BOYHOOD HOME OF GENERAL FUNSTON

FREDERICK FUNSTON, FIVE FEET FOUR AND SLIGHTLY BUILT, WENT FROM THIS FARM TO A LIFE OF AMAZING ADVENTURE. YOUTHFUL EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS IN THIS COUNTRY WERE FOLLOWED BY TWO YEARS IN THE ARCTIC FROM WHICH HE RETURNED DOWN THE YUKON RIVER 1,500 MILES BY CANOE. AFTER VENTURES IN LATIN AMERICA HE SERVED 18 MONTHS WITH CUBAN INSURGENTS, FIGHTING IN 22 ENGAGEMENTS AND REACHING THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL. INVALIDED HOME SHORTLY BEFORE THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR, FUNSTON WAS MADE COLONEL OF THE 20TH KANSAS INFANTRY. IN 1901 HE PLANNED AND EXECUTED THE CAPTURE OF AGUINALDO, COMMANDER OF THE FILIPINO ARMY. HE RECEIVED A CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR AND AT 35 WAS MADE A BRIGADIER GENERAL IN THE REGULAR ARMY. IN 1914, DURING INTERVENTION IN MEXICO, HE COMMANDED VERA CRUZ AS MILITARY GOVERNOR AND WAS THAT YEAR MADE A MAJOR GENERAL. HE DIED IN 1917. THIS WAS THE HOME OF HIS FATHER, EDWARD H. FUNSTON, A MEMBER OF CONGRESS, 1884-1894.