Family, friends, community celebrate a long life of service
Wearing his decades-old Boy Scout leader uniform for Troop 33, Kenneth Ervin celebrated his 100th birthday on Sunday, Aug. 31, at Wesley United Methodist Church.
His children, grandchildren and their families attended, as did a contingent of community members and other acquaintances from Ervin’s long life as a businessman and community service worker.
Two of his granddaughters dressed as magicians (one of their tags read Kitty Glitter). Ervin had a long-running passion in performing magic. Attendees received party favors. Besides the drinks and treats, there was a box at the entrance where you could pick up one of Ervin’s famous pens emblazoned with the words “Volunteer Tree Hugger.”
Ervin has been a proud tree hugger for years, in part because of his voluntary service to build up and promote the Parsons Arboretum and blaze a walking trail through it.
He had his fingers in many pots in the community, including the Parsons Historical Society Museum. The museum board gifted him a jacket that referred to the many accomplishments over his lifetime.
He also received a letter from the federal Department of Veterans Affairs for being one of a few centenarian veterans in the country. Ervin served in the Air Corps during World War II. Those attending heard a poem dedicated to Air Corpsmen.
One of his daughters, Elizabeth Boman, welcomed guests and one of his granddaughters, Elizabeth Davis, told those gathered that the celebration was for his 100th birthday but also for his life of service.
“You inspire all of us every day,” Davis said.
John Bolander led a salute to veterans but noted Ervin’s uniform first.
“I want to say right off the bat that I’m jealous that Kenny can still get in his uniform,” Bolander said.
And the crowd sang happy birthday to close out the presentation.
Ervin joined the Cub Scouts in 1936 at age 11. He served as an assistant scoutmaster and scoutmaster with Troop 33 for over 20 years. He received the Silver Beaver Award, which is the highest national council award given to adult volunteers, as well as awards from other organizations. He was recognized in 1957 as Scouter of the Year. He also served on the Southeast Kansas Area Scout Council for years.
He graduated from Parsons Junior College (now Labette Community College) in 1948. He earned a degree in auto mechanics from Pittsburg Teachers College (now Pittsburg State University) after that. Ervin taught auto mechanics at Wichita North High School for three years, married Corrine, who also taught at Wich-
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ita North, before returning to Parsons.
His grandfather started a livery stable in 1911 in Parsons, a family business that became Brisco Automobiles in 1913. Ervin’s father came home after World War I and operated the first commercial radio station in Kansas before joining the automotive business.
In 1953, Kenneth Ervin became associated with Ervin Auto. By then, his accolades included the auto mechanics degree, graduating from the Auto Lite Electrical Institute, the Institute of Hydromatic Transmission and Power Steering, the Carter Carburetor School and the Grant Barrett Brake School, according to an ad in the Parsons Sun in 1953.
He received the Cardinal Citation from LCC in 1986, sharing the award with Norma Jean Seaton. By then he had served on a number of community and regional boards, including boards overseeing Lake Parsons and Big Hill Lake. He was an instigator of the committee organized to form the Cooperative Industrial Training Program at LCC.
He and Corrine’s four children were grown by this time: Elizabeth Boman, DeeEllen Davis, Janet Schamp and Kent Ervin.
On Feb. 1, 1988, Ervin joined the Parsons Rotary Club. He is a Paul Harris Fellow for Rotary and a benefactor of the Rotary Foundation.
He won the Parsons Chamber of Commerce Zetmeir Legacy Award in 2019. The Zetmeir Legacy Award is given to a person or business who gives back to the community in a way that’s above and beyond what anyone would expect.
At the time, chamber member Gary Wall announced the award for Ervin and noted Ervin’s fundraising prowess and the hard work he devoted to the causes he loved.
“He is a persistent and enthusiastic fundraiser,” Wall said before adding “Amen,” keying laughter from the crowd.
“So much so that nobody can or wants to say no to him,” Wall said at the time.
As foreshadowing to those statements, Ervin, before accepting his award, joined Wayne Revell to talk about a project for which they were seeking donations. Donor envelopes were left at all of the banquet tables for a building to be constructed near the Parsons Historical Museum that would house collections owned by a local farm heritage committee, according to the Sun article at the time.
Revell said the committee wanted to restore a 1915 steam engine but had no place to work on it. The new building would provide that space along with space to work on other farm displays and to store items for the historical museum.
Wall said Ervin was a living legacy of the Parsons Arboretum, the Parsons Historical Museum and the Iron Horse Museum. He also made his mark at Labette Health and the city’s educational institutions.
“He was a driving force behind turning a useless swamp into a beautiful park. He has blazed trails through overgrown and abandoned lots and given them purpose and beauty,” Wall said at the time.
Ervin has been called a remarkable man by his peers and is admired for his dedication to his many interests in Parsons, Wall noted.
LCC also honored Ervin for his birthday on Thursday.
