Community News
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 22-23, 1971 Monday night store hours in Parsons beginning Nov. 22 were approved at a meeting of retailers and service outlets. Stores would be open 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. each Monday and Thursday, and 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on other days. Christmas shopping hours would begin on Dec. 13, with stores remaining open until 8:30 p.m. each night until Christmas Eve. The Parso...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 21, 1971 The Parsons Housing Authority appointed a new executive director, although business operations basically would remain unchanged. Authority members discussed possible conflicts of interest within its organization during a luncheon at Don Divine’s Restaurant with a representative for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Marguerite Westfall, bu...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 20, 1971 The first trainees for sewing machine operator jobs guaranteed at Fred Ronald Manufacturing Co. at 1901 Southern completed a two-week course. All five were employed at the plant. Company officials planned to hire 50 graduates from the program. Location for the classes was a 15,000-square-foot plant addition completed by the company, and instruction was by Vi...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 19, 1971 Orchard Park residents asked the Parsons City Commission for city water service. Oren Gray, Parsons lawyer, represented the group and asked that the city either provide water lines, allow residents to connect their own lines to city water or permit the area to join a rural water district. Commissioners said the city’s policy was not to extend water lines out...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 18, 1971 A downtown parking lot in Parsons west of the Kansas Power & Light Co. building was opened. The lot in the 1800 block of Broadway contained 38 meters for one and two hours, Paul Freeberg, city engineer, said. LaForge & Budd Construction Co. of Parsons built the lot that was financed by the city as part of its obligation on the downtown urban renewal project....
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 15-16, 1971 Plans for a retirement and skilled nursing care facility to be known as the Parsons Presbyterian Manor and costing at least $500,000 were made public. The project, containing accommodations for 50 to 90 people at the outset and built on a 10-acre tract under option in the Prairie West addition at the northwest edge of Parsons, had been under discussion in...
full story
Tips on improving living spaces
By Colleen Surridge Parsons Sun Working through almost two decades as a self-employed contractor, John Williamson, owner of Williamson’s General Contracting in Parsons, has had many occasions where he’s been able to work with clients on improving their living space. “From projects that embrace simply painting a room to a complete redesign of living areas, there are seldom greater delights than the satisfaction of knowing a job has been comple...
full story
Family wants to recreate house
Peter Dobelbower of Edmond, Okla., and his siblings want to recreate a piece of Parsons history. The Dobelbowers’ grandparents, Anna and John “Pete” Dunlap, lived in a two-story home at 1711 Belmont, which has since been razed. Dobelbower said he and his siblings spent many hours at that house, sleeping in its closed in, second-story porch and exploring its rooms. The Dunlaps and other family members worked for the Katy Railroad. Dobelbower r...
full story
Parsons businesses offer do-it-yourselfers options
By Colleen Surridge Parsons Sun Walking through Parsons Ace Hardware, you might do a double take seeing displays of tool sets designed with pink or floral patterns on their handles, obviously designed to appeal to women. Tool companies marketing to women is indicative of not only their willingness to take on home maintenance and repairs, but homeowners in general showing a greater willingness to tackle the task of home improvement and mainten...
full story
Edwards, Thompson
Bill and Linda Neal of Mansfield, Texas, formerly of Parsons, and Wendal Edwards of Canton, Texas, announce the engagement of their daughter, Carolyn Clover “CeCe” Edwards, to Dakota Joe Thompson of Arlington, Texas, son of Lisa Moewe Thompson of Euless, Texas, and the late Joe R. Thompson. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of the late Earl and Mary Clover, Wayland Edwards of Canton, Texas, and the late Nancy Edwards, and Natalie Lattimore ...
full story
Whites celebrate 50th
Fred and Patsy White will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a reception hosted by their children and grandchildren from 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Oswego Assembly of God Church Family Life Center, Fourth and Depot. Freddie White and Patsy Coble were married on Oct. 29, 1961, at Assembly of God Church in Oswego.   The couple made their home together on their farm in rural Oswego. The reception will be hosted by the couple’s sons, Fr...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 14, 1971 Students at the Edna Attendance Center moved into their new building. Each class member carried his or her own materials and desk to the building that was complete except for the kitchen. L.D. Curran, superintendent, said the district board met with officials from Shields Construction Co. of Oswego and with building architect W.I. Fisher of Wichita to inspec...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 13, 1971 Construction of an addition to the Parsons Clinic was underway, and completion was set for about Feb. 1. The addition to the clinic’s building at 1509 Main would contain two suites of new doctors which the clinic expected to add to its staff. Each of the suites would have three rooms, one for consultation and two for patient examination. A waiting room betwe...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 11, 1971 A fire that started in the plant of Charloma Fiberglass Inc. in Cherryvale’s downtown area spread to nearby buildings and caused heavy losses whose actual dollar total had not been determined. A nearby drug store was virtually destroyed, as were several apartments on the second floor above it, and other adjoining buildings suffered heavy water and smoke dama...
full story
Business news
Power Flame quarterly awards Power Flame’s quarterly service awards was given out last week to acknowledge the following employees for their length of service to the company. 20 years: Charlotte Gant and James Clark. 15 years: Steve Sexton, Bob Yockey, John Kelley, Mishell Beach, Tony Thompson and Brian Lahey. 5 years: Robert McCleary, Derek McCleary and Zachary James. 2 years: Marsha Kerr and Lynel Seawood. Power Flame manufactures ...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 8-9, 1971 Although signing of an architectural contract on final plans for a student union at Labette Community Junior College was postponed by college trustees, a start on them was likely in the near future. Only contract technicalities remained to be completed before trustees approved a contract for plans and specifications for both a student union and remodeling o...
full story
Children’s ministry starts at Church of God
Next week, the Church of God, 2401 Crawford, will kick off a new children’s ministry with a crusade on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 14-15. Scott and Rayma Gegg of Altamont will be children’s ministers, under the guidance of Pastor Vernon Norris and his wife, Joyce. The crusade is open to the public and starts at 7 p.m. on both nights and will feature scripture-based activities for children, Scott Gegg said. Puppets and songs will be part of the a...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 7, 1971 Maj. Hugh Rogers, commanding officer of the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant, announced the plant would open for inspection tours to the general public as a feature of its 30th anniversary on Oct. 25. It would be the first time that the plant would be opened to the public while it had been in operation. Motor tours were conducted after the facility was closed on ...
full story
Book signing set Oct. 13 at library
Book signing set Oct. 13 at library Parsons Public Library will host the program “Apocalypse Myths and Realities: The Story behind Phontaine’s Gifts,” a discussion and book signing by local author D.A. Blankinship at 2:30 p.m. Thursday,  Oct. 13 . "Phontaine’s Gifts: The Survival Legacy," Blankenship’s latest fictional work, is an apocalyptic tale about the ruin of America and the people trapped in the tragedy. The novel follows four adults, f...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 6, 1971 An extension of Southern Boulevard from 10th Street east to the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant would be opened at the end of the week, Fred Beachner of Beachner Construction Co. said. Bridge construction had been completed, and only minor bituminous surfacing had to be completed by Muller Construction Co., Coffeyville, before the access road was opened, Beachne...
full story