Curtis was born near Earlham, Iowa, March 13, 1909, and moved with his
     parents to Barber County when he was a year old. He lived on the same
     farm till we were married August 6, 1934, when we moved to the farm where
     we live now.
       After graduating from Wamego, Kansas, High School, I taught seven years
     in two rural schools in Barber County, five years at Sunnyside, six miles
     south of Deerhead, and two years at Walstead.
       While teaching at Walstead, I met Curt during a PTA Community play
     practice. The four adjoining school districts had formed a PTA and provided
     many interesting programs for the rural folks in the area.
       Our children all graduated from Walstead Rural School and Medicine Lodge
     High School. Our children whose individual stories appear elsewhere in the
     book are Sandy Vandeveer, Donna Rowe, Shirley McDaniel, Tom Schiff, and
     Sue Marshall. We also have 14 grandchildren, who with their parents have
     brought us much, much happiness. The girls all married farmers and live
     within a few miles of us. Tom lives at Sawyer.
       Curt has been a farmer all his life but has now rented the wheat ground
     to Tom and Sue's husband, Paul. However he enjoys gardening and keeping
     weeds down on the farmstead. He also keeps a few cows and a flock of 
     chickens - once a farmer, always a farmer.
       He served on the Walstead School Board for twenty-five years - until
     unification too our district into Medicine Lodge. He was also 4-H Community
     leader for Sunflower Club for about 20 years.
       Curt became a member of Central View Church of God when he was a young
     man. He attended Central View Rural School and Sharon High School, where
     he participated in basketball and track - winning many medals in track
     events.
       In 1947 I helped organize the Sunflower 4-H Club and will complete my
     33rd year as a leader this fall. All our children participated in 4-H,
     and we now have serveral grandchildren enrolled.
       I am now a member of Sharon Valley EHU and was treasurer of the County
     Advisory Board several years. When the EHU County Council was started a
     few years ago, I was chairman the first two years, and presently am our
     unit representative.
       For several years I did volunteer work at the Arts and Crafts Center in
     Medicine Lodge. In 1972 I purchased the shop and continued to operate it
     four years. Due to poor health, I found the demands too great and sold it,
     but Arts and Crafts still occupy much of my time.
       In 1925 my mother, brother, two sisters and I were baptized and became
     members of the First Baptist Church in Wamego. Later I transferred my
     letter to the Baptist church in Medicine Lodge.
       My parents wer John Thomas Toombs and Marium (Mamie) Frances Jesse Toombs.
     They were married in Taloga, Oklahoma, Decemer 1, 1902. I was born October
     3, 1907, on the old Jesse farm 5 miles northwest of Medicine Lodge, the
     oldest of six children - Edna Toombs, Leo Toombs, Verla Cooper, Leola (Toots)
     Rankin, and Meryle Leslie. Edna passed away in 1965 at age 56 after many
     years of poor health. Meryle died in 1976 - also at age 56. She was a
     semi-invalid many years due to heart trouble. Her husvand and daughter, 
     Joni, survive.
                
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas, pg. 401 
     Submitted by: Mildred Schiff