Kitson also Wren parade grand marshal

VW independent/submitted information

Selected as grand marshal for this year’s Wren Homecoming Parade is longtime community member Jim Kitson.

Kitson has been involved with Wren Ballpark since his first year as a player in 1959. Kitson played in the Wren Farm League for coach Clair Dudgeon, Wren Little League for Chuck Turner, and Wren Pony League for Mason Springer and Moe Davis as a player until 1967.

Kitson then began his first year of coaching in 1980 when his son, Jeremy, began playing Farm League. Kitson coached Farm and Little League baseball from 1980 until 1988, and he began coaching softball for the Farmettes when his daughter, Jayme, started playing in 1982.  From 1982-1988 he coached multiple teams for the ballpark, and, from 1988-1993, Kitson coached softball for the ballpark.

Kitson was a member of the ballpark board for most of his years in the 1980s, serving as vice president in 1983 and board president in 1984. Kitson is now in his third stint with the ballpark, as he has been coaching youth baseball, starting again in 2013 when his oldest grandson, Jake, starting playing Farm League. Kitson helped coach Farm League from 2013-2016 and coached Little League this past summer.

In addition to coaching, Kitson has been the head groundskeeper the past two summers. Anyone who has been around the ballpark the last few years would see it’s in the best shape it has been in for many years, and that is directly due to Kitson’s efforts.

Kitson is married to Sherry, and they have lived north of Wren since 1973. They have two children, Jeremy and Jayme, and three grandchildren, Jacob, Grace, and William, all who will also pass through the Wren Ballpark.