Families

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The Story of Earl Wood Harlan

1874-1958

Earl Wood Harlan was born in Muscatine, Iowa, September 28, 1874. When he was three, the family moved to Hodgeman County, Kansas. His father, John W. Harlan had preceeded them a few weeks earlier to build a house on a claim in the country.

Earl's mother, Josephine M. Parker and his brother Ardena Burnell were both born in Huntertown, Indiana, August 20, 1846 and 1871 respectively.

The family lived on the farm until 1885 when they moved into the town of Jetmore where his Father, John, became one of the town's first lawyers. He later became the County Attorney of Hodgeman County.

August 17, 1910, Earl was united in marriage to Miss Lida Benge, a school teacher living in Jetmore.

Earlier in life, Earl attended the public schools and learned the printer's trade at an early age when he worked in the Reveille office. Later, he published a weekly paper in Jefferson, Oklahoma for several months however, in 1900 he returned to Jetmore where he Published the Western Herald and Jetmore Republican until 1917 when he sold the Republican to an F. F. Baily.

Earl and his wife have made their home in Jetmore with the exception of ten months spent in Idaho.

After returning to Jetmore he worked for different firms consisting of the Produce Business, a tire shop and filling station and for the past forty years has been in the real estate business and worked at it until his illness.

He united with the Methodist Church April April 23, 1893 and was a loyal worker in the Sunday School and Epworth League. For years he was a teacher of the Bible Class. When the Methodist Church was built in 1916, he was a trustee and a member of the building committee and a liberal contributor to the fund. Earl and his wife had no children although they may have adopted a little girl who was either Mexican or Indian.

He had a keen mind and his hobby was writing history of the early days of Hodgeman County and the pioneer people. He had been in failing health for two years when he finally passed away in the local hospital April 3, 1958.

Mary Ann and Laurence Parker Harlan, Sr. did visit them once in Jetmore. In checking with the Town of Jetmore, LJr did receive copies of three instruments of deeds of property, dated 1904, 07 and 08 for lots that Earl purchased in Jetmore.

Contributed 09 Nov 1998 by Laurence Harlan, Jr.

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