Ark Valley News - Looking Back

Looking Back
Last Updated: January 29, 2015

50 years ago

Mr. and Mrs. Roy Long of Valley Center celebrated their golden wedding anniversary Feb. 7. Mayme Carter and Roy Long were married at Dacoma, Okla. He is a retired farmer. After having lived near Benton most of their married life, they moved to Valley Center in 1961. Daughters of the couple are Mrs. Ralph (Wanda) McCarl of Wichita, and Mrs. Alvin (Sibyl) Wells of Wellington. Friends were welcome to call at the Long home during an open house in honor of this event.

Mr. and Mrs. James C. Ramsey of Great Bend announced the engagement of their daughter, Patricia Anne, to Brant Schnackenberg, son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard M. Schnackenberg, Valley Center. Miss Ramsey, a graduate of Great Bend High School, is a sophomore at Kansas State Teachers College in Emporia. Mr. Schnackenberg, a graduate of Valley Center, is a senior at Kansas State Teachers College. The couple planned a late August wedding at the First Methodist Church in Valley Center.

45 years ago

A dinner celebrating the birthday of Sula Hightower Sunday and Mrs. Altah Myers' birthday Tuesday was held Monday at the home of Altah Myers. Those present were Fannie Botts, Edna Hamilton, Jane Wright, Edith Schnackenberg, Irene Greenbank and the honored guests.

A birthday party for Charlie Craycraft was held Jan. at the Community Building. Refreshments were served and everyone was invited.

40 years ago

Mr. and Mrs. John Davison, Valley Center, announced the birth of a boy, Christopher Ray, born Jan. 8 at 7:50 p.m. He weighed in at 6 pounds, 5 ounces and was 20 inches long. Grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Davidson and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Gillmore. Great-grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Walter Davison, Mr. and Mrs. Lester McClure, and Mrs. Nellie Griffitts.

Sunday evening dinner guests of Mr. and Mrs. Alfia Fielding were Mr. and Mrs. Larry Stephen, Jo Anna and Carrie, and Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Smith and Tammy, Janet Fielding and Keith Overman and Mr. and Mrs. Ron Fielding and Charla and Scottie.

35 years ago

It could be as early as Feb. 13 that the Sedgwick County Commission approved or disapproved a proposal that called for turning Valley Center Industrial Park, second addition, into a county benefit district. That was the word from James Catron of Royal Construction Co., co-developer of the park. The park, which borders 77th North on the south and Meridian on the east, was situated just outside the city limits of Valley Center.

Dan Robertson, Valley Center, was given a surprise birthday party Saturday evening by his wife, Melba, in honor of his 51st birthday. Guests were Mr. and Mrs. James R. Adams and children Jimmy and Jason; Joe Robertson and Janice Boyd; Mr. and Mrs. Bud Robertson, Lisa and Kelley; Mr. and Mrs. Jon Michael; Mr. and Mrs. Noel C. Robertson; Mr. and Mrs. Niles Haworth; Mr. and Mrs. Dale Robertson and Bobbi; and Mr. and Mrs. Jack Herrington, Kim Warren, Jeff and Amy.

30 years ago

The sweet smell of flowers replaced the aroma of antiseptic as Moore Flowers had its grand opening in the old Valley Drug Building, 224 W. Main. The business, owned by Naomi and W. D. Hinkle, employed four people. Three deliveries were available to residences within Valley Center city limits.

An open house to celebrate Mabel Miller's 100th birthday was Feb. 10 at First United Methodist Church. Special music was provided and the public was invited. Her birthday was Feb 25 and cards could be sent to her in Valley Center.

25 years ago

The discovery of two live World War II grenades in Park City house led to some tense moments. Park City Police Sgt. George Capps said the police department received a call that someone had found the grenades in a drawer they were cleaning out. Officers responded to the call and evacuated 10 houses in the 1500 block of Evanston. The Wichita Police Department's bomb squad was called to the scene and they removed the grenades from the residence.

Duane and Norma Carlson, Valley Center, celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. Earlier, they met their daughter and her family — Ron and Sally Gray, Sam, Betsy and Rachel — for dinner in Abilene. They also had dinner with Carl and Bertie Searcy, Valley Center. Duane Carlson and Norma Jean Smith were married Jan. 29, 1950, by The Rev. Bob Williams at the Blue Rapids Methodist Church.

20 years ago

Since voters rejected the Valley Center school district's bond issue, school officials wanted to figure out why. Nelson Hart, district director of business and operations, speculated three or four different reasons why the $6.73 million bond failed 1,534 to 1,373 — a narrow margin of 161 votes.

Shannon L. Fitzpatrick, daughter of Jimmie Fitzpatrick of Valley Center, was engaged to marry Eric Baker, son of LuAnn and Terry Baker of Kansas City, Mo. The bride-elect and prospective bridegroom are from Wichita. She was a dispatcher at Office Automation and he was a technician at Cablecom. They planned a June 3 wedding.

15 years ago

When Bob Finkbiner decided to leave his job as city administrator in Oberlin, he wanted to move to a small town in a metropolitan area. He had no desire to live in Wichita or another big city, so he took a job in Valley Center, where builders were constructing eight to 10 houses a year. The city changed and more than 40 houses went up each year. Although he was retiring as city administrator, Finkbiner planned to remain a part of the town he helped run for a decade.

Julie A. Berry of Wichita and Shawn M. Birmingham of Valley Center announced their engagement and approaching marriage. The bride-elect is the daughter of Betty and Ron Berry of Wichita. She was office manager and head of sales at Precision Resources Inc. The prospective groom is the son of Ron and Cheryl Birmingham of Valley Center. He was a chief inspector at B.F. Goodrich Aerospace and was employed by Kansas Air National Guard. He proposed to her during a weekend getaway at the Castle Inn Riverside. The couple planned a May 20 wedding at Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church, a reception at Valley Center Masonic Lodge and a weeklong Caribbean honeymoon cruise.

10 years ago

During a brief discussion, the Valley Center City Council had one big question to answer with three viable options: fix, patch or change. The question: What to do with the Valley Center municipal swimming pool to keep it open for another year? Council members' answers were all the same Tuesday: Patch the cracks for a temporary fix and form a committee to explore other options for 2006.

Renee Peterson and Jared Beeton, both of Lawrence, announced their engagement and approaching marriage. The bride-elect is the daughter of Geraldine and Dennis Peterson of Grandin, N. D. She was a graduate of Hillsboro High School, Hillsboro, N.D.; North Dakota State University in Fargo, N.D.; and the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colo. She was a Ph.D. candidate in chemical education at the University of Kansas. The prospective groom is the son of Kathi and Ron Beeton of Marion. He was a graduate of Valley Center High School, Kansas State University in Manhattan and the University of Northern Colorado. He also was a Ph.D. candidate at KU, in geoarchaeology. The couple planned a June 18 wedding in Fargo.

5 years ago

Rick McNary, El Dorado resident and pastor in Potwin for 20 years, was in Nicaragua on one of his many trips when he met a girl who would change his life. "A little 5-year-old girl crawled up into my lap," McNary said. "She was filthy, her hair was matted and I know was filled with lice. It was 20 degrees that day and she whispered in my ear, ‘Will you feed me? I am starving.' And he was." In that moment, McNary decided to do what he could to help hungry people.

Navy Seaman Apprentice Jeffrey A. Souter, son of Ramona E. Brown of Wichita and Roger A. Souter of Kechi, was recently promoted to his current rank upon graduation from recruit training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. Souter received the early promotion for outstanding performance during all phases of the training cycle. Training included classroom study and practical instruction on naval customs, first aid, firefighting, water safety and survival, and shipboard and aircraft safety. An emphasis was also placed on physical fitness. The capstone event of boot camp is "Battle Stations." This exercise gives recruits the skills and confidence they need to succeed in the fleet.