DEXTER -- This proud community is 125 years old this year.

Dexter will observe its 125th anniversary Saturday, June 21. That's also the day of the community's biannual Sunflower Daze celebration.

"It's just a nice, quiet community," said Randy Stephenson, "We're growing all the time, because people like to raise their families in a small community and because the cost of living isn't as expensive here as it is other places."

"People pay less taxes here and enjoy the basic services of a small town," he said.

The Dexter Community Club is sponsoring the June 21 twin celebrations.

The activities will combine history with fun.

Plans are already underway to schedule a full-day of family fun.

The activities will begin with a consignment auction and the Early Hamilton Auction Service.

The Dexter Volunteer Fire Department will host a chicken fry 4 to 8 p.m. June 21 and throughout the day there will be children's games, rides and attractions along main street.

There will be a children's pedal tractor pull, but the grownups will have their fun, too, with an antique tractor pull south of the Dexter Elevator.

Dexter has one of the nicest city parks in Mower County and it will be the focal point of much of the June 21 schedule of events.

There will be softball and volleyball tournaments, as well as a bean bag tourney.

Local churches are also involved.

The St. John's Lutheran Church of Elkton women will hold a bake sale at the Dexter Fire Hall and the Dexter United Methodist Church women will sell refreshments at the antique tractor pull.

The celebration concludes with a street dance to the music of the Lost Faculties band, featuring Nathan Davidson and friends.

During a break in the music, there will be a raffle drawing for $300, $150 and $50 cash prizes.

Natalie Shawback, one of the Community Club volunteers, is putting together a first-ever karoke contest for children and teenagers.

"We thought it would give the kids something to do before the street dance," Shawback said.

The details are still being worked out for the contest, according to the volunteer.

Also planning to make the day special is Dean Westfal, a member of the Dexter City Council.

He is organizing ceremonies to recognize Dexter's living mayors.

That would include current mayor Joe Gardner, Stephenson, Norman "Speed" Mathews and Everett Bakker.

Arris Bakker is working on official 125th anniversary souvenirs. They will include a book, T-shirt and commemorative stamp cancellation. That will be decided when the official logo of the 125th anniversary is approved.

She is a former Dexter Council Member for eight years and her brother, Everett Bakker, is a former mayor.

The brother and sister combination have been compiling the history of the community and updating the last 25 years from the community's centennial book in 1978.

"Everett went all out on the history book," she said. "He has really worked hard to update the centennial book. He's five years older than I am and he remembered a lot of things that I didn't in the last 25 years."

Bakker and her brother grew up in Dexter and she remembers a different time and place. "When I was a little girl growing up you never worried about a single thing," she said.

"We got a good town here. We got good people on the council. Dexter is a fine place to live," she said.

Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at :mailto:lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com