Jane & Don Cunningham this year’s Stockton Peony Festival Grand Marshals
Heading up the Stockton Peony Parade this Saturday, May 29th at 1:30 p.m. will be this year’s Grand Marshals, Jane and Don Cunningham. When Stockton Chamber Director Jayne Prockish asked Jane if they would be the Grand Marshals, Jane said, “It would be an honor.” Then Jane went home and told Don they were going to be the Grand Marshals!
The number one reason the Cunninghams were chosen for the Peony Parade is that, simply stated by Jane, “I love flowers.” The two grow a variety of flowers in their back yard, volunteer to water the flowers on Main Street, and take care of the Ross Schafer Park grounds across the street from their house. Don has even helped string Christmas lights with the city employees on the park’s gazebo.
The two are Stockton High School graduates. Jane laughed and said, “I was the lowly freshman when he was the mighty senior.” When the two married after high school, they moved to and lived in Colorado Springs, off and on, for 30 years where Don worked in real estate and was a former appraiser.
The couple came back to Stockton often to visit family and friends with their son, Shaun (Andra), and moved back to Stockton in the early 1980s. Then in 1986, they moved back to Colorado Springs spending the next ten years there before heading to Arkansas, where they lived for about ten years. Don said, “Our time limit for remaining in one location must be ten years since that is as long as we seem to stay in each place!” But they came back to Stockton in 2006 and have lived here ever since. And their roots in Stockton are deep since Don is the son of Darrell and Maybelle Cunningham, and Jane is the daughter of Gilbert and Edith Thyfault.
Growing flowers is a favorite pastime of the couple, with Don enjoying feeding and taking care of the many birds that live in their colorful back yard. Don is partial to roses with Jane loving all kinds of perennials since they come back every year. Jane said, “Every flower is a gift from God since they add so much to our lives. The colors are incredible and there is such a variety, always bringing joy to everyone.”
The two are practicing their princess and prince waves for the parade with Jane saying she doesn’t wave exactly the same as Vanna White. But both her and Don’s waves as they enjoy their title of Grand Marshals for the Stockton Peony Parade will be joyful as we celebrate God’s gift of flowers to the world.
(The Stockton Peony Festival and Parade are this Saturday, May 29th. Make plans to come out and enjoy the day with your family and friends.)
