by Randy Goering
The Summer of ’74 was a memorable time for four couples at the First Christian Church in Great Bend, Kansas. That summer four couples tied the knot, so this summer, they are all celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary. All are long time, active members of the First Christian Church.
back row L-R: Roger & Leesa Butler, Debbie & Clayton Noffsinger; front row L-R: John & Vicki Sheets, LaDonna & Lane Moore
Siblings Lane Moore and Leesa Butler are 3rd generation members of Great Bend’s First Christian Church. Vicki Sheets joined the church when her family moved to Great Bend in the early 70’s. Her fiancé John started attending during their courtship. The most recent addition, of the four, to the church were Clayton and Debbie Noffsinger who started attending First Christian when they moved to Great Bend in 1988.
Tying the Knots
Clayton and Debbie Noffsinger were the first of the four couples to be married. They wed at Debbie’s parent’s house in Hays on June 29th, 1974. Both graduated from separate high schools in Hays. After their wedding, the Noffsinger’s lived in several rural areas of Russell and Ellis County before moving to Great Bend.
Clayton and Debbie Noffsinger, 1974
Lane and Leesa kept their parents busy with weddings held 6 days apart. Lane Married LaDonna on Saturday afternoon, August 10, 1974 at LaDonna’s home church, The 1st Baptist Church in Eldorado Kansas. Lane and LaDonna were both students at the time. After a short residency in Topeka, the couple moved to Great Bend where Lane went to work for the family business and LaDonna found employment with an engineering firm.
Lane and LaDonna Moore, 1974
The Friday following the Moore Wedding, August 16, 1974, Leesa married Roger Butler at her home church, First Christian Church in Great Bend. Both Roger and Leesa were students at Fort Hays State University at the time. They had planned their wedding for the following week, but realized classes were about to start, so moved their ceremony up a week.
Leesa and Roger Butler, 1974
The day following the Butler/Moore wedding (August 17, 1974) The First Christian Church played host to John and Vicki Sheets’ wedding. These high school sweethearts had to get permission from John’s parents as he was just 17 years old at the time.
John and Vicki Sheets, 1974
All four couples said their weddings were modest to simple for the mid 70’s. And there were no cross country trips for their Honeymoons.
Lane & LaDonna spent a few day in Kansas City including time at Worlds of Fun and a KC Royals game. Their biggest Honeymoon challenge was the Hotel they’d booked didn’t have record of their reservation when they arrived. But the hotel took care of them, and put them in the State Suite for one night.
The Moore’s had to hurry home, for Sister Leesa’s wedding the following Friday at First Christian Church in Great Bend. Roger and Leesa were avid campers so they planned a camping trip in Colorado. They spent their honeymoon nights sleeping on the ground at campsites, and during the day they rode their motorcycles (dirt bikes) up Pikes Peak.
Honeymoon Adventures
John & Vicki had a weekend Honeymoon in Hays, Kansas following their wedding. While the weather was good for their wedding, the trip to Hays was a challenge driving through severe thunderstorms and tornado warnings. After the weekend, the newlyweds returned to Great Bend to go to work.
Clayton & Debbie had to deal with air conditioner issues in their car as they traveled across Western Kansas on their way to Colorado. They spent their honeymoon in touring the Garden of the Gods and other attractions around Colorado Springs.
50 years later all four couples continue to be active in First Christian Church and in the Great Bend community. Only 6 of every 100 marriages in America (U.S. Census Bureau information) lasts for 50 years. The Church’s Senior Pastor Josh Leu said “In a congregation our size, it’s amazing to think these 4 couples all married in the same summer and are able to celebrate 50 years together. To think they’ve been married, longer than I’ve been alive. All four couples have been pillars in our Church for a long time, and continue to contribute in so many ways. They are great role models for all of us.”