We have a '60s Kenmore range at our vacation place. It's a wonderful old range and works great. Ours has two pilots on top for the burners and center griddle, and one pilot below the oven in a pull out broiler drawer.
Does her range have two ovens? If so, I'd assume there would be a pilot for each one, and doubt it would be designed to light the burners direct.

There were definitely ranges back in the 50's that did not have a pilot light for the oven and required you to light them directly.

If you're afraid to use a match, you could get a lighter gun that generates a spark. They make them for lighting gas grills.

I have no idea how you'd find a manual for the range - they weren't online in those days :-) You might try calling Sears customer service but I'd be really surprised if they have such a manual.

I agree with weissman. We used to have a 50's gas range with manual lighting and the hole with 'light here'. I also found a link to what may be 'your' stove. If so, it appears to have a separate broiler and therefore two compartments, two doors, and two 'light here' locations. We used our manual light, single, oven/broiler for many years. Usually it would ignite the burner with a match placed beside the hole but sometimes it seemed easier to open the lower broiler door and raise a match to the exposed burner. Either approach, without a little experience, is a good way to singe a little arm hair.

Here is a link that might be useful: possible stove?

This post was edited by chas045 on Tue, Jun 17, 14 at 21:03

I think we might have the same stove in the house we just bought. Do you have any other tips? Does her stove have a burner on each side with a little plate that says warm-r-burner? Do those act as pilot lights? Thanks for any advice you can pass along!

Here is the link for a 1950 Kenmore stove. There is a pilot light (under warm-r burner) on the top for the burners and the oven (at least my oven) needs to be manually lit. https://christmas.musetechnical.com/ShowCatalogPage/1950-Sears-Spring-Summer-Catalog/0641