Melvin (Bud) & Doris

As Interviewed by Lee

When Mel and Doris moved to Wichita from Medicine Lodge, they attended Bethany Lutheran. Once Ascension was forming, Doris transferred her membership from St. John’s Lutheran, Nashville, KS. Mel was one of three who attended instruction (membership) classes in the basement of the parsonage and was confirmed in the 4-H Building. Their daughters, Shirley and Deanna, were two and nine months respectively.

They chose Ascension because the new church was closer to their home, and Pastor Kerekes had the funeral service for Mel’s sister who died of a brain tumor at 26.

Their fondest memories are being part of a church that was close to their home and being involved in everything that was happening. Melvin spent many years on the Board of Trustees, which is now the Commission of Properties. He remembered putting in the sprinkler system and working on so many other projects. There were humorous situations which occurred while trying to operate within a very limited budget!

Some of the changes in the church are the addition of the bells and having more special music; not being ushered out at the end of the service; and how everyone used to dress up for church and Sunday School.

The biggest changes in West Wichita are having so many more houses, fewer “filling” stations, and Central Avenue no longer two lanes wide. Now, most of the houses once along Central east of the big ditch have been removed, and the area is now commercial.

Doris commented that Pastor Steyer (Ascension’s second pastor) literally bent over backwards for them. On his first visit to their home, he sat down and the chair flipped over. They’ve never forgotten this!

The girls were all three confirmed and married by Pastor John Pool. (By this time their family had grown by two with the addition of Melanie and Brian.) Ascension has continued to be their church home these past 50 years because it is close in location and close as a church family.