Community News
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. June 18-19, 1971 The 1971 wheat harvest moved into high gear in much of Labette County and was gaining speed in Neosho County. Bumper yields, running as high as 60 bushels per acre, were reported from throughout the area. Test weight, a measure of the crop’s quality, was said to be “exceptionally high” wherever the new grain had been received. Grain elevators said that t...
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Historic designation still contentious
ERIE — The fight against an old Chanute school building being included on the Kansas Register of Historic Places continues. On Friday morning, Chanute lawyer Ed Bideau III told Neosho County commissioners during their regular meeting that the Chanute City Commission and the Neosho County Republican Party are sending resolutions to the Kansas Historic Sites Review Board. The resolutions request that the board rescind its action imposing perm...
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Bevinses to celebrate 70th
Charles and Helen Bevins of Parsons will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary on June 29. Charles Bevins and Helen Watts were married on June 29, 1941, at Girard Methodist Church. They resided in the Pittsburg area until 1951 and have lived in Parsons since then. The couple have three children, Judith Tedstrom of Tulsa and the late Gary Bevins and Brent Bevins, who both died within the past two years. They also have a daughter-in-law, An...
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Kirby, Creitz
Gary and Sheryl Kirby of Girard announce the engagement of their daughter, Kylie Nichole Kirby, to Daniel Spencer Creitz, son of Dan and Shaila Creitz of Erie. The bride-elect is a 2006 graduate of Girard High School and a 2010 graduate of Pittsburg State University with a bachelor’s degree in commercial graphics. The future groom is a 2006 graduate of Erie High School and a 2010 graduate of Pitt State with a bachelor’s degree in political s...
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Baslers honor 65th
Loren S. and Dorothea Basler of Bartlesville, Okla., celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary with family. Loren S. Basler and Dorothea Shaw were married on June 23, 1946, at her parents’ home in Galesburg. After Mr. Basler had served his World War II duty in the South Pacific, followed by a tour of duty with the occupational forces off the coast of Japan, he was discharged on April 23, 1946. Exactly too months later, he married Dorothea Sh...
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Bradys celebrate 40th
Mick and Janice Brady of Parsons celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary with family and friends.  Mick Brady and Janice Engler were married on June 12, 1971, at First Assembly of God Church in Garden City. They have resided in Parsons for 30 years.  The couple have three children, Michael Todd of Washington, D.C., Jaleen Claassen and her husband, Brandon, of Wichita and Janae Brady of Washington, D.C. They also have three grandchildren, ...
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Walnut woman dies in wreck
GIRARD — A Walnut woman was killed and her child injured in a two-vehicle accident west of here Tuesday. The accident happened at 5:10 p.m. Tuesday on K-47 about 2.5 miles west of Girard, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol. Douglas E. Elrod, 52, of Pittsburg was driving his truck eastbound on the highway and Jamie R. Hallacy, 28, of Walnut was driving her car eastbound. Elrod drifted left of center and struck Hallacy's car head-on. Hallac...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. June 17, 1971 Announcement was made that Larry Allen bought a 50 percent financial interest in Gribben Motors Inc. of Parsons. Allen would assume general management responsibilities, with Dale Gribben remaining active in the business. Its name would be changed to Gribben-Allen Motors Inc. Allen, 28, had been with the Gribben firm for seven years, most recently as sales m...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. June 16, 1971 A low bid of $472,700 by Hahner, Foreman & Harness Inc. of Wichita was accepted by the Omaha, Neb., office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for construction of a new Army Reserve Center in Parsons. The project would be built on a five-acre tract at 2700 Southern that had been purchased by the city and would be leased to the Army for $1 during a 50-year p...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. June 15, 1971 William “Bill” Hill, 68, who had been Neosho County engineer for 19 years, announced his retirement, effective July 1. He would turn over his duties to Charles Ingle, 43, acting city engineer and director of public works at Raytown, Mo. Hill said that in the nearly 20 years he had been county engineer, the greatest improvement on county roads had been surfa...
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Business news
Wilson earns award The American Alliance for Theater and Education recently selected Labette County High School’s Heather Wilson for the Lin Wright Special Recognition Award. Wilson is a 13-year veteran of LCHS and a dramatic arts teacher. She will be recognized by the American Alliance for Theater and Education this summer at its national conference in Chicago. Wilson received third in points for applications among all candidates in the natio...
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Dearth picked nation’s most supportive dean
Richard Dearth, formerly of Parsons, dean of Pittsburg State University’s College of Business, was recently honored for his support of the PSU chapter of Students in Free Enterprise. Dearth was named the nation’s most supportive dean at the SIFE national competition in Minneapolis in May. SIFE officials selected Dearth from 561 deans eligible for the award based on comments included in a nomination letter from students. The students praised...
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White, Fix engagement
Bert and Joni White of Parsons announce the engagement of their daughter, Raven Whitney White, to Anthony Hyat Byington Fix, the son of Tony and Ruth Fix of Parsons. The couple plan a July 16 wedding.
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Hecks to celebrate 50th
In celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary, Louis and Barbara Heck, rural Thayer, will be honored from 2 to 4 p.m. June 18 at Thayer Senior Citizens Center. Louis and Barbara Heck were married on June 18, 1961, at Harrison Chapel, west of Thayer. He was born and raised in rural Thayer, and she was born raised in Independence. Their children, Steve Heck, Cheryl Studebaker and Mark Heck, all of Thayer, and their children's spouses will h...
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Dilldine, Cosby engagement
Jessica Dilldine and David Cosby, both of Altamont, announce their engagement. The bride-elect is a 1982 Labette County High School graduate. She graduated from Redlands Community College, El Reno, Okla., in 1997. She is a self-employed artist. The future groom also graduated from LCHS in 1982. He is owner/operator of L&L Construction. The couple plan a June 25 wedding in Altamont.
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Fowlers to celebrate 50th
Cheryl and Larry Fowler of Claremore, Okla., will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary at 2 p.m. June 26 at Tiawah Baptist Church, 24405 S. 4180 Road, Claremore. Cheryl Mitchell and Larry Fowler were married on June 23, 1961, at First Baptist Church in Oswego.  The Fowlers formerly lived in Altamont. Their children, David Fowler and his wife, Linda, and Melissa Stringfellow and her husband, Cameron, along with their two grandchildren, A...
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Gards honor 50th
John and Mavis Gard of rural Erie celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on May 7 with a luncheon and reception at the Brickhaus in Erie hosted by their sons and families. The family also took pictures and had a barbecue at their home later in the evening. John Gard and Mavis Page were married on May 7, 1961, at Erie. They have resided in the rural Erie area since their marriage except for a short time. Mr. Gard retired as quarry forema...
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Hands-On Food Preservation Workshop
Two hands-on food preservation workshops are being offered by the Labette County and Montgomery County Family and consumer sciences agents, Kylie Ludwig and Barbara Ames. Water Bath Canning will be the topic in Labette County the evening of Thursday, June 23. The workshop is scheduled from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Labette County Extension Wyckoff Building, 524 Huston St, in Altamont. Participants will help prepare canned salsa as well as lear...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. June 10, 1971 An agreement with operating organizations and track improvements would speed the arrival of Katy Railroad freight trains in Tulsa by two hours, Reginald Whitman, the line’s president, announced. The ultimate result was likely to be an additional daily freight train between Parsons, a key Katy operating point, and Tulsa, Whitman said from his office in Dalla...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. June 9, 1971 A request that 10 acres of land allocated to the Parsons State Hospital and Training Center be made available as a site for a proposed nine-county Southeast Kansas juvenile detention center was on its way to Gov. Robert Docking. Recommendation that the facility be located in Parsons was included in a plan announced by the SEE-KAN Resource Conservation and Dev...
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