CLARENCE DEWEY STONE

GEDCOM Note

From article "95 Wonderful Years Celebrated by Clarence Stone" by Bob Flasnick Harlan County Paper, June 1973:ler plane to the jet or the mindress to the maxi.unday at the Western Holiday Motel which had 170 in attendance.e day's events in his still sharp mind via the evening news broadcast., I never miss a night broadcast on T.V. Ive seen more changes in my lifetime than anyone saw for 500-1000 years before me."h accompanied the pioneer settlers in this region: "I was raised in a neighborhood where they said the moon was made of green cheese and there was a man in it," he laughed. "They didn't know as much about the moon as I know about the stars now, or half as much. Of course people used to think there was life on the moon. We really didn't find out different until they explored it."e has lived in Alma for the past six years, two of them with his wife Cora who died in 1970. Cora was four years younger than Clarence. They would have been married 70 years this year.ghborhood" of his youth, where Clarence heard the misleading lunar information was the prairie terrain of north Phillips County Kansas, south of old Republican City.873 by Clarence's parents, Mark and Amanda Stone, who came to this part of the country from Missouri. Clarence was born five years later in the dugout his parents had constructed on a little creek which went through their $15 quarter section of land. an't remember a night in my life going hungry. The government bet you a quarter section of land you couldn't do it. You can't imagin what it was like."h a 12-inch breaking plow pulled behind the horses that had brought the family west in a lumber wagon. The creek provided fresh spring water and timber for building and fuel.e became aquainted with both Indians and blacks on the frontier settlement.d all get together in one of their houses."t to them, pretty soon there'd be some more."m Ft. Hays Kansas to Ft. Kearney which had camped out on the creek near the Stone home on the OK of the senior Stone who had always had an interest in the military. The next day the regiment crossed the Republican river at Horn's Ford and proceeded towards Ft. Kearney.t was turned down. Clarence who would have been old enough to go, remembered "I thought it would have been fun to go to war then, but now I think we could get along without all this war." He also signed up for World War I but was never called.: Mrs. Alice Carrigion of Sacramento, Calif.: and Leona Abbott of Republican City.e had to walk about one an three-fourths miles to the school each day where about 20 youngsters in the area learned the three R's.mall rural schools in the area. "Even my grand kids went to that same school," he notes with pride.aily with a pack of Beech Nut. He says that as youth in school, some of the boys would go each day to a stream a quarter of a mile from the school to supply water for the thirsty students. On the way back they would stop for a rest and share a chew.y life." Clarence was in the hospital with a stomach problem. "It's the only time I've ever darkened the door of a hospital form myself," Clarence said. "I was in there for about five days. I had a little stomach trouble so the shook me down, gave me a diet and I've got along pretty good since then. I'm still on that same diet."e a few miles west of their home. Both his parents are buried in the church's cemetery, now called Pleasant Ridge.e, a general store-post office located about seven miles south of the homestead.n 1914 and another brother [Leo] took over the operation of the home place. The brother died in 1918 from diptheria.. "I told her that would be fine. 'I can handle that place as well as not.' She said she wanted us to live on it. She seemed to know what she wanted."erted to the children and Clarence decided to buy out the inheritances.l paying taxes on it. I lived on the old home place all my life but for six years come last fall."rm near the homestead. A daughter Mrs. Sarelda Hall lives in Kirwin, Kan. and another daughter, Esther Stone, keeps house for Clarence.ade a car that would go and come back but we didn't have anyplace to drive them." Clarence said. "The car business gave us roads to put them on."l trip to Republican City, where he has always done his banking, and sometimes travels to Kearney and Hastings with his children. His parents used to take a team of horses to Kearney to pick up freight, a 60 mile jaunt which required two days going and three days coming back.ractor in 1939 (an international 20) he said he "discarded the horses entirely, just like everybody else did."lps to keep busy, be active as much as you can and keep regular hours," he says. "I could go anytime but you nver know when that'll be. I'm going to try to stay as long as I can."nial History In and Around Republican City, 1867 - 1967 By Erma Kammererey homesteaded the place Clarence lived all his life and still owns it. His sons, Harold and Dean, farm it. President U. S. Grant signed the patent for their homestead. In order to get another quarter of land, one could get a Timber claim grant if a section of land had no trees or creek on it. M. D. Stone got a section 4 miles S. E. of his home and put out 10 acres of trees for a timber claim, then proved up on it. Art Francis owns it now." 1910 United States Federal Census &gt Kansas &gt Phillips &gt Glenwood Twp &gt District 140thplace Kansasaskat District 151er's birthplace Iowasaswood &gt District 10ge at marriage 21rthplace Kansasother-in-law)