Kanzlers lead the Lind Christmas Parade

While families and residents gathered on the sidewalks of Lind last Saturday to see floats lit up in Christmas lights, Bernice and Kenneth Kanzler climbed into their Grand Marshals car with smiles brighter than any light in the parade.

The Lind Chamber of Commerce selected the Kanzlers to serve as the Grand Marshals for the 17th Christmas Parade on Dec. 14.

Together the Kanzlers have built a life in the town that Kenneth has called home his whole life.

Minus his service time in the Army, Ken has lived in Lind for his entire life, and it was in his hometown where he met Bernice.

Ken spent three years in the service, volunteering to go into the Army straight out of high school.

“I went to some good schools that helped me all through the rest of my life,” Ken said.

During a visit home after being deployed, Ken and Bernice met for the first time.

Bernice explained she had made a trip to Lind from Yakima to help her sister at the local church, where she happened to have a chance encounter with a young gentleman.

She explained Ken decided he wanted to keep seeing her, and made trips to Yakima every week to see her. He always drove to see her on Sundays and picked her up for church.

After eight months of courtship, the two were married in September and recently celebrated 57 years of marriage.

The Kanzlers made the decision to call Lind their home, as Bernice also enjoyed the small town lifestyle. Together, they raised three children in Lind who were able to go through the same school district as their father.

Their oldest son Lee moved back after serving in the military for 20 years and Bernice explained he has been a big help to them. Their son David currently resides in Sprague with his family, while their daughter Colleen is living in California with her family.

After their wedding, the Kanzlers worked for a farmer in Connell. Ken said he worked on the farm for 10 years before a job opening in Lind drew him back to work in his hometown.

For 19 years, Ken worked at the Lind Grange Supply and then took a job at the Lind School District working as a maintenance man.

Bernice worked as a stay at home mother with the three kids before taking a job at the drug store in Lind.

She eventually stopped working at the drug store in 1982 before moving on to assist at the school.

Throughout their lifetime, the Kanzlers have worked in a variety of roles, but one thing has always stayed constant: their church. The pinnacle of their life and their main source of activity is the Lind Calvary Assembly of God.

“Our church, from the time we retired, has grown from 15 to about 70 people on Sunday,” Ken said. “And I think it’s because we have a good pastor, everybody is faithful and it works out good.”

“Our main activity is the church, everything revolved around our church,” Bernice said. “We don’t miss a Sunday.”

For many years, Bernice played piano for Sunday services and she said she played at every service. She explained now she only plays piano once a month for a Sunday service.

The Kanzlers have been active in their community for years, which is one of the main reasons for being selected as the grand marshals for the parade on Saturday. Together, the couple said they were surprised and honored to lead the Christmas Parade.

“I thought it was a surprise … I was usually the kid that stood on the sidewalk and watched everything go by,” Ken said about the selection and his previous interactions with the local parades.

Sunday evening proved to be a highlight for the Kanzlers for many reasons. Not only were they honored to lead their town parade, but also they were happy to share the experience with family and friends.

The Kanzlers’ granddaughter was able to attend the parade, as was Ken’s brother and sister-in-law: Gilbert and Alice Kanzler from Ritzville.

The parade had special significance as the Kanzler’s pastor Steve Schofstoll said the blessing for the event and also accepted their invitation to attend. The Kanzlers described Schofstoll as a good friend and a good preacher, and they were excited he joined to share in the experience.

“We really like this little town of Lind. This is where I was born; this is where I’ll end up, right here. It’s a nice town,” Ken said.