Ma and Pa chosen for 2022 Teapot Days

Curt and Darla Otten are this years Ma and Pa Teapot. The couple are longtime residents and active community members

Ma and Pa Teapot will be crowned at 7 pm on Thursday at the Tea Area Historical Society Museum.

Curt and Darla Otten are this years Ma and Pa, which were chosen and voted on by the Tea Area Historical Society.

President of the historical society Joe Weis said the couple were chosen on a criteria that includes their connections to Tea, as well as their contributions to the community.

Though you might not find a singular large contribution from the present Ma and Pa Teapots, you won’t find many from the past Ma and Pas, either.

“What they do doesn’t have to be big,” Weis said. “A hundred little things can really help a community.”

The Otten couple have been married for just under 50 years, and have spent most of that time in the Tea community as members of various committees. They were back at the beginning, running the Tea Kerr McGee gas station when the population hovered around 500 people.

Through the last half of the century, Darla and Curt have both been active in either the Tea Volunteer Fire Department, Tea City Council, council members of the Tea Trinity Lutheran Church, and active in Tea area school activities and committees.

As for their connections and relatives in Tea, all four of Curt and Darla’s children went through either the Tea or Lennox school district, and now reside in Tea. Their eldest grandson also purchased his first home in Tea.

As for their extended family, Weis didn’t mince words.

“You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting an Otten,” he said.

In relation to Teapot days, Weis said, Ma and Pa Teapot hold an integral part. They’re not just in the parade, but they’re the core of the underlying message and what the entire celebration represents.

“Teapot days is fantastic, it’s great that the entire city can celebrate,” Weis said. “You look back and see all the names of the people who have helped the city grow, and that’s what we need to do today — we have to make our contributions.”

The events will kick off next week on Wednesday with a free CommuniTEA Picnic from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Trinity Lutheran Church, 335 W. 1st St. The Blood Mobile will also be on hand from 4 to 7 p.m. for those who would like to donate.