My parents, Lemuel Taylor and Arrena Catherine (Watson) Williams, came
      from Kentucky in a wagon train, arriving in Kansas in 1885. They had six
      children, ranging in age from 15 to 2: Herbert, Florence, Ernest, Marvin,
      Frank, and Grace. Locating briefly near Mayfield, they later moved to
      southwestern Stevens County, near Dermott, when my father filed a claim
      on government land. Here they endured three years of hard labor, crop
      failures, cold, snowy winters, and hot, dry, windy summers...no trees
      anywhere in sight, and no close neighbors. One redeeming feature was the
      well built sod-house my father built, with four glass windows and a good
      roof. They had to provide their own entertainment. The children looked
      forward to Sunday afternoons when they all went to gather enough buffalo
      chips (used for fuel) to last a week. They used a team of oxen to draw
      the wagon for this purpose, but they also owned a team of horses, cows
      and chickens. My brothers told me exciting stories about these years,
      before I was born, but they felt no regrets on leaving there.
        The family came to Medicine Lodge in September of 1889 because of the
      big new school. My father began working as a carpenter, Herbert at the
      Sugar Mill, and Ernest at Harmon's Grocery Store, which sold about
      everything needed in a town. The younger children enrolled in school.
        I, Bernice, was born on November 19, 1889, two months after they came
      to Medicine Lodge. When I was 9 years old, Father bought a house, located
      on a large corner lot from 106 East Second to North Main. All of us liked
      this location, just west of the Methodist Church, and across the street
      from the school. )M father and mother lived there the rest of their lives.)
      Father's Furniture Store was now in the Opera House building where Harmon's
      Grocery had been located earlier. My brothers Marvin and Frank worked there,
      too, until the business was solt to M.G. Gazin in 1908.
        My first trip to a dentist was to Dr. Yant, whose office was just west
      of the Courthouse. My brothers pretended think his name was Dr. Yank - as
      being more appropriate.
        In 1906 my graduating class had 18 members. We thought we were through
      with lessons forever. But that summer two more years were added, making
      it an accredited 4-year high school. It had been ten grades before. That
      fall only 7 "graduates" returned, including myself; and in 1907 I graduated
      again. My teachers, both times, were Professor Major (Supt.), Annie Belle,
      Lila Powers, and Margaret Kernohan.  
                
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas, pg. 489  
     Submitted by: Bernice (Williams) Richardson.