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Chase County Kansas Historical Sketches
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Barr, Mollie
Mrs. Mollie Barr, 90, Has Lived On
Same Diamond Creek Farm 61 Years
The 90th birthday anniversary
of Mrs. Mollie Barr, aged Diamond
Springs resident, was a happy occasion which 100 relatives and
friends spent with Mrs. Barr. Open
house, under supervision of Mrs.
Bert Drake of Elmdale, was held
from 2 until 5 o'clock in the afternoon.
"Grandma" Barr, as she is affectionally known to her relatives
and friends, has lived in her present home over 60 years. For 20
years prior to that time she was
a resident of the Diamond Creek
vicinity. She is in good health
and thoroughly enjoyed her birthday party Thursday. She was
born in Milwaukee, Wis.
The big birthday cake for the
occasion was made by one of Mrs.
Barr's best friends, Mrs. Wm.
Manley, 77. Another of her good
friends, Rev. T. Y. Henry, of Wilsey, made a gracious talk at the
party.
An interesting account of Mrs.
Barr's life appeared in the Council Grove Republican of July 12
and is as follows:
`Mrs. Mollie Barr, Diamond
Springs' most venerable resident,
will observe her 90th birthday tomorrow. Riding the long lonesome trail from the end of the
railroad line at St. Joseph to the
tiny Council Grove trading post
behind a plodding yoke of oxen,
Mrs. Barr is one of the last of that
hardy band of pioneer women who
saw Morris County as an uncultivated wild prairie.
"Mrs. Barr accompanied her
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Herman Bennett, when 10 years old
by rail to St. Joe where her father
purchased a yoke of oxen, prairie
schooner, three cows and a handful of household utensils. Several
days were needed for the trek to
the Neosho crossing where the
Main street bridge now stands.
When the pilgrims reached this
trading post, only a single store
and a few scattered cabins greeted
them.
"The family went on westward
to the Whitney place which was
then owned by Mrs. Barr's uncle,
Troggett Hegwer. Her father
bought what is now the Andrew
Drummond farm. That was in the
fall of 1859, two years before
Kansas was admitted as a state.
"Mrs. Barr lived in Chase County until her marriage in 1878 when
she moved to the Diamond Creek
farm which has been her home
for 61 years. She has one son,
Carl Barr, stock feeder and rancher. Despite her advanced years,
Mrs. Barr has served as an officer
in the Old Settlers' club and regularly attends the Diamond Springs
pioneer organization.
Chase County News, Strong City, Kansas, Jul 19, 1939.
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by Lorna Marvin
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