The Grande Day parade is a special occasion for the Scheelers. This is the time each year when Jerome and Lavern Scheeler get together with the rest of their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren at their daughter Dianne Robinson’s house. Everyone sits on the lawn cheering the ongoing parade while getting ready for a family potluck lunch. All in all, it’s a fun-filled occasion. This year though, Jerome, 92, and Lavern, 85, won’t be joining their family on the lawn. Instead, they will be passing Robinson’s house on Hazel Avenue and the rest of Kimball on Sunday, Aug. 15, sitting in a convertible and waving to their family and friends. This is because Jerome and Lavern will represent the city as grand marshals for this year’s Grande Day parade. “It was an honor to be asked (to do this),” Lavern said. It was two Fridays ago when Chris Jeppesen, co-planner for Kimball Days, went over to the Scheeler residence and gave them the news they had been selected as grand marshals. “She (Lavern) was very excited about it,” Jeppesen said. “At first he (Jerome) didn’t understand what it was about and thought he had to do something, but she explained to him that all he had to do was sit in a car and wave, and he said, ‘I can do that.’” What Jeppesen and her committee look for in candidates for grand marshals varies each year. Last year they appointed Clayton and Mabel Linn because of their contributions and involvement with the community. Another year they appointed a group of retiring firemen to honor their services to the city. This year, they were looking for a couple with longevity in Kimball. Jerome and Lavern were the perfect candidates. They first moved from Pearl Lake to Kimball in the fall of 1949, five years after getting married. Jerome has always worked as a farmer and Lavern has been weaving homemade rugs for years. All seven of their children grew up in Kimball; five of them still live in the area. On June 15 of this year, the Scheelers celebrated 60 years of marriage. “They have been here for 55 years and that’s why we picked them,” Jeppesen said. One of their daughters, Alice Scheeler, said that she was taken by surprise when she heard the news. She said she’s never considered the idea her parents would be chosen to lead the Kimball Days parade as grand marshals. “I don’t wonder whether they’ll get picked or not every year,” Alice added. “I have never given it a second thought.” But with her parents serving as grand marshals this year, the Kimball Days parade will be a little more special. “They have 18 grandchildren and they are excited to see grandma and grandpa in the parade,” Alice said. “Not many grandkids get to see their grandparents in the parade.” This is not the first time someone from the family has participated in a Kimball Days event. Two of their granddaughters took part in the Little Miss Kimball contest a couple of years ago. But Kimball Days means more than family for Lavern. To her, Kimball Days represents the community on a whole and gives everyone a chance to show their appreciation for the city. “We like Kimball and the people and the community,” Lavern said. “People here are more friendly and they know each other.” “And there is less traffic,” said Jerome lightheartedly. Watch for Jerome and Lavern in the Kimball Days Grande Day parade, which will begin at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 15.
