I was a Barber County resident from March 3, 1943, till the fall of 1961.
     My folks were the late Charlie R. Gordon and Helen Ruth Gordon, who is still
     living in Medicine Lodge. We moved to Medicine Lodge from the Hoover ranch
     when I was three years old. I have one sister, Sandee Nossaman, who lives
     in Lawrence, Kansas.
       My childhood days were growing up in a neighborhood of 22 kids. One
     childhood experience I vividly remember is running from the Kansas tornado.
     Mom would tell me to sleep with my clothes on, so I always knew we would 
     be running for the undergroud dirt garage. Can you imagine 22 kids, parents,
     birds, dogs, cats, and goldfish? Our big treat, once in awhile, was a trip
     to Kansas City to see a musical at the Starlight Theater or a K.C. baseball
     game.
       I was raised with love, respect, and a lot of trust. Our home was enjoyed
     by my friends. The folks taught me to respect all human beings, no matter
     what color they wre or what they did or didn't have. My school years were
     spent in Medicine Lodge until I graduated from High School in 1961.
       From Kansas I traveled to Fort Worth, Texas, to attend Texas Christian
     University. During my college days I experienced the death of former President
     John F. Kennedy, the Civil Rights Movement, and the first man to orbit the
     earth. I graduated with a Bacelor of Science Degree in Physical Education and
     minor in Speech.
       From Texas I moved to Independence, Missouri, in 1966. My roommate and I
     lived only a couple of blocks from former President Harry Truman. The only
     time we ever saw him was when a parade would go by his house and he and Mrs.
     Truman would sit on their front porch. The five years I lived in Independence
     I experienced a professional career, traveling, tragedy, and meeting my
     present husband. My professional career was being an Elementary Physical
     Education Instructor. The summer of 1967 was traveling throughout Europe
     for three weeks. The tragedy that struck my family was the death of Dad. He
     was stricken by a massive blood clot. I met my present husband, Wilbur H.
     Wafel, in 1967. We met at a Monday night Teacher's Bowling League. He claims
     I dropped a bowling ball on my toe while watching him. Wilbur was teaching
     Drivers Education in Manual High School in Kansas City, Missouri. He worked
     part time at the Drumm Farm Institute for Boys. We were married June 20, 1970,
     in Lincoln, Missouri at the Lutheran Church. We honeymooned in Branson, 
     Missouri and throughout Colorado.
       While sightseeing in Colorado, we also looked for teaching positions. 
     Wilbur was lucky in that he received an Industrial Arts position in the 
     Keenesburg School District. Keenesburg is located 40 miles northeast of
     Denver. We moved to Brighton in August of 1970. The winter of 1971 I
     started teaching elementary physical education full time in the Brighton
     School District. To add a little spice to our life we bought the J&J Dairy
     King located in Tabernash, Colorado. We woned and operated the summer
     business for six seasons. Tabernash is located in the Fraser Valley 
     surrounded by the beautiful Colorado Rockies.
       At the time of this writing our family consists of Charlie William Wafel,
     4 years old; John Andersen Wafel, 6 months old; and the family pet, "Tippy"
     a German Shepherd. We moved to Keenesburg in 1973 so Wilbur could be closer
     to his teaching job. Wilbur and I go up to the mountains March 3, 1979,
     and sign the closing papers on the Dairy King. We hope the new owners will
     enjoy the business as much as we did. We have enjoyed sharing our family
     life with you and hope it will be enjoyed by family members in the future.
                
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas, pg. 467