Benzels serve as grand marshals

Bruce and Vicki Benzel have been lifelong residents of Ritzville, and Saturday morning, the couple is being honored for their service to the community as grand marshals of the Ritzville Community Parade. The couple celebrated 41 years of marriage in June and plans to lead the parade with their three young grandchildren.

The couple is honored by the designation of being named grand marshals for the annual parade, but jokes that it must mean they are officially old if they are being asked to lead the town parade. With a good sense of humor and endless positivity, the couple is looking forward to leading the parade while being surrounded by their family and friends.

Combined, Bruce and Vicki have dedicated 80 years of service in their careers within the local communities, with Bruce serving as Ritzville’s barber and Vicki teaching elementary school classes in Lind and Ritzville. The couple raised their two children, Ryan and Kimberly, in Ritzville and believes the city is an excellent place to raise a family.

Vicki began her teaching career in the Lind School District with the first and third grade classes for five years, before transferring to the Ritzville School District. She spent nearly 33 years predominately teaching second grade before retiring from her position as an educator in 2011.

For 42 years, Bruce owned and operated The Hair Center, Inc. in downtown Ritzville, a business and career he began after following in his uncle’s footsteps. He retired from his lifelong career in June and is now enjoying retirement with Vicki.

The couple said the biggest benefit of both of them being retired is the amount of time they have to spend with their grandchildren. Bruce, an avid golfer, is also glad to have the additional tee time throughout the week and is currently trying to persuade Vicki to get back on the course.

With Bruce’s retirement still being fairly recent, the couple is just beginning to make additional retirement plans. They plan on traveling, but for now are content at home enjoying extra time of relaxation and being able to spend quality time with their children and grandchildren.

The Benzels have resided in the same house near the golf course for over 35 years and believe the Ritzville community is an ideal location and atmosphere to raise a family. Though their children have moved away, they believe Ritzville provided their children with opportunities and experiences that helped them succeed in their individual careers.

Bruce explained the most obvious benefit for their son Ryan is he grew up on the golf course, and having the accessibility and opportunity to constantly be on the green eventually helped him earn a chance to compete professionally in golfing.

During their time as a barber and a teacher, Vicki and Bruce served in a variety of volunteer positions. The couple shares the belief that “when something happens, you go out and help,” and they have remained committed to the community in hopes of making it an exceptional place to live.

For Vicki, her passion in life revolved around educating and working with children, which was the deciding factor in her career choice. She served as the cheerleading advisor in Ritzville for 10 years, and assisted with the coordination of community events like the annual art show and Christmas celebration downtown.

Bruce has volunteered in various areas within the community, with his most passionate service being to the volunteer fire department for 33 years. He also served as Ritzville Area Chamber of Commerce president for two years, has been involved with the Ritzville Downtown Development Association and served on the football chain gang for 40 seasons.

As active members of the community, Bruce and Vicki enjoy attending functions and events in the area and continuing to support the town that helped them build a successful life together. With their children and grandchildren visiting this weekend, the family plans to spend the day participating in activities at the fair and enjoying the small town atmosphere with those they care about most.

The Benzels aren’t sure of what mode of transportation they will have in the parade, but they hope it is an open-air vehicle so they can throw candy. Vicki laughed as she explained that she didn’t know if that was common practice for the grand marshals to distribute candy, but they plan on doing it regardless and want to have fun leading the parade with their grandchildren accompanying them.

When the Benzels guide the parade on the street Saturday morning, onlookers are guaranteed to see two things from the couple: endless smiles and true happiness. The couple thrives off of positivity, kindness and selfless service, and has truly earned the title of grand marshals of the Ritzville Community Parade.