The Superior Express -

This weekend Burr Oak will be hosting its 150th Celebration. The town is decorated with numerous sunflowers and ready to welcome everyone near and far. The celebration begins at 5 p.m., Friday evening with a free supper at the Burr Oak Community Center, hosted by the Guaranty State Bank. A variety show with a beard and mustache contest will follow. After the show, a Burr Oak High School social gathering will be held in Faidley Park.

Saturday will kick off at 8 a.m. with free pastries served in the Veteran's Park. A car and motorcycle show will be held at the library and museum grounds; tours will be given in the library, museum and the historic United Methodist Church building. Kid games and laser tag will be held at the Community Center Park area. Other Saturday morning events will be a scavenger hunt and face painting. A food truck will be serving lunch. The parade will start at 1 p.m., with all parade enteries entered in a drawing for a barbeque grill.

Serving as the parade grand marshals are two long time Burr Oak boosters, Clifford and Glenny Barnes. Glenny grew up on a farm southwest of Burr Oak. She was the daughter of Harvey and Edna (Spooner) Fogo. Glenny was born a 1/2 mile from where her father was born. Glenny's two sisters are also residents of Burr Oak.

Though Cliff is a native of Red Cloud, he certainly calls Burr Oak home. They have lived in Burr Oak most of their 61 1/2 years of their married life. They raised their four children in Burr Oak; David, Danny, Diana and Darin. They have 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Cliff and Glenny enjoy attending their grandchildren's and great-grandchildren's activities.

They have been Burr Oak boosters for most of their married lives. They were members of the PRIDE Committee and helped with their many projects including painting buildings on the town's main street, cleaning streets and putting down new sidewalks. They helped where needed in planning and carrying out other town celebrations. They helped with town barbeques, fund raising events, parade registrations, loading and moving chairs and tables in preparing for celebration meals and they help with the Avenue of Flags every Memorial Day.

Both Cliff and Glenny have served as city council members. Glenny was the first female elected to the council position. Cliff has even served as the town's mayor. They are currently members of the Community Club. This club plans and carries out special monthly events which brings community members together such as the annual Fourth of July celebration, soup suppers and Halloween parties. They are active members at the Burr Oak Christian Church with Glenny serving as secretary-treasurer and Cliff as an elder.

Cliff retired after serving 21 years as a school custodian for Burr Oak and White Rock schools. Glenny retired after serving the school districts 30 years with most of those years as the superintendent's secretary. They both have many hobbies and interests, but their favorite interest is their family.

Cody Volker works from ladder while Mike and Fern Reed help from a bucket. The trio put up a large sunflower on a former service station advertising pole in Burr Oak in preparation for Burr Oak's 150th Celebration this weekend. It was Cody Volker's idea to add the large sunflower as decoration.

Cliff and Glenny are looking forward to the 150th celebration and are honored to have been chosen as the grand marshals for the parade. They believe most of their family will be present for the parade, and a cousin of Glenny's is coming from Oregon for the event. They know there will be a large attendance at the three-day event and there are several class reunions planned to be held during the celebration.

They both agree, "Burr Oak is home and it always will be. A small town is the best place to live. Everyone knows your business but if you ever need help they are right there."

Following Saturday's parade, there will be games for the adults starting at 2 p.m. A Tombstone Tour will be guided by Gloria Garman-Schlaefli, at the Burr Oak Cemetery, starting at 2:30 p.m. A free supper will be served at the fire hall beginning at 5. There will be a beer garden located in Faidley's Park. Kenny Rhea will provide music at 5 p.m. and a dance will start at 8 with music provided by the band Kill Creek Rising.

Sunday, there will be the annual community church service, that will feature Chris Martin providing gospel music. The service will be held at the community center. A potluck dinner will follow.