FLOYD WILBANKS

 Our family the Floyd Daniel Wilbanks family came to Hansford County in 1903. Floyd and Susan Ella Bowden were married March 17, 1889 in Johnson County in the home of Floyd's father, Hiram Asbury Wilbanks. Floyd came to Hansford County in 1903 and sent word back to Susan to bring the children. They came from Johnson County in a covered wagon. They bought a section of land S.E. of where Spearman is now. There they lived in a half-dugout, sleeping on mattresses stuffed with prairie hay and feathers. With the family came a boy fifteen years old, Thomas Henry Moon and Susan's nephew, Charlie Day, five years old, Six children were born to Susan and Floyd, they were: Hiram Asbury, Virgel W. Henry Allen, Lawrence Edward, Olive Spray (Bradford), Nina Fay (Klutts). As the family grew a house was built beside the dugout. Lumber was hauled in wagons from Guymon, Oklahoma. As their children and the community grew the need of a school was established. This was the Micou School, attending it with the Wilbanks Family were the Sanders, Hazlewood, Douglas, and Windom families. During the earlier years of 1903-1940,the family went to Altus, OK. to pick cotton. The three older boys picked cotton with the folks while Lawrence, Spray and Fay stayed at the wagon. To get there they would have to ford the Canadian River, hoping to dodge the quicksand but sometimes getting stuck and having to be pulled out. At this time there were no roads, only open country and trails. Prairie fires were feared by all, as there were no plowed fields to stop them. In 1908 Susan and her daughters, Spray and Fay, visited Susan's mother who lived in Boise, Idaho. That was quite a train ride, the mountain scenery was great. They rode the streetcar to their grandmother's home. Now it's school time: Floyd and Susan moved the family in a covered wagon to Goodwell, Oklahoma where the children attended school until they all finished. The first day out they ate dinner just west of Hansford on the hill. Susan had cooked turkey and all the trimmings. Floyd and Tom Moon farmed. Floyd churned butter and put it in brine in a keg and brought it some cured meat to Goodwell. One day they drove up in a Ford car! Charlie Day was drilling water wells for XIT, he died in 1932. Thomas Moon lived with the family until he died in 1949. Floyd and Susan celebrated their Golden Wedding Day March 17, 1939 the school band surprised them by coming in full dress uniform and playing "Let Me Call You Sweetheart." People came early from miles around and continued until twelve midnight. Floyd passed away November 23, 1942 and Susan, December 11, 1963, she lived to be 92 years old.
By Lawrence and Will Wilbanks. Hansford County History Book Vol. 1 page