Community News
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Nov. 23, 1972 Valley Products, a manufacturing company in Mound Valley whose first building was destroyed by fire, was expanding its payroll because of additional defense contracts. About 20 to 25 people could be hired in the following few weeks, Gene Britton, president of the company that opened in Mound Valley in January 1971, said. The firm manufactured fuze bodies for...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Nov. 21, 1972 Snow was falling in Parsons for the third time in six days. It began at about 7 a.m. and continued past 1 p.m., when the temperature was 33 degrees, only two notches above the night’s low. The high on the previous day was 35 degrees. By 1 p.m., the snow totaled 2 1/2 inches, although part of it was immediately melting. Earlier snowfalls totaled two inches on...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Nov. 20, 1972 Oren Gray, a Parsons lawyer and state representative, dropped an appeal to the State Supreme Court of an injunction suit against the city of Parsons and the Parsons Urban Renewal Agency. Notice was received that Gray had formally filed with the court an agreement to dismiss the litigation that had been pending since it was filed originally on July 25, 1969. ...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Nov. 17-18, 1972 Music and bright lights on Nov. 24 would help celebrate the opening of the Christmas season in Parsons. Marguerite Wells, coordinator of activities for the Parsons Trade Association, said the Parsons High School band would play on Parsons Plaza at 7 p.m. on the day following Thanksgiving. Many stores planned to remain open until at least 8:30 p.m. City s...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Nov. 16, 1972 A two-inch snowfall in the Parsons area during the night was one of the earliest snows for many years. The snow added .20 of an inch of moisture to some area fields that had absorbed more than 10 inches of rain since mid-October. Most of the snow had disappeared by 9 a.m. League champion Oswego landed 10 of 25 berths on the 1972 All-Mineral Belt League high ...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Nov. 14, 1972 A carbon paper manufacturing company that employed four people in Duncan, Okla., announced plans to move to Parsons in December. Southwest Carbon Paper Manufacturing Co. planned to lease a 5,000-square-foot building at 801 S. 21st formerly occupied by R&R Enterprises Inc., which relocated to the south industrial park. The company owners were 22-year-old Larr...
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Harrison-James
Megan D. Harrison and Chris L. James were married Sept. 22 at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Joplin. Pastor Mike Winkle officiated the 4 p.m. ceremony. The bride’s parents are Shane and Karen Harrison of Parsons. Her grandparents are Tom and Fran McLarty of Parsons and John and Sarly Harrison of Frontenac. The groom’s parents are Charlie and Trella James of Joplin. His grandmother is Shirley Breckenbridge of Paragould, Ark. Haley Strait...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Nov. 10-11, 1972 Jerry Lilley, administrator of the Labette County Medical Center, was the new president-elect of the Kansas Hospital Association. Lilley had been in his position in Parsons since 1963. He came to Kansas from the hospital field in Texas, where he also received his education. The past football season was one of “Big D” for the Parsons Vikings. Defense and D...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Nov. 9, 1972 The 1972 Parsons United Way Fund surpassed its goal at the end of a drive that began on Sept. 11. Total receipts of $47,886.69 were reported, with more expected to come in the next few days, Mrs. James Scaletty, campaign chairwoman, said. The goal was $46,000. Funds went to support the American Red Cross, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Church Women United, Salvatio...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Nov. 8, 1972 Labette County sheriff candidate Carl Cloke of Parsons, a former Parsons Police Department member, sweat out the voting returns through most of the night before he could claim an apparently safe margin over his Republican opponent, Tony Musgrave, a deputy sheriff. As did the country, Labette County spurned straight tickets. It voted for President Nixon, Sen. ...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Nov. 7, 1972 Action to tighten police department procedures had been directed in a memorandum from Will Tschudy, city manager of Parsons, to Harry Tims, chief of police. The memo was made public by Tschudy and was a direct growth of a Halloween night mob disturbance in Parsons. Leonard Herndon, assistant chief of police, was transferred from a day shift and would split th...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Nov. 3-4, 1972 Oswego’s Indians claimed their second Mineral Belt League high school football crown in two seasons. The champions defeated Chetopa 14-0 to finish with a perfect 6-0 MBL record. The champions tallied in the second quarter when quarterback Don Allison ran 10 yards to score. Oswego added its second touchdown in the fourth when fullback Randy Parsons scored fr...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 31, 1972 A 1972 farm implement show on Parsons Plaza Nov. 2-4 would feature new items from three Parsons dealers, Parsons Ford Tractors Inc., International Harvester Sales & Service and Elliott Implements (John Deere). Thomas Implement Co. of Altamont planned to display Case products. Vincent Trotnic of rural Parsons planned to display antique implement items, includ...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 30, 1972 Charlette Steinmitz’s second-place finish in the Kansas high school Class 3-2-1A tournament was the best ever by a Parsons High School player in a state tourney. The best previously was a third-place finish in singles by Kent Shultz in the 1967 state tourney for boys. Unseeded in the field of eight players, Steinmitz ousted the tourney’s third- and second-se...
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Vitts honor 50th
Jim and Judy Vitt of rural Parsons will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with family on Saturday. Jim Vitt and Judy Diediker were married on Oct. 27, 1962, at St. Frances Catholic Church in St. Paul by the Rev. William Stiel. Mr. Vitt is retired. Mrs. Vitt is the manager of safety and fire at Day and Zimmermann. The couple have lived at Parsons since marriage. The Vitts have three children, Donnie Vitt of Fayetteville, Ark., Sherry Sei...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 27-28, 1972 A television team reporting for the Walter Cronkite evening news planned to be in Parsons to record in sound and on film the visit of U.S. Sen. James Pearson. Pearson was to be honored at “Thanks to Jim Pearson” day with a reception in The Parsonian ballroom. The event sponsored by Local 5-508 of the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union co...
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Clubs
Disciples Women The Disciples Women met on Sept. 25. Elaine Harris opened with a poem entitled “Masterpiece.” Kathleen Seward gave a report for worship. Prayer was requested for the families of Thelma Wills and Kim Henderson and Mickey Hataway, who had surgery on her hand and is having some problems. Prayer also was requested for those listed on the elder’s list and in the bulletin. Ruby Johns reported on the service projects. The club took 56...
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Churches
Center Bethel plans fun run, 5K Center Bethel Church, 1699 18000 Road, Parsons, will have its second annual Miles 4 Missions 1 Mile Fun Run and 5K at 8:30 a.m. Nov. 3. The goals of the race are to raise money for missionaries around the world, raise awareness for health and exercise in the community and run, walk and race for a great cause. Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m., with awards and breakfast immediately following the race. The regi...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 26, 1972 A special train carrying directors and ranking officers of the Katy Railroad was en route to Parsons from St. Louis. Track improvements would be inspected on the St. Louis division during the daylight hours. The three-car train would be parked just south of the Crawford Avenue crossing on an old main line overnight. Scheduled for inspection the following day...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 25, 1972 A three-day formal opening at the all-new Alloway’s Restaurant in Parsons was set to begin the following day. Location of the restaurant was the northwest corner of Central and Washington, a half-block north of the former Johnson’s Cafe, operated by Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Alloway from 1967 until it was closed a few days prior to the opening of the new restaura...
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