Page 1 - Landscape Draft 1 copy

y father leaving Pennsylva-

nia at an early age worked
for some time in Illinois

Mand then came on west to

Eastern Kansas. He found work in various
places as a farm hand, but ending up on my

mother’s father’s cattle ranch, where he and

my mother met and were married at a time
later. She was sixteen and he eight years old-

er. They bought a small ranch about 2½ miles
from my Grandfather Shields’ place. They

were married December 25, 1894. This com-

munity was known as Little Cross Creek and
my mother attended the Little Cross Creek

School but had to quit school at an early age
to help her stepmother with the work. Grand-

mother Shields passed away at the age of 28

years when my mother was only four years Garrot William Shields Ranch in Jackson County, Kansas
old. My father’s mother passed away when he

was but six years of age.

Part of my Life as a Story 1