Walter M. Wheat came to Barber County from Missouri with his parents in
     April 1879, where they settled on Elm Creek north of Medicine Lodge; and
     there he grew to manhood. When the Cherokee Strip opened in 1893, he made
     the run and secured a homestead just south of Kiowa. Here Orin M. Wheat
     was born to Walter and Cora Smith Wheat, grew up in Kiowa, and graduated
     from Kiowa schools. His mother came to Barber County from Pennsylvania and
     taught school around Capron before her marriage to Walter, Orin's grand-
     father, John Smith, came to Barber County with plans to move here for he
     bought a ranch northeast of Medicine Lodge, but grandmother Virginia Burns
     Smith thought Medicine Lodge was too uncivilized and wouldn't leave
     Pennsylvania.
       After Orin's high school graduation he attended Kansas University where
     he received his degree in Law. For a year he served as city attorney in
     Kiowa, and in 1930, having been elected County Attorney, moved to Medicine
     Lodge. After having served as county attorney for several years, he opened
     his own law office.
       Geneva Barnard was born on a farm east of Walstead school house to Charles
     E. and Lucy Andrews Barnard. When she was ready for the first grade, with
     her parents, three sisters and one brother, they moved into Medicine Lodge
     so that all could attend the town schools. Her brother, Bill, was born while
     they lived in town, but after a few years they moved to a farm east of
     Medicine Ldoge where she lived until she entered Ft. Hays State University
     to become a teacher.
       Her first teaching position was in the rural school at Aetna, southwest
     of Medicine Lodge, where she would to to the school house each morning
     during the 'dirty thirties' and scoop the dirt out so they could have
     classes. Scarlet fever broke out among some of the pupils and school was
     closed for a few weeks. She also taught in Haviland, Kinsley, and Anthony.
       In the spring of 1942, Orin and Geneva were married, and in the fall Orin
     closed his law office and entered the Armed Services. Geneva secured a job
     in the Boeing Co. in Wichita. While in the Service, Orin suffered a heart
     attack and received medical discharge. After he had recuperated he again
     opened his office and continued to practice law until his death on September
     20, 1977.
       There was a shortage of teachers in the early '50's, and in 1952 Geneva
     began teaching in the Medicine Lodge schools, never expecting to teach more
     than a year or two. However, she has been there, teaching either the sixth
     grade, music, or as librarian, up to the present time. She earned her Master's
     in Library Science from Emporia State University.
       Orin's interests were many, but he was an avid Big 8 fan, especially in
     football. He knew the names of all the players on every team in the Big 8
     and attended their games for many years. He enjoyed gardening, books, was
     active in The First Christian Church, and in the work of the Gideons.
       It seems that Geneva's activities centered around school for she was
     either attending school or teaching school for forty-eight years, thirty-
     eight of which were spent in the Medicine Lodge school system.
       The Wheats usually spent their summers traveling and enjoyed trips to
     Europe as well as trips to Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico and Asia.
                
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas, pg. 483 
     Submitted by: Geneva Wheat