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The village of Holcomb stands on the high wheat plains of western Kansas, its a lonesome area that other Kansans call "out there". This I where we call home. Its not a big city but just a small place that not many people know about. Its about seventy miles east of the Colorado border, the countryside, with its hard blue skies and desert-clear air. The land is flat, and the views are awsomely extensive; horses, and herds of cattle. After rain, or when snowfalls thaw, the streets, unnamed, shaded, unpaved, turn from the thickest dust into the driest mud. There is a large building here in town, behind the dust on the windows say Holcomb Bank, that closed in 1933. There isn't much here in Holcomb, but we love it and our farm. 

Who I am

My name is Herbert William Clutter, and I am the master of River Valley Farm. I am forty-eight years old, and I have been thinking about buying an insurance policy. I stand just under 5'10, am I am told I cut a mans figure. I graduated from Kansas State University, where I majored in agriculture. I have been lucky throughout my life time, earning a lot of money. There's only one man who has more money then I do, thats Mr. Taylor Jones, a neighboring rancher. Everyone knows him. I married Bonnie Fox, who was three years younger then I was. We had four children together, a trio of daughters, then a son. I am very lucky. 

I begin my morning at six-thirty, and start my day. I am constantly busy working with the farm, the kids, and all the other business ventures. We live in a house which I designed. Its situated at the end of a long, lane like driveway shaded by rows of chinese elms.

Good Ol' Days

Today, Nancy's friend Jolene Katz, a thin 13 year old girl, was here at the house. They had worked all morning, and was very satisfied with what they accomplished. The two of them had made a pie, a cherry pie that is, and for the longest time they stared at the blue-ribbon winner "The oven hot cherries simmering under the crisp lattice crust". Boy, didn't that look good, and to think, the two of them made it with no help. Soon after looking and smelling that pie, Jolene cut us a piece each. Oh, it was tasted even better then it looked...

I am a well educated man and so far has  been successful in my profession, as an eminent Republican and church leader - even though of the methodist church. I'm entitled to rank among the local patricians, but have never joined the Garden City Country Club, for their pleasures are not mine - card games, golf, cocktails, or buffet suppers.

Instead of golfing today I was acting as the chairman of a meeting of the Finney County 4-H Club. A national organization, with overseas branches whose purpose is to help those living in rural areas - and the children particularly - develop practical abilities and moral character. Nancy and Kenyon have been members from age of six.

The Last Days

Today I met with a Garden City representative of New York Life Insurance, as soon as I had arrived he was all smiles, not long after he reminded me of a local jest, that one about where I now write checks for the dollar-fifty haircuts. They all know I don't carry cash, thats the way I do business. 

Bob Johnson, that was the name of the agent. A stocky, somewhat bald, rather informal man. He had worked on me for over a year to get this sale. I wasn't 100% sure I wanted to do it, but end the end I knew I needed to. I have many wonderful things in my life. My kids, I shouldn't say it, but I'm real proud of them. 

After talking to Mr. Johnson for a while I finally reached for my pen, signed the check and pushed it across the table. "To tell the truth, I felt pretty good". It was the first payment of a forty-thousand dollar policy. 

Recently Nancy's boyfriend Bobby Rupp has been here, he is a frequent visitor. We all like Mr. Rupp, such a nice young man we watch tv often when he is here. He's known us since he was just little, and Nancy's the only girl he's ever dated.

Before I started getting ready for bed, my partner Mr. Van Vleet called, we talked business for awhile then after our conversation I went and watched 5 minutes of the news with Bobby, and Nancy they were sitting on the couch. After the weather report came on I came to bed. We all have church in the morning, so I'll see everyone then. Goodnight.