Raymond, oldest son of Henry and Olive (McCoy) Hull, was born January
      17, 1894, in thehome six miles northeast of Hardtner, Kansas. Father had
      made a claim in Oklahoma Territory in 1893, and in the spring of 1894 he
      built a house, 16'X20', on the claim. When the house was completed, my
      father, mother, half-brother, and myself moved to Oklahoma. I started to
      school in the Green Valley School, south of Hardtner; Sally Patton was
      the teacher.
        In 1904 the family moved back to Barber County; the claim was sold to
      Mr. Camel. I finished school at Canema School on Mule Creek. This school
      was south of the present Union Chapel Church.
        In 1913, I started working away from home for Albert Hada and H.J. Parker.
      In 1918 I enlisted in the Army Air Force, where I worked in the shops and
      learned the blacksmith trade. At Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas, I
      graduated from motor school. I worked on Curtis airplane motors until
      discharged, July 1, 1919. Returning to Barber County, I worked at odd 
      jobs - breaking horses and working on farms; I worked for Clem Stout near
      Hazelton, Henry Page near Union Chapel, and then in the blacksmith shop
      for Erwin Melton in Gerlane.
        My father died in March, 1925. In 1930 I rented the ranch from my mother.
      Mother continued to live with me at the ranch and cared for her mother,
      Mrs. Elizabeth McCoy, who was 89 years old; Grandma passed away in July,
      1934. We raised some feed and had a cow-calf herd. It was so dry during
      this time that nothing grew well. The ranch has faithful natural springs,
      so water for the cow herd was available. We also used the springs for
      keeping food fresh.
        In 1933 I married Thelma Colborn (born August 31, 1911). Times were
      rough; crops were poor. In 1934 we paid $40 a ton for cottonseed cake 
      and $7 a ton for baled wheat straw in order to winter $20 cows. Thelma
      raised a garden and canned for the winter. Sandplums were used; chickens
      and cows provided food for the family without taking cash.
        Five children were born to this family: Mary Ellen (Copenhaver), Georgie
      May (Russell), Dallas Harvey, Charles Clinton, and Dorothy Ann (Willis).
      The first four children were born in the ranch house; Dr. C.V. Moore came
      to the house on these occasions. A neighbor lady or relative usually 
      helped since there was no "hospital staff" to assist. Dorothy was born in
      the Hardtner Hospital. The hcildren attended Julian District School, five
      miles south of our house. Part of the time the teacher boarded with our
      family. Two or three years during WWII, Thelma moved to Medicine Lodge to
      send the kids to school because there was no teacher for the local school.
        I worked on pipe lines in Oklahoma, as an oilfield worker in Kansas, and
      later as a pumper on several wells in Barber County. I witched for water
      and improved the springs for myself and several neighbors. I worked the
      rock from the pastures to make walls for the sheds and barns.
        I also operated one of the first five experimental Gleaner combines made.
      We used this combine, in 1923, on the August Moltz farm south of Hardtner;
      August was one of the partners in the company. I also worked for the Eagle
      township at different times using several kinds of equipment. We built
      roads with tractor-pulled grader, and I was paid 50 cents an hour. These
      tractors were rented from local men who owned large ones - Mutt Angel,
      Simpson, Stolebarger, and John Harbaugh.
        I have served on the Julian School Board and the Rural High School 
      District #1 Board at Lake City. I have been a student of the Bible, Sunday
      School teacher, and have served on church boards for a number of years.
        Thelma has many hobbies, includeing gardening, canning, raising flowers,
      crafts of leatherwork and tin can craft, crocheting, quilting and sewing.
      She also enjoys the Deerhead Club and Tiny Towns EHU as well as church
      activities.
                
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 246
     Submitted by: Raymond and Thelma Hull