Carl Lillard was born in Winterset, Iowa and grew up in St. Clair County, Mo.
     He married Nora Nida Oct. 22, 1905 at Clinton, Mo. In 1907 they came to Barber Co,
     by train, and lived with his father-in-law, C.M. Nida north of Kiowa helping with
     the corn harvest. They soon moved to the Gerlane area. In the fall of 1909 father
     rented one of the Blackstock farms just east of Hardtner, Kansas. Like everyone 
     else he farmed with horses and mules. They raised hogs, cows and chickens and their
     garden. Three of us children were born while they lived here: Geneva, Kenneth and 
     myself. Around 1917 father bought the Sanders farm between Kiowa and Hazelton. Our
     sister Virginia was born in 1918 and the following spring Kenneth died. This was a
     real blow to father.
          We all enjoyed farm life and I remember the old steam thrashing machine was
     quite a highlight in our lives. Butchering time was another, when neighbors and
     relatives got together to help each other. Stuffing the sausage was fun.
          Happy times were spent with our cousins: the Cowdens, Utterbacks and Nidas, and
     especially when we all gathered at grandfather Nida's home at Thanksgiving. Travel
     was either by wagon or buggy. Times were hard for grown-ups but they kept it mostly
     to themselves.
          We attended the Fairview country school and sometimes the snow would be as high
     as the fence posts, but we walked the half-mile anyway with father along to see that
     we made it. Box suppers, school programs and end of school picnics were enjoyed by
     all. Teachers I remember were Lula Stewart, Edna Barnes and Maude Stoops. We all
     graduated from Hazelton High School and even though we had to rise early and do chores
     before going to school we never regretted it. Our parents sacrificed so much so that
     we could receive the education they missed out on. Geneva and I attended Salt City
     Business College, Hutchinson, Kansas in 1930. In 1931 she married Orville Garner and
     returned to Barber County to raise a family on the farm. Virginia felt the call to be
     a missionary and after Seminary she spent nine years in Liberia, West Africa and later
     married Dr. Don D. Holcomb of Wichita, Kansas.
          The folks moved to Attica, Kansas in 1940 and in 1954 moved to Kiowa, Kansas. They
     celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary in Oct. 1955 at our home in Kiowa.
          Mother and father were both converted in their youth and were faithful Baptists
     wherever they lived.
          Father passed away in 1959 and mother continued to live in Kiowa till her health
     failed and she lived with us girls a few years and then lived at the Kiowa Manor the
     last years. In the spring of 1977 she got to see her first great-great-grandchild. She
     died October 1977 at age 94.
          After business college I worked as a bookkeeper for several years and married Arthur
     Brown of Hutchinson in 1936. He worked for Missouri Pacific and in the 50's we lived in
     Kiowa. He retired at El Dorado in 1973 where we still reside.
               
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 279 
     Submitted by: Norma Lillard Brown