ELLINWOOD — “Well, I was born in a small town, and I live in a small town...,”

So started the 46th Annual Ellinwood After Harvest Festival parade Saturday morning. This year’s theme, chosen by the Ellinwood Rotary Club, sponsors of the parade, was “Small Town Strong,” and the 1985 song “Small Town,” written by John Mellancamp perfectly captured the inspiration behind the theme.

While heat prompted the cancelation of a pet show Friday night and the petting zoo at City Park Saturday afternoon, rising temperatures couldn’t keep away parade goers. 

Up and down Main Street neighbors, family and friends filled every shady spot, some with blankets, others with lawn chairs and some with tents to provide shelter from the hot July sun. Wading pools and coolers with water and snacks ensured the heat would not get the better of any of the spectators. Children were eager for the parade to start, ready to catch candy tossed their direction from the floats passing by.

Of the 69 entries in this year’s parade, eight where Ellinwood High School class reunion floats. This year’s reunions included 1974, 1979, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2009, 2014 and 2019. 

In addition to the class reunions, After Harvest Festival draws family members together, and this year the Soeken family was represented with a float during the parade. Their presence this year was doubly special because one of their own, Ruth Peters, was the Ellinwood Rotary Club’s pick for Grand Marshall. 

Soeko Soeken was a German Soldier who left his homeland with his wife and infant son in 1883, settling in Barton County, Kansas in 1883. He purchased his farm for $1.25 an acre, and the family first lived in a sod house near Claflin . He became an American citizen in 1884, and he and wife Antje raised 13 children on the farm. 

Grand Marshall Ruth Peters, 99, was born on the Soeken farm south of Ellinwood. She remembers being driven to school in a horse-drawn cart, and she later taught school in a one room school house in Hitschmann before marrying Ken Peters and settling into their farm home South of Ellinwood. Today, she travels the world with her daughter, Gayle Christie, but continues to call Ellinwood home. 

Soeko Soeken was a German Soldier who left his homeland with his wife and infant son in 1883, settling in Barton County, Kansas in 1883. He purchased his farm for $1.25 an acre, and the family first lived in a sod house near Claflin . He became an American citizen in 1884, and he and wife Antje raised 13 children on the farm. 

Grand Marshall Ruth Peters, 99, was born on the Soeken farm south of Ellinwood. She remembers being driven to school in a horse-drawn cart, and she later taught school in a one room school house in Hitschmann before marrying Ken Peters and settling into their farm home South of Ellinwood. Today, she travels the world with her daughter, Gayle Christie, but continues to call Ellinwood home. 

Awards were presented to first place winners in each category and to the Distinguished Citizen and the Grand Marshal at the Mayor’s Luncheon at the Grove golf course clubhouse after parade.

Joan Green, Ellinwood, was announced the winner of a quilt raffled off by the Ellinwood Garden Club. Proceeds from tickets will go to fund beautification projects.

The People’s Choice awards were tabulated by H&B Communications from spectators that texted their favorite float’s number to them during the parade. Winners were : Class of 1979, first; Ellinwood Hospital and Clinic, second; and Class of 2014, third. 

As the 46th AHF parade concluded, the song “Small Town” filled the air once more.

“No, I cannot forget from where it is that I come from

I cannot forget the people who love me

Yeah, I can be myself here in this small town

And people let me be just what I want to be...”