Mary Grace Yewell, the sixth child of seven born to L.T. and Arrena Williams,
  arrived March 31, 1885 at Three Springs, Kentucky. The family came to Medicine
  Lodge in September 1889.
     Mother was educated in Medicine Lodge and graduated from high school in 1904
  along with Una Holmes and Summerfield Alexander. When quite young, she showed
  special aptitude in music ability and her mother never had to remind her to
  practice her lesson because she spent most of her spare time at the piano. She
  had further education in piano and voice at Southwestern College, then returned
  to Medicine Lodge and taught music in the elementary school, gave private 
  lessons in her home and rode horseback to Sharon and other communities giving
  lessons.
     On June 16, 1909, she was married to Alvin D. Yewell, a young man from
  Sheridan, Wyoming, who came to Medicine Lodge in 1907. He was an electrician
  and machinist and worked at the Electric Light Plant for Mr. Dobson, manager 
  of the plant owned by the city. My family moved to Wichita, Independence, then
  to Des Moines, where my father worked sixteen years for the Great Lakes Pipe
  Line Co.
     They had three children. I (Arrena) was born September 19, 1910, Jack in
  1915, and Frances in 1921. I graduated from Medicine Lodge High School in 1928
  and from Friends University in 1932. During these years, my mother continued 
  her work, giving lessons at home, training church choirs and singing in them.
     In 1947, after retirement, Mother and Dad returned to Medicine Lodge. Dad
  passed away in 1954, and Mother's death occured in 1974.
     Both Jack and Frances graduated from school in Des Moines and were married
  there. Jack worked for the Meredith Publishing Co. a number of years, but was
  forced to retire early for health reasons. He passed away three years ago.
  Frances married a classmate C.H. Hagins, who went into the Air Force during
  World War II and has since retired as a Lt. Colonel.
     I was married, in New York to William Thorne (originally from Wichita) in
  1938. We were both members of a septette singing group known as The Royalists
  and lived the life of glamour and glitter in the entertainment world for
  several years. But both of us wanted to raise a family in a different life-style.
  We returned to Wichita in 1940, and Bill started a new career at Beech in the
  Production Control Division. Several moves have been made since then. We have
  been in Anaheim, Calif since 1962, where Bill is employed by Rockwell Inter-
  national Co. in the Space Division. Our family includes two daughters and seven 
  grandchildren, and we have all enjoyed visits back to Medicine Lodge and Wichita.
               
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 499 
     Submitted by: Arrena (Yewell) Thorne