Howard Frederick Gillig, son of Fred and Mollie, was born at the family
  homestead 3 1/3 miles southwest of Kiowa, August 6, 1920, and sleeps in 
  the same room he was born in . His entire life has been spent on the farm
  except for the 3 1/2 years he served the Air Force during WWII. Howard is
  from a family of 10 children, attended Mulberry Center School for 6 years,
  and graudated from Kiowa high.
     Rose Mary (Newton) was born January 3, 1927, at Cleo Springs, Oklahoma,
  to Carl and Beatrice Newton. I graduated in 1944 from high school at Cleo.
  I had 13 brothers and sisters.
     May 12, 1946, Howard and I were married at he Methodist Church in Kiowa.
  We were blessed with two daughters, both attended school at Kiowa from
  Kindergarten through graduation. Both are graduates of Oklahoma State
  University. Linda teaches at Pond Creek, Okla. After college, she was in
  Public Relations for "UP WITH PEOPLE" for 1 year, traveling many states and
  Canada. July 6, 1974, she married Larry Lavicky of Pond Creek. He graduated
  from Diesel Mechanics at Okmulgee after high school, now is a welder and
  mechanic in Enid besides his farming.
     On April 29, 1977, Peggy married Dennis Henry; she is a legal secretary
  in Tulsa. Dennis attended OSU after graduation and is in the electical field
  now.
     The girls love to have the family get-togethers and hear of the "good old
  day!" One of the favorites is when their dady's family visited his cousin
  Pete Sternberger's family one Sunday, and Howard and Pete decided to "kill
  bears." Pete chose one color and Howard another color of chickens that were
  about frying size. They took lathes with nails in them and embarked upon 
  the chicken house. They were having a hey-day 'til Dorothy saw them, ran to
  the house and reported to the folks. That was when the two decided to take
  cover! Howard went in the chicken house, hid behind the door. Pete hid
  behind another chicken house. At the same time they decided neither was very
  well hid so took off for another location - running as hard as they could.
  They met at the corner of a chicken house which flattened them both! Before
  they could gain their footing, their dads arrived, and needles to say they
  both got a good tanning. The families spent the afternoon cleaning the "bears"
  which numbered in the 30's.
     Howard had a pet lamb, and he knew if he tisted its tail it would lie
  down. ONe day he twisted it a little too far and its tail came off.
  Immediatley he played sick, hid the tail, and went to bed. In a matter of
  minutes the family saw the lamb, found the tail, and knew exactely why the
  sudden illness.
     Our farming was a family project, each helping work cattle, harvesting,
  siloing, gardening, painting, driving the tractors, cooking, or anything
  needed to be done. The day Linda used 1/2 cup instead of 1/2 teaspoon of 
  salt in a cake is one we will long remember.
                 
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 196 
     Submitted by: Rose Mary Gillig