Theophilus Dee Inslee was born near Batavia, New York in 1849 to Redford
     and Sarah (Reed) Inslee. His father was blind so at the age of 12 years he left
     home to help support his family. He got a job on the Erie Canal driving horses
     and pulling the barges up and down the canal. A group of settlers in covered
     wagons and horseback were going west to seek their fortune, he decided to go
     with them. This was the last time he saw his family. At the age of 21 he
     arrived in Kansas and settled in Pottowatomie County. He did farm work. In
     1879 he married Harriet Emma Rinebarger.
          Harriet Emma was born January 2, 1865 to Henry and Mary Amelia (Coates)
     Rinebarger in Upper Sandusky, Ohio. The family had come by covered wagon and
     settled in Havensville, Kansas. After Theophilus and Emma married they home-
     steaded in Barber County. In September 1884 Theophilus (or Ted) was in the
     Barber County area looking for a claim and wrote a letter to Emma stating 
     "There is a settler on every piece of land but I think that we can get us a
     claim. You must expect to burn cow chips. There is no wood and no water." 
     They staked the claim but didn't stay on it. In 1890 they purchased the farm
     located three miles east of Isabel where they raised their family, which
     consisted of nine children (Redford, Charles, George Dee, Mary, Alva, William,
     Laura, Clifford and Gilbert). While Ted was building a house Emma took the
     children back to Pottawatomie County to attend school. When they returned they
     attended Franklin School and later Waverland and Isabel school. Ted farmed
     with the help of his boys, planting wiht walking machinery pulled by horses
     or mules. The wheat and corn was sometimes taken to Elm Mills to be ground
     or traded for flour or cornmeal. The boys spent most of their time herding
     cattle as there weren't many fences.
          Ted died in May 1913 and Emma was left with four children to care for.
     She later moved to Isabel when William was married and took over the farm
     and resiede until she had a stroke and moved back to the farm and lived with
     William and Artine until her death in June 1942. Ted and Emma are laid to
     rest in the Isabel Cemetery.
               
     Source: Isabel, Kansas - The First 100 Years, 1887 - 1987,  pg. 104