Frank Gordon, son of Davis and Ellen Gordon, was born December 7, 1878,
  in Pulaski County, Missouri. He moved with his parents to Kansas in 1880
  and assisted his father in farming while attending rural schools in Sharon
  Valley Township. In 1897, at the age of 19, he acquired a certificate for
  teaching in the rural school systems. Frank was a large, burly man with an
  Irish temper, yet he enjoyed children with a kind and gentle compassion.
  Many of the rural schools in the early days had their share of "bullies"
  and large boys that posed a problem for teachers and parents alike. Thus,
  Frank was always in demand by school boards that had a discipline problem.
  If he could not scare the "toughs" into line by his size, then he soon
  brought order and respect to the classroom by stricter measures, which 
  was sometimes "painful" to the seats of trouble makers.
     On March 10, 1901, he was married to Myrtle Riggins, daughter of William
  and Viola Riggins of the Elm Mills township community. Together they built
  a home in Medicine Lodge, Kansas, and Frank quit teaching school to follow
  more lucrative trade of cement construction of homes and dwellings. He was
  the first to introduce chat stucco in Barber County and many homes in the
  city still stand as a mounument to his work.
     In time, Frank and Myrtle were blessed with the birth of three boys:
  Floyd, who was born January 25, 1902; Charlie, born May 31, 1908; and
  Franklin, who was born April 26, 1918. All of the boys attended the Medicine
  Lodge public schools and became active in sports and civic events.
     Although Frank was the eldest child of his family, he enjoyed a childhood
  with three brothers, Grover, Charlie, and Jessie, in addition to four sisters,
  Lillie, Julia, Margaret, and Olive.
     Frank was a loving and generous father, who always put his family first 
  and foremost in importance. After years of hard work in the constuction
  business and in the midst of a national depression, he passed away on June
  1, 1932. His sons rallied to the responsibilities of supporting their mother
  until her death on December 27, 1967.
     Although life styles in the early 20th century were without the comforts
  of home as we experience them today, we can take comfort that we lived in
  an era free from government controls, when bankruptcy was a nasty word, and
  we didn't spend more than we earned. Everyone was happier and felt more
  secure than they possibly ever will again. It was a time that you could take
  a walk at night and leave your house open or unlocked because you had trust
  and confidence in your fellowman. You helped your neighbor, and he helped 
  you in return, which was a show of courtesy and respect. People took pride
  in the clothes they wore just as they do today, but it was because they made
  the garment instead of something they bought at the store. Everything you 
  did buy was well made and durable, and you could depend on good workmanship
  in every piece of merchandise.
                 
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 197 
     Submitted by: Franklin Gordon