Barkley

Daisy Crainer was born at Viola, Wisconsin in 1891 to Franklin and Katherine Crainer. She had 9 siblings; six brothers and three sisters. She met Sam Barkley in Garden City, SD after he was discharged from the Army. They married on May 22, 1922. After the wedding they went to visit Daisy’s sister Pearl Stanhope. They liked the land and it was near Pearl so they decided to stay. They bought a half section of land in the Willard area. People said that they wouldn’t make it, but they were there to stay.

Together they farmed with Daisy driving 3 horses on a sulky plow and Sam driving 6 on the gang plow. In the fall, Sam harvested while Daisy brought the grain to town. She drove cross country on wagon trails for 20 miles. They lost their first baby boy Eber in 1923, and their first daughter Lois was born in 1927. That year their crops and prices were so good that they were able to pay off all of their land. Their son Cleo was born on September 1, 1930 in Baker.

Daisy lived to be 100 years old. Cleo married Beatrice Elmore of Ekalaka in Baker on December 2, 1949. He built a house for them near the old homestead.

Cleo passed away in 2006. Lois has a family of three girls.

I, Sayge Barkley, am writing this as Sam and Daisy Barkleys great-great-granddaughter. Cleo and Beatrice Barkley are my great grandparents, and their son Timothy and Darla Barkley are my grandparents. My parents are Todd and Molly Barkley. My grandma Bea still lives on the land that Sam and Daisy settled on. You can still see the original house that was built in 1922. Many relatives still live in the Baker area to this day.