I came to Kiowa in 1916 and grew up here. My first job was washing
     dishes in a cafe for Shorty Ellis. Later on, I worked as a clerk and
     delivery boy in a grocery store, making two deliveries a day with a
     model T Ford pick-up. Roscoe Parker owned the store. In 1923, I started
     working for Mike Curran, who was agent for the K.T. Oil Corp. I was
     engaged in the petroleum business for 23 years.
       In 1940, Lucille Ditgen and I were married. We had one son, Jim, I
     had two chidlren by a previous marriage, Wanda Mae and Billy, who was
     affectionately known as "Tony."
       Carl Stranathan was elected Sheriff in 1943 and asked me to take a
     deputy sherrif commission. This job carried no salary. In March, 1946
     Lawson ("Chief") O'Dell shot Dick Winn in Harry Downtain's Produce
     House in Kiowa. I was called to come up town and arrest O'Dell, who
     later was given a life sentence for murder.
       In 1947, I took up farming ont he Evelyn Ewell place, 8 miles north
     of Kiowa. In 1948, Leo Jenkinson and I started an L.P. Gas business.
     I sold my interest to Leo in January 1950.
       In May 1950, I filed for sheriff of Barber County and was elected 
     and took office in January 1951. At that time a sheriff was allowed
     only 2 terms in office. After my term had expired, I was Undersheriff
     for Homer Burkhart for about 3 years of his 4 year term. In 1958, I
     was elected again for sheriff. My 2 year term expired January 1963.
       We moved back to Kiowa and I worked on the Kiowa city Police Department
     from July 1963 to Gebruary 1965. But C.L. Bishop, who had been elected
     Sheriff died of a heart attack after serving only 20 days, and I was
     appointed by the Governor to fill his unexpired term. In 1964, the two
     term tenure of office law was voted out, and the sheriff was allowed
     to succeed himself. So consequently, I was in office until May of 1974,
     when I resigned.
       We returned to Kiowa and I continued farming. One of the things I 
     remember while in office was arresting the burglary insurance salesmen, 
     who sold our merchants insurance, looking each store over carefully as
     they did, then came back and robbed them later. Also othe Linden Black
     murder case. This case required many hours of work and with the help
     of KBI. After about a year, we found the murderer who was sent to prison
     for 35 years.
       Now I am semi-retired. Lucille and I have our home in Kiowa. We have
     8 grandchildren. Janice, Debbie, Steve and Matthew, who are Wanda's
     children; Kim and Tonee are Tony's children and Jeanette and Todd are
     Jim's children.
                 
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 438 
     Submitted by: Andy Stevenson