Roy Phillips came to Barber County in 1907 with his parents V.M. and
      Alice Wix Phillips, borthers Joey, Earle, and Ralph, and sister Madge.
      The family came from Nevada, Missouri, where they were engaged in truck
      farming, by way of Cleveland, Oklahoma, where Roy and Joey worked two
      years teaming in the oil fields.
        The family brought their teams, wagons, and household possessions by
      train to Kiowa. They rented a farm west of Kiowa for one year before
      moving to the Medicine Lodge area. The cyclone of 1907 took the roof and
      door off their barn and injured or killed all their horses.
        Della Jester came to Kansas by way of covered wagon in 1906 from Polk
      County, Missouri, north of Springfield, to Kiowa, with her parents Lewis
      and Ann (Bessie) Gordon Jester, one brother Owen, and two sisters Inez
      and Opal. Later they moved to the Medicine Lodge vicinity.
        Roy and Della met at community gatherings, and he courted her during a
      joint revival in 1914, and joined the Methodist Church in Medicine Lodge.
      They enjoyed church and community functions. Roy loved God's earth and the
      animals He put on it, and didn't give up the farming he loved even in such
      rough times and the 'dirty thirties.' Roy and Della's family was very close-
      knit, and the two always did everything together, whether it was field work
      or washing dishes.
        Two daughters were born at home to Roy and Della; Ruth in 1918 and Winnie
      in 1921. The girls went through school in Barber County. Ruth attended college
      in Hays and returned to teach for nine years in the Barber County schools.
      She then moved to Ft. Worth, Texas, to attend Bible School, where she met
      and married Bob Montgomery. They have been missionaries from the First
      Baptist Church in Medicine Lodge since 1959, serving in Pakistan since
      1958. They have two sons, two daughters, and five grandchildren. Winnie took
      Nurses Training at St. Francis Hospital in Wichita, then entered the Army
      as a nurse. After a time of service, she met and married Captain Roy McCracken.
      They have lived in Long Beach, California, since his Army retirement in
      1961 as Lt. Colonel. They have three sons and one grandson.
        Roy Phillips had major surgery in 1942, after which he never was well
      and his capabilities were limited. Roy and Della retired from ranch work
      in 1953, moving to 300 Jefferson, Medicine Lodgge, in 1954, where Della
      still resides.
        Roy died on May 8, 1962. Della practiced as a private nurse or nurse aid
      at the hospital until 1973. Della is still active in her church and community
      and enjoys visits to and from her family. ONe of the great blessings of her
      life was to visit her missionary family in Karachi, Pakistan, and see
      firsthand their people and their work.
                
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas, pg. 366 
     Submitted by: Della Phillips