Kansas Collection Books: The Abolitionist, by George W. Schiller



Personal Contributions



I wish to acknowledge those people whose contributions of stories, documents, pictures, maps, and personal mementos that helped to make this book possible. Without their generous and sharing attitudes this saga would never have been written. My sincere thanks to the following persons.

DR. Frederic BARRETT EMERY (now deceased): Fred spent untold hours, days, and years researching and gathering and writing the Barrett history. He summarized his many years of work into what is now referred to as the Barrett Book. That book can be found in several libraries across the nation. He made the Barrett Book available to all who wanted a copy at very nominal cost. His book became the literal Bible for the writing and publication of The Abolitionist. Fred’s Barrett Book was updated in 1997 to include additional members of the Barrett clan.

JANET EMERY HAYES: Fred’s widow, who generously gave me permission to use the material Fred had assembled about the Barrett family. She has been supportive of the project all along.

MARY EMERY ANDERSON: Fred’s daughter also sent me some material she had and offered use of the Holtham family Bible and a copy of the Barrett Crest.

BETH EMERY ANDERSON: Fred’s second daughter, who offered her skills to do editing and proofreading the material. She spent many hours polishing my awkward attempts to tell the many stories in the book. She contributed several personal letters from and to various members of the Barrett family, along with other bits of family history.

WILLIAM RUFUS EMERY: For his stories and memories of things past and present.

BILL AND BARBARA CONKLIN: For their cooperation and encouragement and the use of pictures and other material they had saved relating to the early days of the development of Barrett’s Mill.

RUTH CONKLIN DENNY: For lending me the material from her mother’s diary and other historical mementos.

ROLEN CYRUS BARRETT (now deceased): One of the oldest surviving Barretts who remained in Frankfort to live out his life. He became the unofficial source of most Barrett history until his passage in 1988.

BILL PARMENTIER AND MAUDE PARMENTIER JONES (his sister): They were our neighbors and schoolmates. Bill remembered many incidents about Barrett and its residents, and Maude furnished maps, stories, and deeds of property in and around Barrett.

THE JONES FAMILY, OWEN AND HIS NEPHEW KEITH: Owen collected much Marshall County history and made it available. Keith, also a history buff, collected and supplied several items for inclusion.

SUE HASKIN GRAUER: For the box of old pictures that came from Phebe VanVliet’s personal collection and was left in the lower right hand drawer of the old Secretary cabinet at the Barrett home.

WILMA MILLS FLORER: She gave me a copy of a letter written by Albert to his mother, Winifred Kirby Barrett, urging her to come to Kansas and join the family. His mother refused and lived out her days in Cadiz.

PHEBE BARRETT VANVLIET (now deceased): My grandmother was Albert and Mary’s youngest child. She told me many stories about life in Kansas during her life time at Barrett’s Mill. I regret not having the foresight to record those stories, but I do remember some of them. She lost her eyesight in later years, but her mind remained sharp well into her 90’s. To her and grandpa George, I owe my well being and personal achievements this day.

ELIZABETH VANVLIET HASKIN WANKLYN HASKIN: My aunt and assistant mother. She took over to help keep me alive after my mother died when I was two months old. Five months later she gave birth to he own son, Marshall. She played the role of being a mother to two babies, one a seven-month-old preemie. In later years she told me many stories about both the Barrett and VanVliet families. She outlived three husbands and lived well into her nineties.

MARTI JOHNSON, JANE ELDER, AND NANCY CONLEY: My daughters, who spent many hours assisting me to master my computer and making sense to my wandering thoughts.

BETTY SCHILLER: My patient wife who tolerated my frustrations and profanity towards my erratic computer, calmed my tempers, and kept me well fed.

SUSAN STAFFORD: Last but not least, this lady wove my rambling dissertation into something informative and entertaining. Her organizational skills, dedication, and connections with KANCOLL were all put to good use. The results were gratifying and I hope will preserve some Kansas history for generations to come. I am sure the Barrett relatives would join me in expressing my thanks to Susan for helping record the things they would like to remember.

George Schiller, Author     


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