Bob was born near Eskridge, KS November 18, 1890 and spent his youth
     and school days there until he graduated from Eskridge in 1910. He came to
     Isabel to be with his parents. He published the Isabel Newspaper for 
     several years and was postmaster for several years. He served in the Army
     during World War I. He left Isabel and worked in Kansas City and then
     Oklahoma City where he met Blanche. We were married at the Methodist
     Parsonage in Isabel by Rev. Millsap. I went to work in the store.
          I was born in 1900 in a dugout in Oklahoma Territory on a farm my dad
     homesteaded. In 1932 Isabel was a very active and a live small community.
     There were around 30 business places, 3 churches, a large school and many
     good people.
          We had electricity, and windmills to supply water, and individual
     sewer systems. We used wood and coal for fuel and cooked on kerosene, wood,
     or gasoline stoves. We used ice boxes until we could afford electric
     refrigerators. This was during the Depression and dust storms. We made our
     own entertainment. Bob and I had so many good friends. We all had one thing 
     in common - lack of finances, but a dollar went a long way. I can remember
     these years as the happiest time of my life.
          We had no children but my nephew Donald (Buster) Edsall came to live
     with us and graduated from high school here. He went into military service 
     during World War II and after discharge came back and lived with us until
     he married Shirley Shea of Pratt in 1947.
          World War II changed our way of living. So many families moved to the
     city where they could get work and never moved back. We lost most of our
     business places and never recovered.
          I went to work as Acting Postmaster and stayed in the service until
     1968.
          Bob had a storke in 1971 and was in bad health the rest of his life.
     He died in February 1984 and was buried in the Isabel cemetery.
          This month of January 1987 I'm still living in our home of 48 years.
     
     Source: Isabel, Kansas - The First 100 Years, 1887 - 1987,  pg. 41
     
     Submitted by: Blanche Bell