Florence Lillian Genter was the first child of Elmer.W. Genter and Anna May Albright, born in Athol, Kansas on October 26, 1896. Her father E.W. Genter operated a blacksmith shop. Florence had two brothers, Roy- born February 16, 1898, and Lester, born March 22, 1900. Roy died of pneumonia at age 19.
On March 22, 1908 they moved to a farm, 9 miles S.E. of Fargo, Oklahoma, by covered wagon. Florence says of the trip that she and her mother slept in the wagon, the boys and her grandfather slept outdoors. The trip took 22 days and they had to ford several rivers. This was terrifying to Florence as she was very afraid of water.
Their first home there was a one-room dugout and a grainery. They slept in the grainery and cooked in the dugout.
Florence's father, E.W. Genter established a Blacksmith Shop on the farm, which he operated until the 40’s when he moved it into Gage.
Upon graduation from 8th grade Florence attended Northwestern Normal School in Alva, Oklahoma. There she received her teachers’ certificate. She taught 1st through 8th grade. Some of the boys were older than she.
Florence married Leo Burl Pryor on August 21, 1917. Less than a year later on July 21, 1918 Leo was inducted into the army for World War I. He served as a cook during his service. Florence moved back with her family for a couple of months and then went to Tennessee to be with Leo. She stayed about two months and then went back to her parents where she stayed until his discharge December 23, 1918, at which time they returned to Oklahoma and rented a farm near Fargo, Oklahoma. Their son Marvin was born there on June 2, 1919.
For a period of time in the late 20’s Leo and Florence owned and operated a restaurant in Beaver, Oklahoma called the Midway Café. Leo cooked and Florence helped serve. After selling it they returned to farming.
On January 25, 1933 their daughter Aldean was born on a farm near Harmon, Oklahoma. Marvin, by this time, was 13 years old and a great help to his dad an mother.
During the depression years they moved to Arkansas for a short time. Not liking it there they returned to Oklahoma, where Aldean came down with scarlet fever and they almost lost her.
Approximately 1944 Leo and Florence rented a farm 7 miles N. of Yukon, Oklahoma where they lived until 1949. Leo was thrilled once again to be able to raise pigs, chickens and have some milk cows and raise both truck garden and feed for his animals. He took a number of prizes on his pigs and was featured in a national ad by the Purina Company.
On December 15, 1946 Marvin was discharged from the service. He lived for a short time on the farm, then moved to Oklahoma City where he worked as a welder making stock loading chutes which he designed for a company there. In 1948 he married Eva Jean Morgan. Florence and Leo’s grandchildren, Calvin, Kenneth and Darla were born as a result of this union.
Leo’s health was failing, so in 1949 they purchased a home at 125 E. Cedar in Yukon, OK. Aldean was graduated from high school there in 1951. After a couple of years she moved to Oklahoma City, where she met and married Gene Redman on November 19, 1956.
Gene and Aldean moved to Kansas City shortly after and there Florence’s and Leo’s two granddaughters, Kathleen and Sherry were born. Later they moved to Chicago where grandson Stephen was born.
Florence and Leo remained at their home in Yukon, where Leo took many prizes at the State Fair. On November 29, 1961 Leo passed away, a great loss for Florence. She continued at her home but faced another great loss on March 18, 1969 when her son Marvin died following surgery.
In 1972 Aldean and Gene and family moved to Phoenix, Arizona. In 1975 Florence sold her home in Yukon and moved to Phoenix, to be hear Aldean and family in her later years.
Florence passed away at the age of 103, on June 3, 2000 in Glendale, Arizona, having lived during portions of 3 centuries, from the days of the horses and covered wagons through the flights to the moon, the age of great technology and computers. She was taken back to Oklahoma to be buried next to her husband.