Dad and his brother, Roscoe, helped an older brother, Howard, get his farm going by planting and harvesting crops, etc. Howard was 23 when he married Hazel LEGG, and perhaps that was the time that Dad and Roscoe helped with his farm. Roscoe was 17 and Dad was 15. Dad always resented Howard for making them work long hours every day for very little pay. (Dad didn't mention this until later in his life.)
Ed LIBBY married Merna Ethel SMITH the 12th of Dec 1915 at the Friend's Quaker Church at Pleasant Plains, Ks. (The church was considered to be in the postal area of Cullison but it was closer to Byers.) "Edd was of Cullison, Ks. - Aged 19 years and Merna was of Pratt, Ks. - Aged 18 years."
Mother and Dad did farming when they were first married. Later they moved to Pratt. Dad worked in an ice plant for a while and then he went to work for the Rock Island Railroad Company in Pratt, as a laborer.
About 12 years after they were married, when I was 4 years old, they moved to Wichita, Kansas.
Dad worked for the Travel Air Company in Wichita until the company went out of business during the depression.
There was no work to be found because of the depression, so Dad thought he would try to buy some land and go back to farming. He got an old truck with high sides and filled it with all of our belongings. We also took along our car with a small trailer attached to the back. Dad kept the house in Wichita in case the trip to Arkansas didn't work out - which it didn't - so it was good to come home to.
Dad's friend, Dutch KRUGER, went to Cheyenne, Wyo. to work for United Air Lines. Dutch told his boss what a good welder and mechanic Dad was, so the boss told Dutch to send for him. Dad went to Cheyenne alone to begin work, and about 5 months later sent for us. We went to Cheyenne in Nov of 1931.
We lived there for about 5 years. We made some wonderful trips to the mountains in Colorado and Wyoming. Dad and my 2 brothers could play the guitar and the harmonica. Dad played in a western group on the radio in Greely, Colo. in 1932/33. Dad made very nice, light, silvery looking tackle boxes lined with felt. He sold alot of them. He did this on his own time at home.
About 1935, my mother and father had separated, and we children stayed with our mother for about a year, when she suddenly became ill with pneumonia. She didn't feel well on a Wednesday evening. Dad came to take her to the hospital on Saturday morning, and she passed away the next morning. Dad took us to his apartment, but we were not happy.
A few months later, my mother's brother, Frank SMITH, from Pratt, Kansas, sent for Evelyn and I. We took a bus from Cheyenne to Pratt in 1936. Uncle Frank said we could stay with him and Aunt Helen until she had her first baby. I was 13 then, and Evelyn was 15 years old. My sister and I were moved around from one relative to another for awhile, but it was good to be with family, I was grateful for that.
I wondered many times what was going to become of me. I certainly was accustomed to moving. For the 13 years I had been on this earth, I had never spent more than 2 years in the same house or schoolroom, and I think that continued on until I was married in 1944. My brothers were left alone to fend for themselves.
After some very rough times Harold went to work for an airline company in Cheyenne, and my brother Verl went into the C.C.C. Camps. (Civilian Conservation Corps.) Harold was the oldest in our family. He was born Harold Ole LIBBY on April 1, 1917, in Lincoln Township, Byers, Pratt, Kansas. He was married 3 times. Harold at one time owned a bar in Denver, Colorado and I believe he was working for an airline company at the same time. He did work for Frontier Airlines at some point. Harold's 3rd marriage was to Daisy Mae RATLIFF (her 2nd marriage). They married the 27th of Oct. 1962. Harold passed away the 20th of Nov. 1974.
At that time they were living in Phoenix, Arizona. Harold had bought a ranch style home with a built-in swimming pool and could hardly wait until he felt better so he could have a swim in it. He never got the chance because he had advanced cancer. We know that he suffered greatly. Harold did not have any children.
Evelyn was born Nov. 5, 1920 in Lincoln Township, Byers, Pratt, Kansas. She graduated from Pratt High School in 1938, Pratt Junior College in 1940 and the University of Wyoming in 1942 with a BS degree. In the 1950's she moved to New York City. When she married she was working as a secretary for the firm of J. F. Dougherty, Independent Economic Geologist. She married Richard Joseph KREMPECKI at the Church of Notre Dame in New York City on Sept. 8, 1959.
Dick was an instructor and a swimming coach at Columbia University. He received his BA degree from Trenton State Teacher's College and his Masters degree from Columbia Teacher's College. Evelyn and Dick had 2 sons; Richard Anthony and Thomas Anthony, both born in Manhattan, New York.
Verl was born on Jan. 2, 1919, at 2 a.m., during a blizzard. He had trouble with his lungs for years from inhaling the smoke from the forest fires which he fought while working in the C.C.C.. He later went to a bible college in Tennessee for 9 years. He took a "finishing" course in Indianapolis and got a wonderful start. The father of one of the boys he went to school with put both of them through that last year of school. Verl is still in the ministry. Verl married Barbara June HOWELL Dec. 11, 1949. They had 3 children, Beverly Lynn, Larry Steven and Mark Wayne. Verl is a good mechanic, house builder, minister, family man, and more. They adopted a boy who needed their love and care. He is now married and is grateful to Verl and his family for what they did for him.
I was married to Joseph Patrick CONNORS from Lynn, Mass. He was in the Army Air Corp., stationed at Pratt Army Air Base, he was a supply officer. I was working in the Air Corp. Supply taking care of Tech. Orders. We met on a double date. Joe's date was my sister Evelyn.
Joe was a bombardier and had flown 23 bombing missions over Italy, Sicily, Sardinia and France. On his 23rd mission, Sept. 12, 1943, while flying in the lead plane near Rome, Italy he was hit by flak in his right elbow. He underwent 2 surgeries, and is missing the head of the radius on that arm. The flak had come up from underneath the plane and Joe was the only one injured that day.
Joe and I were married on the airbase, 5 miles north of Pratt, Kansas, on Nov. 30, 1944. We lived in Pratt in a rented house on 3rd St.. In 1946 we moved to Lynn, Massachusetts. We lived with Joe's parents for a short time and then rented a basement apartment at 20 High St., where we were living when Cecilia and Judy were born. We then moved to 22 Farrington Ave., in Saugus and rented the back half of a duplex. While living here, Joey was born. From there we moved to 37 Adams St. in Lynn, then to 11 Wilson St., where the twins were born, and in 1958 we bought the house next door at 7 Wilson St. Joe and I lost our first baby, Cecilia Marie, when she was 6 days old. Naturally we were very saddened by her loss.
We were blessed with four more children, Judith Ellen on April 13, 1947, Joseph Patrick, Jr. on Nov. 28, 1948 and girl and boy twins, Susan Elaine and Steven Edward on Nov. 7, 1952.
We now have 14 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. (2007)
Note: "Dad died Feb. 3, 2003 in Pensacola, Florida. Mom is in a nursing home in Belfast Maine, near to my sister, Susan."
Source: Judy Lubinski (daughter of Joseph and Mildred)
Note: January 10, 2008 - "Just a note to let you all know that my Mom (Mildred Louise Libby Connors)passed away this evening up in Belfast, Maine."

Joseph Connors