Damian Archer Bates was born in Caldwell, Noble Co., Ohio, Batesville, Ohio.  Died on  farm 2 1/2 miles west of Lenora Kansas.  Damian Archer's parents James Bates and  Martha E. Archer Bates, his father was born in Summerfield,Ohio 3/4/1852.. Martha his  mother was from Noble Co. Ohio,4/30/1854.. James Bates parents were Joseph 1/20/1830  & Amelia Archer Bates 10/1/1830. 
When Damian Archer Bates was 8 years old his family was coming west from Ohio in  1884 by covered wagon. He was in a prairie fire out on the plains, one of his  brothers plowed a back furrow around the wagon to keep it from being burned.  When they first arrived at Densmore, NW.Kansas. Winter hit and they had no food for  nearly a month. They lived on sugar, syrup and grease poured over snow, and the  horses lived on thistles. They built a sod house there, then later moved to Lenora.

Fernunda Nusse Bates was born in Columbus, Nebraska. Died in New Almelo, Kansas. Her  parents Francis Joseph Nusse was born 4/10/1850 in Germany. Fernunda Arens was born  9/3/1856 in Germany. Francis Joseph Nuksen. They changed there name to Nusse when  they came to America because it translating Nuksen it means Nuts. Fernunda Nusse Bates  was born in Nebraska but her next older brother was born in Germany, Joe Nusse and  was 6 weeks old when they came over on the boat.
 Fernunda Arens- Parents were Johann Bernard Arens and Marie Theresia Haberhausen.

Damian & Fernunda had nine children and the family continues to grow. They came from  a hard working farming background.  They took up homestead in western Kansas.