We, the children of William Vernon Stranathan and Fannie Smith Stranathan,
     are writing this bit of history of what we heard and learned from them during
     their lifetime.
       Our father's parents, James and Elizabeth Woods Stranathan, came to Barber
     County in 1884 from Zanesville, Ohio. They came by railroad to Attica, Kansas,
     then brought all their belongings by wagon and settled nine miles northwest
     of Kiowa. They had one daughter and four sons, all of whom were practically
     grown. Our dad was 17 at the time they came to Kiowa.
       Our mother's parents, William Henry Smith and Mary James Smith, came from
     Wilmington, Deleware. They settled near Sedgwick, Kansas, in Harvey, County,
     where Grandfather Smith and his brother, Robert, farmed. In 1876, our mother
     was born ther. In 1877, they moved to Barber County about 15 miles southwest
     of Medicine Lodge. Their famiy consisted of four daughters: Anna (Mrs. Tipton
     McCracken), Della (Mrs. Fayette Thomas), Ella (Mrs. Bud McCracken) and Fannie
     (Mrs. Willialm Stranathan), our mother.
       The six sons were: Arlenzo, John, Irvin, Frank, Hiel and Ed.
       Several members of the family took claims in the opening of the Cherokee
     Strip in Oklahoma. The old trqail from the Strip towards the north came 
     through our grandfather's place and many travelers were welcomed by our
     grandparents, the Smiths. They had food and lodging before they traveled on,
     as the country was very thinly populated in those days. Our grandfather 
     enjoyed visiting with them.
       Our brother, Tom and his wife, Marjorie Ishmael Stranathan, own the old
     Smith family place where our mother grew up.
       Our parents were married February 17, 1897, and lived with our grandparents,
     the Stranathans, on the family place near Kiowa. Dad farmed with his father.
       There were seven sons: Tom, Carl, Lute, Jim, Ed, Paul and Bud, and three
     daughters: Helen, Mary (Mrs. Gerald Betty), and Louise (Mrs. Clarence Owens)
     born to this union. We grew up with much love and devotion to our parents
     and each other.
       Tom and Carl both attended Medicine Lodge High School, the other boys
     boarded in Kiowa. Our grandparents moved to Kansas City and our parents
     bought the farm. In 1922 we moved to Kiowa where the rest of us attended
     high school and our father took over as postmaster. Lute and Ed were clerks.
       Dad died in 1954. In 1960 Mother moved to Medicine Lodge where I was
     working at the Savings and Loan. We built our home on Cedar Street. Mother
     passed away in 1972. I still reside, with my husband Otto Youngers, in that
     home.
                
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas, pg. 445 
     Submitted by: Helen Stranathan Youngers