Those Places Thursday -- Hesston College 1952

Hesston College is a Mennonite College that was started in 1909 by the ‘Old’ Mennonite churches in the Kansas and surrounding area to provide Biblical instruction to young Mennonites.

Initially it was a four-year institution and included a high school academy, but it changed and adapted over the years. It was certainly THE place for young Mennonites to meet each other and find potential mates. By the early 1950s, it was a two-year school.

My mother, from Iowa, and my father, from Kansas, both attended Hesston and that is where they met. My parents talked of Hesston a lot while I was growing up. Over the years they would frequently encounter someone who had been there when they were there, and they stayed close with several people they met there. They frequently dated with two other couples. All 3 couples eventually married and were lifelong friends and even in retirement would go on ‘dates’ as a group.

My dad had a car, and we all know that having a car at college is a huge boost to your social life. They ended every date with a stop at Dairy Queen. That is so like my dad. He was big on ice cream every night.

One ‘date night’ story I was told recently by Roma, one of the dating group, is that they went to Bethel College to hear a lecture. They sat in the balcony of the large auditorium. They soon decided that the lecture was boring and were getting restless. Roma suggested that they count the bald heads in the crowd below them. This managed to keep them busy and entertained for a least awhile during a boring lecture, until they could manage to slip out and go to Dairy Queen! I wonder if the giggling from the balcony bothered the speaker!

There were of course, rules at Hesston and I think my parents were a little bit on the rebel side! Just a little. I know my mom was called into the dean’s office for wearing bobby socks instead of hose!!

When my dad’s younger brother, Lee, was killed, Dad was at Hesston. He said he was sitting in his car with my mom when someone came out and told him about Lee.

It was a few years and a few adventures yet before they married but the time at Hesston was the beginning of a long and happy relationship.

My mom took pre-nursing classes at Hesston and went from there to La Junta Mennonite Nursing School in Colorado. Her aunt, Maude Egli Swartzendruber, was working there and it had been decided that nursing would be a good career for her as well.

My dad, being a conscientious objector, had to sign up and go work in the 1W program – a work alternative service program. He selected Pueblo, Colorado as his first choice so he could be close to my mom. Fortunately, he got it. Pueblo is about 60 miles from La Junta so he could occasionally drive there to see her.

Years later we lived in Newton, Kansas and we always went to Hesston to the College Mennonite Church for church. The connections they made at Hesston stayed with them their entire lives.