Clifford and Pearl Woodward Murphy were my parents. Cliff was born in
     Clermont County, Ohio, the oldest son of Thomas and Nancy Pierce Murphy,
     and one of eight children. His family moved to Kansas in 1885 and farmed
     near Pixley.
       Mother was born near Elk Falls, Kansas, the youngest of five children 
     of Hugh Thompson Woodward from West Virginia and Mary Susan Hough of near
     Derby, Kansas. Her family came to Medicine Lodge, where H.T. was in the
     mercantile business for more than twenty years.
       My parents married in 1900. There were four children, all born at
     Medicine Lodge: Inez; Chester (died in infancy), Roy (deceased), and
     Gertrude (Mrs. Martin Rinke).
       Except for a few early years, they farmed near Medicine Lodge, and I
     walked the 1 1/2 miles to school. The family transportation was horse
     and buggy. In 1915 we moved to town, and father worked at various trades.
       All twelve grades were held in the old grade school building. Myrtle
     Rogers Chapin, a native of Barber County, was my teacher in the third and
     fourth grades. In January, 1916, the new neighboring high school building
     where I graduated in 1919.
       Having taken the Normal Training Course, I taught one year at Blue
     Ribbon rural school, then five years in the Medicine Lodge grades. I
     attended KSTC at Emporia the summers of 1923 and 1924. I am a member of
     the Christian Church, baptized at age fifteen. For a number of years I
     taught Bible classes in the intermediate grades, also Sunday School.
       Elbert Read and I were married in 1920. He was the son of Frank and 
     Belle Hart Read of Medicine Lodge. Frank was born in New Orleans, and 
     Belle in Illinois. Elbert attended the Medicine Lodge school, and served 
     in the Army during WWI.
       Our daughter, Ruth, was born in 1925. She also attended the local
     schools, except for three years we lived in Sharon, Kansas. Ruth graduated
     with the class of 1943, as Valedictorian.
       My husband did carpenter work, also mercantile. Our first car, an early
     model Ford Coupe, was acquired about 1927.
       In 1943 the three of us went to California to obtain defense work during
     WWII.
       After the War ended, Ruth married Ervin Walker and came back to Barber
     County. They have two children, Dale and Naomi. Dale is married to Margaret
     Shriner and lives in Medicine Lodge. They have three children: Dale, Jr.,
     Kathy, and David LeeNaomi and husband, Bill Underwood, live in Los Angeles.
       Elbert and I continued to live in California. He followed his carpenter
     and woodworking trade. I was employed by Kroehler Manufacturing (furniture).
       Elbert was fatally injured in an automobile accident in 1955 and is
     buried in Highland Cemetery, Medicine Lodge. I continued to work at Kroehler's
     until I retired in 1967.
       Then I became quite active in American Legion Auxiliary, filling various
     offices and serving as president of Inglewood Unit #188 in 1969-70. I was
     elected 23rd district president in 1975-76.
       While living in California, I enjoyed many guided tours and senior citizen
     trips, and visited many lovely places from Mexico to Canada, also a tour
     of Hawaii. In 1976 my daughter and I took the New England Fall Foliage
     tour.
       December, 1976, I moved back to Medicine Lodge to be near my family and
     old friends.
                
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas, pg. 377 
     Submitted by: Inez Murphy Read