Community News
Seeleys celebrate 65th
Donald and Donna Seeley of Parsons will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary on Friday, June 15. Donald Seeley and Donna Claire McKee were married on June 15, 1947, by Edwin Armstrong at First Presbyterian Church, Parsons. Donald Seeley returned to Parsons from life in the Navy, serving in Iwo Jima and Okinawa, in  May 1946. Donna Claire McKee readied herself the same week for graduation from Parsons High School on May 24. On that day, Don...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. June 8, 1972 Disclosure that a new Army Reserve Center under construction near 27th and Southern would bear the name of a Parsons man killed in action in Vietnam was made. It came coincidentally with an inspection and approval by civilian technicians of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. By general order from Headquarters, 5th Army, in San Antonio, the new facility was des...
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Clubs & Organizations
SEK Audubon Southeast Kansas Audubon Chapter members met on Saturday at Erie High School. Jennifer Ozier and her son, Jordan, were guests. The chapter took a tour of the award-winning building led by staff member Rose Fry. The building has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold by the U.S. Green Building Council. Lawn areas close to the building are seeded to Bermuda grass that is drought tolerant and requires no irrig...
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Bowman, Ellis
Jerry and Gina Bowman of Parsons announce the engagement of their daughter, Jamie Rose Bowman of Huntington Beach, Calif., to Samuel Carl Ellis of Huntington Beach, Calif. He is the son of James Ellis and Dr. Robert and Adria Morrison, all of Parsons. The bride-elect is a 2002 graduate of Seaman High School in Topeka. She became a licensed cosmetologist in 2004 and a radiologic technologist in 2007. She is also a 2012 graduate of Pittsburg Sta...
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Jones, Witty
Willetta Wilson of Parsons announces the engagement of her daughter, Crystal Jones of Altamont, to Taylor Witty of Altamont, son of Clinton and JoDee Witty of Parsons. The bride-elect is a 2001 graduate of Labette County High School. She graduated from Missouri State University in 2011 with a master’s degree in social work. She is a school social worker for Columbus USD 493. The future groom is a 1998 LCHS graduate. He graduated from Labette C...
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Seeleys celebrate 65th
Donald and Donna Seeley of Parsons will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary on Friday. Donald Seeley and Donna Claire McKee were married on June 15, 1947, by Edwin Armstrong at First Presbyterian Church, Parsons. Donald Seeley returned to Parsons from life in the Navy, serving in Iwo Jima and Okinawa, in  May 1946. Donna Claire McKee readied herself the same week for graduation from Parsons High School on May 24. On that day, Don went to ...
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Clubs & Organizations
Parsons Rotary The Parsons Rotary Club met on Thursday. Parsons Rotary president Gary Goodnight opened the meeting. Craig Newland led the prayer. Lyle Lomas led the pledge and Four-Way Test. Hal Redford led the song. Rotarian of the Day Bob Wood introduced Parsons City Manager Fred Gress, who has been on the job for slightly more than four years. Gress explained the city’s challenges with complying with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency req...
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Schools
Sexton makes dean’s list ROME, Ga. — Stacey Sexton of Altamont was named to Berry College’s dean’s list for the spring semester. To be eligible for the dean’s list, a student must carry a semester GPA of 3.5 or better. Two earn honors at Southwestern WINFIELD — April Middleton and Cortney Sharer, both of Parsons, were among the top scholars at Southwestern College in Winfield and at Southwestern College Professional Studies who were named to ...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. June 7, 1972 State Sen. William Dearth of Parsons announced his candidacy for renomination and re-election from the 14th Kansas senatorial district. Dearth represented a district comprised of Labette, Neosho and Wilson counties for the previous six years. The senator said his re-election would bring seniority to the district through membership on important committees. The...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. June 6, 1972 Completion of a football field and start of work on a running track were items for discussion during a regular meeting of the Parsons District Schools board. Football facilities in Marvel Park had been completed, C.G. Reitemeier, acting superintendent, said. A public address system, scoreboard control cable, goal posts, yard markers and flags and flag pole we...
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Clubs & Organizations
Labette County Fair Board Nine members and two guests attended the Labette County Fair Board meeting on May 30. After vice president Clint Hanigan opened the meeting, he welcomed Sheriff Robert Sims and Oswego Police Department officer Brandon Conrad. Discussion pursued around traffic flow and crowd control for all events and activities at the fairgrounds during the fair this summer. The board expressed its appreciation for the planning and pr...
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This new name is in the news
Blake is the name chosen by Jamie Miller and Austin Fine of Independence for their son born March 29 at Labette Health. He joins a brother, Landon Miller, and a sister, Whitney Fine, in the family. Grandparents are David and Stacy Anders of Independence, Cathy Evans and John White of Ponca City, Okla., Tenise Fine of North Glenn, Colo., and James and Regana Fine of Cherryvale. Great-grandparents are Elva Fowler of Independence, Shirley Pirkey ...
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Schools
Johnson attends KU law camp LAWRENCE — Sixteen high school students from across the state, including Jenna Johnson of Erie High School, are getting a taste of law school and careers in the legal profession this week during the third annual Journey to J.D. at the University of Kansas School of Law. The camp is designed to support, mentor and encourage diverse students entering their junior year of high school to attend college and, ultimately, ...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. June 5, 1972 The Parsons Jaycees announced Lake Parsons would host the Midwest Championships of the Oklahoma Boat Racing Association July 8-9. The card would mark the second appearance in two years of members of the OBRA, co-sponsor of the card that was sanctioned by the American Outboard Federation. Several national champions piloted boats the previous July in the first ...
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Couple to celebrate 60th wedding anniversary
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Shideler will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary with a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 9, at the McCune Community Building. Harold James Shideler and Joanne Marie Cosner were married on Sunday, June 8, 1952. The Rev. W. H. Bunting performed the 2 p.m. ceremony. Her sister and brother in law, Margaret and Charlie Quiatto, stood for the couple. They have lived their entire 60 years of married life on the fami...
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Spease, Garrelts engagement
Tina Spease, Paul Garrelts Tina Spease and Paul Thomas Garrelts, both of Wichita, announce their engagement. She is the daughter of Brian and Sharon Morton of Parsons. He is the son of Tom and Jeanne Garrelts of Wichita. The bride-elect is a 1987 graduate of Labette County High School. She graduated from Pittsburg State University in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in communication. She is a commercial security consultant for Protection 1 Securi...
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Putnam, Grosdidier engagement
Amanda Putnam, Shae Grosdidier Tim and Kim Pechanec of Paola announce the engagement of their daughter, Amanda Putnam of Kansas City, Kan., to Shae Grosdidier of Kansas City, Kan. He is the son of Steve and Kathie Grosdidier of St. Paul. The bride-elect is a 2003 graduate of Paola High School. She graduated in 2007 from Emporia State University with a bachelor of science degree in psychology and business. She is the manager of community affai...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. June 1, 1972 A new Parsons industry, Power-Flame Division Inc., was staffed, with the transfer of its executive and office personnel from Grandview, Mo., and ready to begin full operations, its executive vice president and general manager said. William Wiener, also new to Parsons, had assumed duties in charge of the plant that produced heating devices and fogger units for...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. May 31, 1972 Fred Braun Jr., a Parsons manufacturer who had recently moved to the community, announced he would seek the Republican nomination for state representative from the 6th District in the Kansas Legislature. Braun, 38, was the president of TecTank Inc., a new Parsons industry that had just begun operations after being financed by a city industrial revenue bond is...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. May 30, 1972 Purchase of a vacant lot at the southeast corner of 10th and Main was announced by Donald Divine, owner of Don Divine’s Restaurant. The lot would be converted into a parking area for the Divine restaurant across the street to the west and would accommodate 22 vehicles. William Fees, 1624 Appleton, topped a field of 39 players in a Memorial Day flag golf tourn...
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