Susie J. Thompson

MRS. SUSIE J. THOMPSON lives at McCracken, and since the death of her husband has capably directed the business of a large farm and ranch in Ness County. She is one of the women of Western Kansas whose experiences deserve some special record in this publication.

Mrs. Thompson was born in Whitley County, Kentucky, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Ryan. As a small child she accompanied her parents to Iowa, where she attended public school, and in the spring of 1878 William Ryan located in Western Kansas. Mrs. Thompson had some further education in the Kansas public schools, and on December 8, 1884, at the age of twenty, was married on the home farm on Big Timber Creek to Edward James Thompson.

The late Mr. Thompson was born in Athens County, Ohio, September 17, 1855. He grew up there, had a limited education, was a farmer's son, and aside from a brief experience as a coal miner in Ohio gave his life chiefly to the agricultural industry. His parents were Joseph and Permelia (Andrews) Thompson. Edward J. Thompson was the oldest child of his parents, and was a brother of Alfred C. Thompson, a resident of Brownell, Kansas, mentioned elsewhere in these volumes.

Mr. and Mrs. Thompson began their married life on the ranch which Mrs. Thompson now occupies. It is the northwest quarter of section 3, township 17, range 21. Their pioneer home was a two-room stone house, now used as an auxiliary to the larger equipment of farm buildings, and serves as a wash room and separator house. They had a few horses and a limited number of cattle, and an exceedingly limited cash capital. Industry and courage to withstand all the hardships of the time enabled Mr. and Mrs. Thompson to live here during the hard times, making their living from the land and stock without resorting to outside labor. Through their cattle they paid their way and eventually acquired additional land, and had much of it under cultivation. When Mr. Thompson died the tillable land and that producing crops aggregated almost 300 acres. Altogether they had a rather fortunate experience as wheat growers. Their best annual yield per acre came in 1911, twenty-four bushels to the acre. This cereal brought them fluctuating returns, frequently their largest crops going to market at 50 cents a bushel or less. The best price was $2.10 a bushel, paid under the Government price of 1918. Mrs. Thompson now owns three quarter sections and also a forty acre tract, and fully a half section of this land is under cultivation.

Edward J. Thompson, who died January 22, 1914, was one of the highly esteemed citizens of Ness County. Before coming out to Ness County he had lived a few years in Doniphan County, and he arrived in Ness County about the same time as the Ryan family. For a number of years he faithfully sustained the principles and candidates of the democratic party, but eventually lost interest in politics and preferred the candidate to the party.

Mr. and Mrs. Thompson had six children. Mabel is the wife of William Grumbein, of Great Bend, Kansas, and is the mother of one son, William Landis. The second child was Clarence, who died in infancy. Fay is also a resident of Great Bend. Floyd Audice is now a private in Company G, Eighth Depot Battalion, Signal Corps, with the American Expeditionary Forces in France. Ralph is a farmer on his mother's farm, and the youngest child is Alberta Loree. Mrs. Thompson, like her late husband, has served her school district as a member of its board, and through that office is doing what she can to maintain good schools in her home locality.

Pages 2378-2379.