On December 17, 1907, in Gage, Oklahoma, I, Edith Lurinda was born to
     May and Rye Woodward. The second child and first daughter of the twelve
     children born to this family. I had an older brother, Richard Axtell.
       Since my grandmother Woodward had seven grandsons, when I arrived she
     and Grandpa Woodward she thought I was special. I lived with Grandma and
     Grandpa Woodward and went to school in Sharon, when I was in the second
     grade. But I was homesick, I missed my brothers and sisters, Axtetll, Edith,
     Florence, Vernon and Bill, and returned to Gage by train accompanied by my
     "grown-up" cousin Fant Word.
       My father was a rural mail carrier in Gage and Mother was a substitute
     carrier. He rode a motorcycle, and Mother drove a team of Indian Ponies,
     Babe and Daisy. He also had a harness and shoe shop.
       In 1915 Daddy traded mail routes with a mail carrier in Hardtner, Kansas
     and also had his shoe shop. My sister, Virginia Bess, was born here February
     26, 1916.
       Both Grandma Woodward and Aunt Mary had died so in 1918 we moved to Sharon
     where Dad worked with his father and brother in a harness and shoe shop. 
     Later he became the proprietor of a grocery and meat market.
       After a time of illness and financial straits, Little Howard died and
     Bill had osteomyelitis, we moved to Isabel where Dad again operated a shoe
     shop.
       In Isabel Harvey and Helen were born and died.
       By now I had been earning money by baby-sitting, dishwashing in a cafe
     and general house work.
       From Isabel we went to Pratt, I was a Sopomore in high school, again Dad
     had a shoe shop but at the end of the semester we moved to Medicine Lodge,
     where Dad had wanted to be all along. Here he sold Maytag washing machines.
       Axtell graduated from high school and joined the navy in 1924. Ethel and
     I worked at Russell's Bakery and went to high school.
       We graduated in 1926 and started teaching school after taking the State
     Examination.
       My first school was at Gerlane, elven pupils and grades one thru eight.
     That summer of 1927 my brother Axtell died.
       On August 27, 1927, Ben Mulikin and I were married, and that fall I taught
     at Lasswell. The next year we moved to Montezuma where I taught rural school
     and Ben farmed.
       We moved back to Medicine Lodge and Ben Jr. was born June 8, 1929. Phyllis
     Mae arrived February 10, 1931. That same month we moved back to Montezuma
     and lived on a farm. Virginia Anne was born there June 28, 1933. This was
     a time of dust storms and crop failures and we moved back to Medicine Lodge
     in 1935. Ben worked as a mechanic.
       During the second World War there was a need for teachers so I started
     teaching again and then worked at the Gypsum Mill.
       In 1947 Ben and I were divorced. In 1948 I met and married Bud Trantham.
     We lived on a farm near Sharon and I started teaching again. In 1955 we
     bought our home in Medicine Lodge.
       Ben Jr. was in the navy, the girls were married so I started working for
     my degree by attending summer school, Saturday and night classes. I received
     my degree from Northwestern at Alva in 1961, after I was a grandma of 10
     lovely grandchildren.
       In 1963 I had the opportunity to teach English in the Isabel High School.
     When the Isabel school was closed I taught in Jr. high in Caldwell and
     Medicine Lodge; I retired in 1961.
       Bud worked in Joy Boyter's Tire Shop and fixed tractor tires for farmers
     all over county. He thoroughly enjoyed his grandchildren, twelve by now, 
     and two great-ones. He died December 22, 1974.
       I have a yarn shop and work with the American Cancer Society and help
     out at the Leisure Time Center. I enjoy my children, my grandchildren and
     my five great-grandchildren.
                
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas, pg. 459 
     Submitted by: Edith Trantham