Community News
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Dec. 31, 1969 The long-awaited operating contract for the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant east of Parsons was awarded to Day & Zimmermann Inc. of Philadelphia. It would be effective with the start of the new year. D&Z, a nationally known firm of engineers, designers, professional managers and constructors, had operated the Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant at Texarkana, Texas...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Dec. 30, 1969 Stan Heffernon of Iola won the open class in a three-hour hare scramble sponsored by the Parsons Brush Riders motorcycle club. The endurance race at the Bob McConnell farm, west of Parsons in the Timber Hill area, drew 34 riders and about 100 spectators. Another scramble was planned for late January. Pat Yeoman of Parsons finished in third in the open class...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Dec. 29, 1969 Larry Leo O’Connor, 26, and Marcia Jean Myers, 21, were married in a private airplane while it circled in heavy overcast 2,000 feet above Parsons. The double-ring ceremony was performed by J.A. Barnard, a Parsons justice of the peace. The plane, owned by Dr. Maurice Borklund of Independence, was piloted by Don Liberman, a Parsons merchant, who with Mrs. Lib...
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New names in the news
Keith Lander is the name chosen by Gail and Zach Ellison of Erie for their son born Oct. 15 at Labette Health. Grandparents are Dan and Rosella Moreland of Caney and Ed and Paula Ellison of Caney. Great-grandparents are L.B. and Joyce Moreland, Keith Ellison, all of Caney, Paul Fuller of Collinsville, Okla., and Charles and Iris McKinney of Bartlesville, Okla. Catherine Graham of Ponca City, Okla., is a great-great-grandmother. Isabel Ann Wor...
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Goods to celebrate 60th
Donald P. and Marilyn J. Good of Dennis will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary with a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday at the Dennis United Methodist Church hall hosted by the couple’s children. Donald P. Good and Marilyn J. Scott were married Dec. 31, 1949, at the home of the bride’s sister, Virginia Wisner, by the Rev. Fred W. Condit. The couple met in high school during her freshman year and his junior year. Their first date was i...
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Steigs honor 50th
Dennis and Ellen Steig celebrated their 50th anniversary on Thursday. The Steigs have four children, Denise Steig of Norman, Okla., Amy Steig of Cherryvale, Chris Steig and his wife, Bobby, of Cherryvale and Becky May of Frontenac. They also have eight grandchildren, Zach, Will, Ayla and Jett Steig, Samantha and Beth Steig and Lydia and Emilee May. The family is planning a reunion this spring to celebrate the occasion. The couple requests no...
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Vance, Wommack
Tara Marie Vance and Andrew Joseph Wommack were married during a 4 p.m. double-ring ceremony on Aug. 1 at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with Pastor James Langley officiating. The bride’s parents are Mike and Candy Vance of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The groom’s parents are Joe and Ginny Wommack of Parsons. His grandparents are Tom and Martha Burress of Erie and Ginny Wommack of Parsons. The maid of honor was Sarah Courtney...
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Handsheys celebrate 60th
Carl Lloyd and Wilma Jean (Huston) Handshy will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Friday. In their honor, their children, Luther, Carla, Coral, Cara, Colette and Cherie, and their families will host a reception from 1 to 3 p.m. Jan. 2 at the 4-H building in Columbus. The couple are looking forward to greeting old friends. No gifts are requested.
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Dec. 24, 1969 Through the generosity of Parsons and area residents, 61 Christmas baskets for low-income families were being filled, and 42 families on welfare had been adopted for Christmas. Susan Dobson, a social service worker at the Labette County Welfare Department, said she had two families with children and four singles yet to be adopted. She had served as the agen...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Dec. 23, 1969 A motion for a temporary restraining order to bar the Parsons Urban Renewal Agency from carrying out a demolition contract was filed in Labette County District Court. Mr. and Mrs. C.J. Anderson of Parsons, who had a suit on file for a permanent injunction against the $8.4 million urban renewal project, brought the new action. If the agency was not restraine...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Dec. 22, 1969 A million dollar milestone was passed by the Parsons Urban Renewal Agency. Real estate purchases by the agency reached $1,020,540 with the closing of the 96th parcel of property acquired in the urban renewal area. The agency had 121 parcels under option, including those already purchased, at a total value of $1,220,940. It planned to buy 229 parcels. Demoli...
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Business news
Labette realtors name new officers The Parsons Area Board of Realtors met Dec. 10 for its annual award recognition ceremony and installation of officers. Following a Christmas social, Brian Jones of Pittsburg, president of the Kansas Association of Realtors, installed new officers for 2010. Officers are Suzanne Wood, president; Theresa Karleskint, president-elect; Stephanie Tuggle, secretary; Janice Dulohery, treasurer; and Jeanie Pemberton...
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Rausch reviews movie 'Avatar'
A dozen years ago, fans and industry analysts were predicting that James Cameron’s expensive gamble “Titanic” would flop and end the director’s career. It didn’t. Recently these same predictions have been made regarding Cameron’s new film “Avatar,” which cost about $300 million to make. And once again Cameron has proven naysayers wrong by delivering one of the most intelligent, powerful and artistic epic motion pictures ever produced. Camero...
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Davison, Rhodes wedding
Lindy Davison and Jerod Rhodes were married Oct. 24 at Broadway United Methodist Church in Kansas City. The Rev. Barry Freese officiated at the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Dean and Sue Davison of Louisburg. The groom is the son of Roy and Lu Ann Rhodes of Cherryvale. The bride’s sister, Amy Vail, served as maid of honor. Bridesmaids were Rachel Merrick, sister of the groom, Holly Pack, cousin of the bride, Lindsey Ballew and Laur...
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Brees, Mathis wedding
Mallory Lynn Brees and Blakely Leon Mathis were married Sept. 19 at First Christian Church in Parsons. The Rev. Ben Scott of McCune officiated the 6 p.m. double-ring ceremony. Parents of the bride are Robert Brees of Salina and Cheryl Brees of Parsons. Parents of the groom are Matthew and Pamela Atteberry of Parsons. Megan Lawrence, sister of the bride, was matron of honor. Bridesmaids were Haley Wiford of Parsons, Shawna Lamb of Joplin and...
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Roberts, Dewey engagement
Mike and Sharon Roberts of Parsons announce the engagement of their daughter, Megan Roberts of Mission, to Marc Dewey of Mission. He is the son of Michelle Burke of Humboldt and Robert Lang of Gardner. The bride-elect is a 2003 graduate of Parsons High School and graduated in 2007 from the University of Kansas, where she studied exercise science. She is pursuing a master’s degree in occupational therapy at the University of Kansas Medical Cen...
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Westhoff, Nelson wedding
Stacie Westhoff and Mark Nelson were married Aug. 22 at St. Francis Catholic Church in St. Paul. The Rev. Theodore Khin officiated the 2:30 p.m. double-ring ceremony. Parents of the bride are Dennis and Maggie Westhoff of St. Paul. Parents of the groom are Tim and Kristi Nelson of Parsons. Jill Blackledge of Chetopa served as matron of honor. Morgan Westhoff of St. Paul served as maid of honor. Bridesmaids were Katie Roberts of Derby, Emily ...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Dec. 17, 1969 The Parsons High School Vikings made it four victories in four starts with a 78-50 Southeast Kansas League basketball victory over Columbus. The triumph left Parsons tied with Chanute for the league lead and pushed Parsons’ SEK League winning streak to 23 games in a three-season span. St. Paul’s defending Mineral Belt League co-champions defeated St. Patri...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Dec. 16, 1969 Members of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church parish in Parsons voted to continue operation of their elementary school. Parents representing 63 students gave assurance of enrolling them for classes at the start of the following school year in September, and others not present had indicted similar assurance. A rule of the Wichita diocese of the church was that p...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Dec. 15, 1969 A total of 1,098 children of employees of National Gypsum Co. at the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant attended a Christmas party at the Parsons Municipal Building, sponsored by the Employees’ Activity Association at the plant. Santa Claus was present and greeted the children at the door, distributing candy and later appeared on the auditorium stage. A cartoon m...
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