Community News
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Sept. 22-23, 1972 Purchase of Fumetco Inc., an Oswego manufacturer for the mobile homes and recreational vehicle industry, was announced by Elixir Industries, which was based in Gardena, Calif. Jerry Rapport, president of Elixir whose stock was publicly held and listed on the New York Stock Exchange, said an undisclosed amount of common stock and cash was paid for all out...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Sept. 21, 1972 Ruskin Manufacturing Co. began its Parsons operations in a rented warehouse at the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant on Oct. 20, 1965, with two men on its payroll. Through steady gains, the manufacturer of air handling equipment expanded activity here and capped its seven-year growth by occupying a new, auxiliary building at 806 S. Central. Ruskin had 75 people ...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Sept. 20, 1972 About 27 percent of Labette County residents between the ages of 18 and 21 registered to vote, according to figures released by Gladys Lake, Labette County deputy election commissioner. Lake said 404 young voters had registered during the first year people younger than 21 years old were eligible to vote in Kansas or the nation. Sept. 20, 1982 Several hundr...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Sept. 15-16, 1972 The Parsons Vikings made their debut at Marvel Park a smashing success. The hosts defeated Iola 18-6 in a Southeast Kansas League game. The Vikings presented Ray Harvey with his first triumph as the team’s head coach. The contest was the Norsemen’s first at their new playing field after several decades of play at Rees Hughes Field, the 95-yard-long gridi...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Sept. 14, 1972 Preliminary sketches and cost estimates for a proposed recreation center would be presented to the Parsons City Commission in a couple of weeks by a Tulsa architectural firm, Arvon Phillips, recreation director, announced. The Parsons Recreation Commission selected the Tulsa firm of Hudgins, Thompson, Ball & Associates as architects for the center that woul...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Sept. 12, 1972 The board of Parsons District Schools approved a request for a girls volleyball team for Parsons Junior High School. John Benson, assistant principal, said all athletics in the past had been oriented toward boys. The school wanted to give the girls a chance to participate in interscholastic competition. Marsha Cagle, physical education teacher, would sponso...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Sept. 11, 1972 The 1972 Parsons United Fund drive was officially launched at a breakfast in The Parsonian for leaders and campaign chairmen. With a goal of $46,000, the drive would seek funds for support of youth and community service agencies including the American Red Cross, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Church Women United, the Salvation Army and the Humane Society in Parso...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Sept. 8-9, 1972 Bicycle riders in Parsons would begin receiving red tickets immediately for traffic violations, Leonard Herndon, assistant police chief, said. There had been a lot of people riding the wrong way on streets or without lights, causing dangerous situations, Will Tschudy, city manager, said. Herndon said red tickets for bicycle violations would cost $3 per cit...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Sept. 7, 1972 Katy Railroad officials all the way to the top headed a list of guests for the 1972 supplymen’s golf tournament and social events at the Katy-Parsons Golf Club. Arriving by air were Reginald Whitman, Katy president; B.R. Bishop, vice president of operations; W.L. Dorcy, vice president; and W.H. Zeidel, assistant vice president in the executive department. Ge...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Sept. 6, 1972 Two major downtown developments took form in Parsons. Parsons Lodge 117 of A.F. & A.M. received word that a 10-year ground floor lease for a building it owned at 1 Parsons Plaza was to be signed by Coast to Coast Stores Inc. The First Federal Savings & Loan Association formally signed a contract with LaForge & Budd Construction Co. of Parsons for extensive a...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Sept. 5, 1972 Director Edwin Hendershot, drama instructor at Labette Community Junior College, planned tryouts for cast and crew members for a production of “Send Me No Flowers.” The play would be the first production of a newly-formed community theater group, Labette Community Players. A membership drive also was being conducted by board members of LCP. Memberships, at $...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Sept. 1-2, 1972 An emphasis on growth and new activities at Fred Ronald Manufacturing Co. in Parsons resulted in the opening of 30 to 35 jobs. The jobs, for sewing machine operators, piece goods handlers, cloth spreaders, packers and service personnel, would add to the 353 positions already filled. The company made boys’ trousers as 90 percent of its production, though it...
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Shaws celebrate 65th
Neale and Wandalee Shaw celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on Aug. 24. Neale Shaw and Wandalee Redman were married on Aug. 24, 1947, at Galesburg Methodist Church. They met in Galesburg, where they graduated two years apart from each other at Galesburg High School. Mr. Shaw proposed before leaving for active duty overseas in World War II, and they married shortly after his return. Mr. Shaw was a member of the Army National Guard and att...
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Spencers honor 69th
Myrle and Carmen Spencer of Parsons will celebrate their 69th wedding anniversary on Tuesday. Myrle Spencer and Carmen Haggard were married on Sept. 4, 1943, in Columbus. The Spencers are retired implement dealers. They lived in Oswego and Altamont before moving to Parsons. They have three children, Tony Spencer of Wichita, Cheryl Dinks of Normal, Ill., and Anne Weaver of Kennett Square, Pa. They also have three grandchildren and four great-gr...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Aug. 31, 1972 Sale of the building at 19 Parsons Plaza to Mr. and Mrs. Bill Minor of Oswego by its owner, Leon Litwin, was completed. The couple would open a fabric store in the location. The building with a 25-foot front was formerly occupied by Litwin’s Department Store before it moved into a remodeled, 50-foot store at 11 Parsons Plaza. Minor said the new store would b...
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Top pedal pullers qualify for state fair in Hutchinson
OSWEGO — Thirty-seven youngsters participated in the Kiddie Tractor Pull at the Labette County Fair early this month in Oswego. First-, second-, and third-place finishers in each age division of the county Kiddie Tractor Pull qualified to compete at the Kansas Pedal Pullers Association State Pull on Sept. 9 at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson. First- and second-place winners received award certificates and their choice of a “Champion Pedal ...
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Little cowpokes compete at county fair
OSWEGO — Landry O’Brien of South Coffeyville, Okla., and Lincoln Goedeke of Dennis were awarded championship belt buckles in the Lil Cowpokes Barrel Racing event at the Labette County Fair early this month. Landry and Lincoln finished first in their respective age divisions in the stick horse barrel racing contest. Landry, 4, was one of 16 participants in the age 4 and under division. Lincoln, 7, competed against 22 contestants in the age 5-8 ...
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Schools
PHS awards academic letters Parsons High School recently announced the students receiving academic letters for the 2011-12 school year. The requirements to earn an academic letter are a 3.25 GPA and no C’s for both semesters. Seniors receiving academic letters were announced at graduation in May. Last year’s juniors who received academic letters and the number of years they have received letters included: Craig Beachner, one; Tyler Beardmore, ...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Aug. 30, 1972 Sale of his majority interest in the Jarboe-Lackey Feed Lots Inc., northeast of Parsons, to four Southeast Kansans headed by an associate, Jud Lackey, was announced by Joe Jarboe of Tulsa. Jarboe was a member of a Parsons family long identified with the livestock industry. The sale would mark the first time in 104 years that the Jarboe name would not be conn...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Aug. 29, 1972 The 100th year observance of Central Avenue Christian Church was launched. Guest speaker for the morning worship service on Aug. 27 was Mrs. James Behler of Houston, whose late husband was pastor here from 1949 to 1957. The Rev. Eugene Riedl, a former Christian education director who was an associate pastor of Independence Boulevard Christian Church in Kansa...
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