Joseph Strickler came to Marion County from Virginia, with his family of 11 children. He had successfully operated a grain elevator in Virginia for 15 years, so when he moved to Ramona, he built an elevator on the railroad property.
The elevator, still a prominent landmark in Ramona, later became a farmers’ cooperative. It dominants the Ramona skyline to this day, and is owned and operated by Agri-Producers of Tampa, Kansas. These days, there’s little activity at the elevator, until summer harvest rolls around.
Historical information about Ramona was gleaned from the following sources, and written by Jessica Gilbert, Ramona City Clerk: A Century of Memories (1987) by Dale & Leona Sondergard, for Ramona's Centennial; The Ramona News (2001-2008) by The California Sisters, with interviews of Ramona residents, past and present; and Marion County Kansas, Past and Present (1972) by Sondra Van Meter.
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main street The Ramona area was one of the last to be settled in Marion County. The first settlers arrived in the early 1880s. If the Kansas, Nebraska, and Chicago railroad had not been routed through this part of Marion County, Ramona would never have existed.
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Overlooking Ramona In order to get this view looking north over the town, the photographer went to the top floor of the elementary school that was once located on the corner of 360th & B Street.
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Ramona Town Title Mr. John Noll, who sold the land to the Golden Belt Town Company, suggested the town be named Shields, Kansas, in honor of J.B. Shields, Ramona's first school teacher, and a man beloved by the community. However the railroad discovered that there was already another town with this name, on the Missouri Pacific railroad line, in western Kansas. So the name RAMONA was chosen instead.
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Ramona Town Platt The town was founded by the speculative Golden Belt Town Company, which filed a town plat in April 1887.
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Walter and Alfred Sondergard Walter Sondergard (left) pulls his little brother, Alfred, in front of the garage that their father owned. (1924) Alfred has lived his entire life in Ramona.
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Alfred and Darlene Sondergard Alfred and Darlene Sondergard on their 65th wedding anniversary (2007). They moved to Ramona shortly after they were married.
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Jim Brunner Jim was the fourth generation of Brunners to live in Ramona. Jim shuttled Jessica Gilbert around Ramona to deliver The Ramona News. His favorite mode of transportation was his golf cart. (2003)
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Jayme Brunner Family Jayme Brunner's children, Solomon (standing), named after his great grandfather, and Kaitlin (right), with their cousin Bryce (seated), on the day of their grandpa Jim Brunner's funeral. (2006) They are the fifth generation to live in Ramona.
Ramona Family Stories
Ramona family stories written by the California Sisters and featured in the Ramona News are available to download. Just click on the name.