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Note: given him by some neighborhood boys who thought Milton was too long a name and began taunting him with Mil-TON and it soon turned into "Tony" and stuck. Family responsibilities began early. By age ten Tony was starting to plow and care for the horses. He enjoyed working in the shop, often firing up the forge. When the family got its first car, Tony remembers driving his parents to the west coast for conference. In 1934, Chris C sold one-half of his oil rights to a driller and the first oil well in the area was drilled on his farm. This had a significient impact on the family. Since these were depression times, often as many as 30 men would come to the oil field early in the morning and wait half a day hoping to get a chance to work a two-hour shift for 35 cents an hour. Tony worked several years for Continental Oil, digging burn pits, slush pits, "cellars" and making roads in the oil field. For this he received 75 cents an hour for man and team of horses. His team weighed nearly one ton apiece and together they did all the "teaming" for Continental's 119 wells. It took six years of courting for Tony to convince Alta Kaufman that she was better off with him than without him. This done, Alta quit the school teaching job she had, and they were married in Sept. in First Menn. Church in Moundridge. After fifty-five years and many fried chickens later, Tony still thinks he got a good bargain. Tony moved his new bride on a farm east of Hesston which his father, Chris had recently purchased. It took some fixing up, which they set about doing immediately. By the time they got their lawn plugged with buffalo grass from the pasture, their three children began arriving - Betty, Jerry, and Jim. The next years were full of slopping the hogs, branding cattle, working the fields and helping out neighbors and family. Tony, Richard and Marlo shared equipment and labor when it came to baling hay, filling silo, working cattle or harvest time. The end of the year was climaxed with "settle-up" night. Along with farming, Tony also built round-tops, and gained a reputation for maintaining Emma township roads. After Alta quit teaching school and raising a family, she followed her dream of starting a small floral business in her basement called "Country "Gardens. They soon moved it to Hesston where Alta designed flowers and tied bows for 17 years before selling the business. Tony lost his eye sight several years ago, but continued to help around the farm until two years ago when his lost light and darkness sight. Now he is fairly well confined to the house, but keeps current with records, tapes and news reports he listens to. Tony & Alta both enjoy company and serve as a motel for many friends and family passing through. Alta continues to serve meals for family and guests, usually once a day - twice in summer. She spends a lot of time with her lawn and flower garden. She continues to teach Sunday School class for the 2 and 3 year olds as she has for the last dozen years.
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