Fred Hamilton's origin was surrounded by secrecy. He never knew who his parents
  were, the name that was rightfully his, what locale he actually came from, or his
  true birthdate.
     He was called only "Fritz", and his earliest recollections were of being in
  Christ's Hospital in Topeka, Kansas, with polio. In those days they treated polio
  by putting casts on the affected leg, which was remembered by him as being a very
  painful process when it came time for the cast to be changed. The polio left him
  with a tender, partially stiff knee, and he was destined to walk with a limp the
  rest of his life. He remembered fondly his Doctor McClintock, his nurse Editha
  Dodds, the Vails who ran the hospital, and their big Collie dog that like to rest
  by the fireside.
     The name Fritz was assumed to be short for Fred, and Fred figured he was probably
  school age (six years old) when he was brought to live with the childless Robert
  and Alice Hamilton in Medicine Lodge on June 9, 1893; and with this new beginning
  he established his roots, took the name of Hamilton to be his own, and took June 9,
  1887 as his birthdate.
     He considered his life with the Hamiltons to be hard but bearable as long as Alice
  was alive; with her passing, anything resembling a peaceful life with Robert became
  almost an impossibility for Fred. Life was very hard.
     Fred felt the best thing that ever happened to him in life was when at thirty-
  four years of age he married nineteen year old Mary Rebecca Cullison and with her 
  raised his own family of eight girls and a boy. The children were Editha born in
  1922, Helen born in 1924, Freda born in 1925, John born in 1927, Mary born in 1929,
  E.A. (Van) born in 1932, Margaret born in 1934, Donna born in 1937, and Bonnie born
  in 1942.
     When Fred was feeling sentimental, he might say, "Before I got mommie and the
  kids I had nothing, now I have everything because I'm no longer alone." If he was
  in a joshing mood he might say, "I have eight girls and each of them has a brother."
  Pride in his family was a big thing with Fred, as a mater of fact, the center of his
  whole existence.
     Fred farmed in Barber County until 1937, when he sold out and moved into Medicine
  Lodge. He worked at odd jobs during the Depression years, anything to make an honest
  dollar, as he would say. The last twelve of his working years were spent at the Gyp
  Mill. He retired in 1957. For leisure time he enjoyed a good game of horseshoes.
     From a beginning that would overwhelm most of us, affording us with an excuss for
  not living up to acceptable social standards, came Fred, who lived a clean, honest
  life and hwo became a respected, as well as liked member of our community. His life
  perhaps not at all unlike Phoenix rising from the ashes.
               
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 213 
     Submitted by: Van Hamilton Mitchell