My Father's Family came from Germany where he was born Dec. 4, 1854. He had a brother Jacob, 2 years older than he. Twins, a boy and a girl, had died before Jacob was born. Grandpa had gone out walking one day and saw an Army Officer abuse two young fellows because they didn't do exercises as fast as he thought they should. When Grandpa came home he told his wife they would go to America so their boys would not be forced to do Military Service. Some of his cousins had already come to America - they came to New Orleans and up the river to a German settlement at Tolona, MO. My Father was 18 months old at that time. There, a fourth boy and two girls were born. My father was 12 years old when his Mother died in childbirth with her 8th child. It seems ironic that Grandpa left Germany so his sons would not have to take Military Service, then he was to serve in the Civil War here in America.
My mother was born in Adams County, Ohio. Later Grandpa John Parry and his wife Margaret Cause Hook Parry took their young family to Missouri. Mary Elizabeth, Anna Margaret and James Oscar were the children. There they built a home on 40 acres near Lewistown, MO. In 1872 they came by covered wagon to a homestead 8 miles east and one north of Douglass, KS. I have been told that Grandpa had to go to Florence, KS, around 50 miles from their homestead, to get lumber to build their house. Florence was as far as the railroad came at that time so it was the nearest place to get Lumber.
On a Nearby homestead lived Sarah Teets, her Son Lewis Henry Teets, and a nephew named David Oscar Teets. [Editors' note: David Oscar Teets was the son of Alice Purdine Teets and Phillip Teets.] David was born May 25, 1864 in West Union, Ohio. I have an old record book that shows Mary Parry, David Teets, and Edgar Garret were in school together at Waverly School District 107, Butler County, Kansas. Years later Edgar Garrett married Anna Margaret Parry. David Teets married Clara Bell White, a young lady whose parents lived near Mount Tabor School in the southern part of Rock Creek township. On May 23, 1898 they became Parents of Earl Winfred Teets, later to become my husband. Their other children were Agnes Amelia who died in infancy and was buried in old McCabe Cemetery in 1894, Paul Revere, born April 4, 1901, Faye Monta and Ferne Monett, born at Platteville, CO, May 4, 1904.