Today we are in Oklahoma City, we (Velda and I) left home a month ago, planning on Traveling the Back-Roads of America, once again, just as we have done, every chance we get, since I retired in 2002, as usual, we have had a great time, a few bumps in the road, but nothing we couldn't handle.

Tomorrow we will start west, with our first stop being, JEWELL COUNTY KANSAS , - where we plan on meeting Jim Stone, (a cousin, several times removed) -- Jewell Co. is where the old Simar Homestead is, this homestead was claimed in the 1870's, by John Simar, and his second wife, Rachel (Moore) (Tripp) Simar, my Grandfather, Burton John Simar, was the fifth child, of this family, but the first of this family, to be born on the Simar Homestead.

I have visited this homestead, many times, and enjoy it every time, this time I will be showing the homestead, and the area, to Cuz Jim, it will be his first visit to that area.

Edith (Simar) Uptagrafft, the oldest of this family, inherited the homestead, when both John and Rachel died, in 1883, this land stayed in their family, till the mid 1930's, when the family fell upon hard-times, and lost the Old Simar Homestead.

I will add more to this later, --

Dean and Velda Simar, -- Traveling the Back-Roads of America.