Belle Freeman Winnop
I was the fourth of six children born to Mr. and Mrs. W.S. Freeman. My
brothers and sisters were: Chester, Dolly (Olmstead), Ethel (Urton), Clif
and Clyde. When we moved from Rice County in March 1903, I was six years
old. Papa came first with three covered wagons and the livestock. Mamma
and we children had to come later on the train, because the day we were to
leave with Papa and the wagons "Ol' Flory" had her colt that morning. I
was exposed to the measles on the train, and when I got sick, I was
delirious for three days.
We, (Chester, Dolly, Ethel and I) walked one and one-half miles to and
from school. There were about 60 pupils in the one-room school. Chloe
Harmon was the teacher. There was a big box stove to keep us warm. It was
a great treat if some of our folks were in town when school was out to
give us a ride home. I was the only Sun City eighth grade graduate in 1912.
P.D. Lake was my teacher.
My grandparents and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Elisha Martin Freeman and Mary,
came to live with us in 1912, after their home, in Cambridge, Kansas, was
destroyed by a tornado.
After I married Dan Winnop in 1917, we lived on the Ward place at the
west edge of Sun City. The tram line from the quarry to the terminal ran
across our farm. I can still hear the beautiful ringing voice of Mr. Bowling,
as he'd ride those buckets singing, "Throw out the Life Line." When that
tram line broke, the bucket fell where Dan and his dad had been standing
about five minutes before.
We had four children born to us: Mary Belle in 1918, Dora May in 1921,
Elsie Ethelda in 1923, and Arthur Dale in 1925.
We were members of the Sun City Baptist Church where Dan was a deacon
and treasurer for many years. He was custodian at the Sun City High School
for years. Our home ws always the meeting place for children and young
people - playing games, working, studying, talking, and singing.
Mary Belle married Ernest Bolejack in 1939 in Sun City. They have four
children and eight grandchildren. They live in Independence, Kansas. Dora May
graduated from nurses training in 1942. She married Charles Lloyd Moore in
Kingman in 1942. They have three daughters and five grandchildren. They live
in Eugene, Oregon. Ethelda married Walter L. Clark in 1941 at Sun City. They
have two children, and three grandchildren. Dale married Lucille Shallenburger
in 1949 at Pratt, Kansas. They have two children and two grandchildren and
live in Medicine Lodge.
Dan had pneumonia in 1924, leaving him with a bad heart. We celebrated our
50th wedding anniversary in 1967 with all our children, a host of relatives
and friends.
I sold my home in Sun City after Dan died in 1971, and moved into the
Indian Hills Lodge in Medicine Lodge.
Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas, pg. 493
Submitted by: Belle (Freeman) Winnop