My grandmother, Alice Jane Wix, daughter of Abner Wix, son of Reuben
     and Jane (Smith) Wix, and Mrs. Susan Berry, daughter of George Cooper,
     was born in Springfield, Illinois, March 3, 1858.
       Abner was a blacksmith. In 1865 they moved to Woodford County, Illinois,
     where he was a machinist for a flour mill.
       In 1869 they moved to a farm in Bates County, Missouri, in Hudson 
     Township. It was here that Alice met and married Van. M. Phillips. They
     made their home in Nevada, Missouri, where their five children were born:
     Joe V.; Roy Terrance; Earle Wix; Ralph Carroll; and Madge. Around 1900
     the family moved to Cleveland, Oklahoma, where they lived on a truck farm.
     Roy and Joe did teaming in the oil fields; the other kids helped at home.
     I remember reading my father's text books he had in Cleveland, Oklahoma.
     Reading was a favorite pastime for the Phillips family. I have a book of
     poetry from their library I treasure very highly.
       In 1906 the Phillips family moved to Barber County, Kansas, living near
     Kiowa for about one year before moving to the Medicine Lodge vicinity,
     where they lived on the Dobbs ranch and later moved to the farm where the
     Rick Singleton's now live in the Grandview-Amber community.
       The young people enjoyed the community activities and parties. My Aunt
     Madge was murdered in 1914 by a jealous lover for preferring to go to a
     party with her brothers, rather than to accompany him.
       By 1918 Joe, Roy, and Ralph were married. Joe to Ethel Loy, Roy to Della
     Jester, and Ralph to Edna Rogers (stories told separately). Earle continued
     doing ranch work in another area before moving to Flagstaff, Arizona, where
     he began doing carpentry. In 1947 he married Winnie Williams, and they
     returned to Medicine Lodge. Both died within six weeks of one another in
     1950.
       My grandparents moved to Wichita, where I remember our family going to
     visit. Grandpa made delicious head cheese, and Grandma made perfect
     cranberry jelly. It was so good with the hot biscuits she made for breakfast.
       In later years they moved back to Barber County and lived on the Miller
     farm north of Medicine Lodge, across the road from the Mayme Holmes farm
     where my parents (Ralph) lived.
       Grandpa always drove a Dodge touring car. He was so good to come to
     school and pick us up so we could stop by their house for some freshly
     baked cookies on the way home. They ahd the prettiest marbles for us to
     play with.
       Although my grandmother had to depend on cistern water, which she drew
     up by hand, she had the cleanest house around She knitted mittens for her
     grandchildren and always helped with mending their clothes.
       My grandfather died in 1932. My grandmother lived in the homes of her
     sons until she passed away in April of 1944.   
                
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas, pg. 366 
     Submitted by: Fern (Phillips) Heublein