"Amos Drinen and Nancy Jane Greene were both born near Sneedville, Tennessee.
Their parents, James P. and Eliza Walker Drinnon, and Jesse and Martha Trent
Greene, were farmers.
"Amos and Nancy began their forty years of wedded life on Feb. 10, 1888 in
Tennessee, where they lived for about twelve years and were tillers of the
soil. During these years six children were born: Eliza, Martha, Minnie, John,
Carrie, and Jesse.
"About 1900 or 1901, Amos moved his family to Marshall County, Kansas. This
long journey was made by train. Near Frankfort, a one-hundred forty acre farm
was purchased. Here another daughter, Della, was born in 1902.
"In 1907, Amos, Nancy and their children moved farther west. This time to a
farm in Thomas County, near Colby, Kansas. During the sojourn in western
Kansas, their sixth daughter, Nellie was born.
"Times got very hard the next few years. Drought and crop failures causedthe
family to return to Marshall County in 1911. Twin sons came to join the family
in 1912.
"Amos, who always lived close to the soil, again in 1914 felt the urge to go
west. He boarded a train for Bent County, in southeast Colorado, where he took
a claim to a homestead of three hundred and twenty acres. Returning to
Marshall County, Amos began to make arrangemetns for their move west.
Possessions were sold, and the family, except Jesse and John, were placed in
homes of relatives and friends for a few months.
"Amos and Jesse returned to the homestead by covered wagon. This journey of
five hundred miles took fifteen days. John, already working in the area,
joined his father and brother and together in late October, these three began
building a two room house of native stone. In late winter, probably in March,
the family, except Eliza, and Martha, and Minnie who were married, and Della
who remained with her sister Eliza, went by train to their new home, and once
again the family was together.
"By 1926 the family was reduced to just the twin boys. Amos' health was
failing and he was forced to retire. The family again disposed of their
possessions and decided to move to Haviland, Kansas. Here Delmer and Delbert
were to attend the Friends Academy.
"Amos passed away in March 1928. In due time the twins were graduated from the
Academy and were away from home. Nancy met and married Josiah Gause in 1931.
He passed away in 1938. Nancy continued to live in Haviland for a lot of
years, then went to live in Galva, Kansas to be near Delbert and Lucille. When
she could not longer live alone, she chose to spend her last years with her
oldest daughter, Eliza, and family near Ottawa, Kansas.
"Nancy's life ended on June 10, 1959. She left behind a large family: all of
her ten children and their spouses, her forty-six grandchildren, one hundred
and three great-grandchildren, and twelve great great grandchildren. Her
family's successes were her joy, and their failures and losses brought her
sadness. All the days of her life she was active in church and school affairs
of her community. She could always find someone to whom she could lend a
helping hand."∼This stone is for Nancy Jane Greene Drinen and husband Wm. Amos Drinen, both born in Hancock Co. TN and moved to Kansas around 1900. Cemetery records lists Nancy with the last name of Gause. Evidently Nancy remarried after William Drinen's death.