Ernest McKinley Wheat was born to John Allen Wheat and Mary (Olson) Wheat
     of Lake City, Kansas August 17, 1902. He spent some of his younger years on
     his parents ranch south of Lake City, now owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs.
     Jim Harbaugh. Later he attended school in Medicine Lodge, and at 15 years of
     age was injured in football practice, causing him to have a crippled leg
     during his entire life. His father did not want him to be a farmer on account
     of this, disability, so enrolled him at Wichita Business College. Later he
     still had the desire to farm. His parents sold the ranch and bought a farm
     southeast of Medicine Lodge, close to the end of World War I. They moved to
     this area. Ernest rented land and farmed in the vicinity.
       In April, 1929 Ernest and Fern Rucker, daughter of Hammon and Ella Rucker
     of the Sharon Community, were married.
       In October, 1929 Ernest and I (Fern) moved to a farm in Finney County -
     Deerfield, Kansas. This farm was owned by his father, a joy to farm as it
     was level as a floor and very productive, if rain fell.
       We raised wheat and sorghum crops, also the usual farm animals such as
     hogs, milk cows and chickens. The neighbors did not live close by, but were
     very friendly and good folks. We were some of the younger people there and
     soon got acquainted and enjoyed their friendship.
       In the summer of 1931 we had nineteen thousand bushels of wheat to sell
     for a mere twenty-three cents a bushel. It was a great crop year, but the
     depression was something else. We had lost our milk cows in the March 
     blizzard of that same spring. That fall, the wheat didn't sprout from lack
     of moisture.
       The spring of '32, the dust storms started in February. No crops were
     raised that year or the next. Ernest did custom work for land owners in
     Garden City to make enough income to live, plus the wheat allotments that
     didn't stretch too far. 
       In 1937 the family moved to Holcomb, Kansas, renting an irrigated farm
     owned by Mrs. Alpha Mitchell of Kiowa. By now we had two sons, Bill and
     Jack, ages seven and five years. A baby son, Allen LeRoy, passed after one
     day of life in 1931. We lived there until 1940, Glenda, a daughter, was
     born in 1939.
       In 1940 the family moved to the A.M. Wilson farm, now the Walter Lenkner
     farm, southeast of Medicine Lodge. We farmed there until December 1945,
     then we moved to the present location, his parent's farm. All and Mary 
     Wheat moved to Medicine Lodge to make their home.
       In 1942, Marilyn, another daughter, was born and in 1945 Leon, a son,
     was born. This completed our family.
       The children attended College Hill rural school and Medicine Lodge High
     School.
       We farmed wheat and feed crops here through the years. We had a grade
     A dairy, while the boys were home to help with the work. Later on we sold
     the dairy herd and bought black Angus beef cattle.
       Ernest passed away June 26, 1969 and I continued to operate the farm with
     the excellent help of two of my good neighbors, Vernon Eck and Charles Inslee.
     I no longer have cattle, having sold them in April 1969, but still raise
     wheat and lease the pasture.
       Our children, have married and are scattered in location. Bill married
     Joan Rodgers of Medicine Lodge. They and their family live in Pennsylvania.
     Jack married Billie Stallard of Medicine Lodge, and their family lives in
     Colorado. Glenda and George Tennyson and family live in Washington, D.C.
     Marilyn Cochran and family live in Wichita, Kansas. Leon and family live
     in Colorado. There are fourteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
     When the group can get together, we enjoy talking of the olden days and
     the amusing things that happened. We have known sadness too, but the good
     times overshadow those. We count our blessings, it has been a very good
     life.
                
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas, pg. 482 
     Submitted by: Fern Wheat