Virginia Lonnon will celebrate her 100th birthday on Oct. 11.

Virginia Lenora Lonnon was born in St. John, Stafford County, to James Lonnon Jr. and Myrtle Virginia Ivy Lonnon on Oct. 11, 1925. The family of three lived on the Barton/Stafford County line, south of Great Bend, east of Highway 281 in a newly-built kit home.

Virginia lived on the Barton/Stafford County line until 2022, marrying her neighbor Leonard D. Sharp in 1948 who lived two miles west of where she grew up. Leonard and Virginia had two children in 1949, Lenora and James. In 1951, their family farmhouse burned down and the family lived in a newly dug basement for almost 10 years while their house was being built on top of the basement. While living in the basement, two more children were added to the family, Charlie and John.

Leonard and Virginia farmed the Lonnon and Sharp land while gardening, canning produce and raising chickens and eggs. Virginia worked in Great Bend as secretary for the Kansas State Extension office for many years.

After selling eggs in town for many years, in 1980, the Sharp’s built their first caged layer barn holding 32,000 chickens. They later added a second barn, bringing the total to 64,000 caged layers.

After retiring from the chicken business, before Virginia turned 80 years old, the couple delivered the Hutchinson newspaper on their south of Great Bend rural route. When Leonard died in 2012, Virginia began traveling around the world, going through the Panama Canal, going on an African safari, and jet skiing in Tahiti.

Three years ago, Virginia moved to Derby to a senior living apartment.

A reception will be held at the Copperstone Apartments basement dining hall, in Derby. There is limited parking in the parking lot, but parking is available on side streets. 

Cards may be sent to: Virginia Sharp, Copperstone Apartments, 430 N Derby,, Apt #213, Derby, KS 67037.