And the winner is
By TERRY BEBERMEYER
Staff writer
The Marion County Fair holds a long tradition of queen coronations. This year will mark the fifth anniversary of the crowning of the Marion County Fair 4-H royalty. When the formality first began in 2000, the ceremony included the coronation of both a 4-H king and queen. Those coronated that first year were Kaleb Borg of Hillsboro and Maria Jirak of Tampa. Contestants were selected through the process of letters of application in the form of essays and interviews regarding themselves, their backgrounds, 4-H community, church and school activities, and other activities.
The candidates for the 2005 Marion County Fair 4-H Queen are Lora Andrews (South Cottonwood 4-H Club of Hillsboro), Nellie Hill (Lincolnville Wide Awake 4-H Club), Kristine Jirak (Tampa Triple T's 4-H Club), Sarah Peugh (Peabody Achievers 4-H Club), and Tacy Taylor (Marion Happy Hustlers 4-H Club).
Research of the history of the Marion County Fair indicates that a similar tradition was begun in 1954 with the addition of "Marion County Fair Queen." That first year, 17 young ladies representing 18 of the countywide 4-H clubs participated with Delores Steiner of Marion being crowned the first Marion County Fair queen.
In 1955, the Marion County Fair queen was opened to any girl 14 through 21 years of age who was sponsored by a Marion County club, service organization, or civic group. No longer was sponsorship limited to 4-H clubs. An additional change that year was the local competition became a preliminary contest to Miss Kansas Pageant and the Miss America Pageant.
Three of the fair queen contestants were picked each year to reign over the fair activities. One of the three finalists would reign on Wednesday, the second would reign on Thursday, and the third would take her turn reigning on Friday with the coronation ceremony culminating the fair Friday evening. Each of the three finalists were required to preside in formal attire over the activities throughout the fair and throughout the competition, awards were given in the areas of talent, swimsuit, formal wear, and congeniality.
The first Marion County Fair representative to the Miss Kansas Pageant was Jeanette Russell, sponsored by Marion Kiwanis Club. That same year several of the Hillsboro girls representing local sponsors in the pageant were Carol Friesen, Marilyn (Hiebert) Jost, and Bonnie (Harder) Friesen who was named a runner-up in the competition.
The tradition continued into the next decade when in 1968 Margo Schroeder, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dean Schroeder of Hillsboro, won the title of Miss Marion County Fair Queen. Margo Schroeder went on to represent Marion County in the state pageant, winning the title of Miss Kansas in 1969.
The tradition of fair queen carried on into the '70's with Beverly Hoch of Marion winning the title of Miss Marion County in 1971 and runner-up to Miss Kansas in 1972. Miss Hoch is the daughter of Nadine Hoch Klein and the late Whorton Hoch Beverly was the last Marion County Fair Queen found in records. From 1972 until 1999, the tradition and formality of Miss Marion County Fair Queen was deceased.
It was then in 2000 that the queenly idea became a reality again — this time, however, reverting back to the form of a 4-H Fair Queen as was the first year of the tradition in 1954.
