graduated from
  college, Susan from KU and Emporia State and John from Ft. Hayes. Both had
  married in 1973. Susan on May 19, to Stephan Ooton and John, October 20, to
  Pat Thomas. Susan teaches college courses at Huron, S.D., and John is an
  accountant at Dave Hanson Foundation, Logan, Kansas.
     After Alice's divorce, she and Jim were re-united. On May 29, 1976, thirty-
  four years after they dated in high school, they were married in a wooded
  park in Medicine Lodge. They make their home in Hutchinson, where they are
  active members of the First United Methodist Church, serving on the worship
  committee and helping with various art projects.
     They are both members of the Hutchinson Art Association and in his home
  studio, Jim paints fine acrylic and water color abstracts. His work has a
  distinctive style that differs from that of most artist in this area.
     Alice and Jim have one grandchild, Amy Lorene Snyder, born October 19,
  1976, and anticipate another grandchild in October, 1979, courtesy of Susan
  and Steve Ooton.
                 
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 192 
     Submitted by: Alice Gerstner