Ivan and Ann Regier named 2017’s Good Neighbors

By Brooke Pankonin

Grant Tribune-Sentinel

Selected as 2017’s Good Neighbors are Ivan and Ann Regier of Grant. 

Ivan, a native of Perkins County, lived in the same farmhouse five miles north of Madrid for 75 years until two years ago when the couple had a house built in town. 

The couple met while attending Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas. Ivan needed allergy shots and Ann was working as the school nurse. 

“I told the other nurse that he was mine and she should just stay away,” Ann laughed. 

Ivan told her she needed to stay with him for at least 30 minutes in case he had a reaction. 

The couple married in the fall of 1961, the year before Ivan graduated with a degree in economics and business management and a minor in philosophy. Ann received her nursing degree the year before. 

The summer after Ivan’s graduation, they went to Japan for two years and served as house parents for missionary children through the Mennonite church. 

“Six months after we were married we had 13 children,” Ivan laughed. Every Monday, Ivan would pick them up from the various trains and return them on Friday. 

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