The J.A. McCune family moved via train to Sharon from Unionville, 
     Missouri, in 1901, where his brother, William Jasper, had settled
     the previous year. Later that year they settled 2 1/2 miles south 
     of Sharon, after a wagon trip into Western Oklahoma to look for a
     place to settle and opting instead for Barber County.
       James Alva, born 1864, son of William McCune and Sara Elizabeth
     Fleenor, and Sarah Elizabeth (Liz) 1867, daughter of William H.
     Stout and Martha Ellen DeMoss arrived in Kansas with four sons:
     William Joseph, 1888; Charles Murl, 1890; Guy Emil, 1891; and my
     father, Winnie Floyd, born 1894.
       Spring of 1903 they purchased a farm 2 3/4 miles east of Medicine
     Lodge on the north side of the Sharon Road. It had two-room house,
     steel granary, and rickety barn. In 1904 a new barn was built, and
     about 1907 a new house by John Ditgen. Daughter, Opal Edna, was born
     June 10, 1904. She died April 15, 1907.
       The usual crops of corn, oats, and wheat were raised with a small
     fruit orchard as an additional cash crop. The family moved their
     membership to and attended the Christian Church in Medicine Lodge.
     Mac's father, William, became a Christian Church Minister at the age
     of 23, serving for 45 years in Iowa and Missouri. The McCune boys
     attended Walstead School, but the months of attendance were cut short
     by the priorities of crops, planting and harvesting.
       In the spring of 1917 the farm was sold. They bought the house at
     605 No. Main Street, Medicine Lodge, with lots nort of the house to
     next street and several lots west of alley behind 603 and 605. They
     raised chickens, grapes, a large variety of vegetables for sale, and
     Granddad worked with his large gray team for hire. An Index story
     relates he installed the first city delivery mail collection boxes in
     town in 1919. When I was quite young, I recall him high on a spring
     seat of a water tank, sprinkling the dusty streets; also hauling sand
     from Elm Creek in a dump board wagon.
       All the sons but one, married Barber County girls: Joe to Hazel Bentley
     of Isabel, (3 boys, 1 girl), who died; he later married Mrs. Opal Moore
     (she had 2 girls), they had one girl. Opal still lives in Pratt. Murl to 
     Edity Miller, Nebraska, who died 1918 (no children), later to Hazel Early
     (1 boy, 1 girl) of Missouri, hwere she lives; Emil to Gladys Owens, 
     Medicine Lodge (2 boys), and Floyd to Viola Crick, Medicine Lodge (3 boys),
     she died in 1939. He married Mrs. Julia Owens of Missouri (no children).
       Grandmother died in 1936 and grandfather in 1942. Some of my childhood
     memories of them are riding with granddad and driving the team, huge
     family dinners at their house, Mayor and Mrs. Sam Griffin next door, both
     the Grandparents sitting on the front porch, and the endless supply of 
     peppermint lozenges in granddad's pockets.
       I was last of the McCunes to leave Barber County in 1952.   
                
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas, pg. 296 
     Submitted by: James David McCune