Jay and Kathy King Honored in Naming of “King’s Way”

The Village of West Liberty named the alley behind Marie’s Candies in their honor

Local business owners, community members, staff, and family and friends gathered outside of Marie’s Candies at 8:00AM Tuesday morning awaiting the arrival of Jay and Kathy King. Once they arrived, they were greeted with many familiar faces and escorted to the end of the alley unsure of what was in store for them. More friends and family members were waiting at the end of the alley, along with the Mayor of West Liberty, Jill McKelvey.

Jill delivered a speech to the crowd talking about all that Jay and Kathy mean to her and to the community. She reminisced on years past and talked about how Marie’s Candies helped put our small village on the map. At the end of her speech, she had Jay and Kathy remove the cover on the street sign that now reads “King’s Way” honoring their family name and all they have done for the community. Everyone gathered for pictures, and Marie’s Candies provided refreshments for everyone in attendance.

In 1977 Jay and Kathy King became second generation owners of Marie’s Candies. They moved and restored the train depot that became the business’s retail space in 1996 and introduced many new candy options as well. Today, Marie’s Candies is in its third generation of owners, brother and sister, Shannon King and Rebecca Craig became co-owners in 2016.