Miss Michigan in 1980s featured karate, Miss America, dummy named Joey
NOTE: This is the fourth in a series of stories looking back at the quotes and notes of Miss Michigan title-holders through the years.
MUSKEGON, MI – Here is a look at the quotes and notes from Miss Michigan title-holders of the 1980s:
Miss Michigan 1980 Heidi Hepler
The 24-year-old from Livonia performed an aria from the operetta "Naughty Marietta."
"I feel totally honored and have to thank God," she said. "Also these 35 girls have been so dear. I love them all."
Miss Michigan 1981 Gwen Brown
The 22-year-old from Ishpeming was a self-described writer over a performer. She was working on a book about beauty pageants at the time of her crowning.
Her talent was a dramatic performance of an original writing. She said it was her grandmother, who died when she was 14, who inspired her to write the work she performed.
It focused on the passage of time and how its meaning changed as she grew older.
"Every day the days go by faster and faster, it scares me," she said. "Time takes things away. It is cruel and it keeps on taking."
Miss Michigan 1982 Kathy Lou Pennington
The 25-year-old from Jackson had traveled "every nook and cranny" of South Africa and was visiting Rhodesian prime minister Ian Smith's house as part of a Youth for Christ Group when an assassination attempt occurred in 1978.
Here is a look at some of the quotes and notes from Miss Michigan title-holders of the 1970s.
"There were guards all over and about half way through our visit, one of them came in and drew the drapes and said a man with a machine gun had jumped the fence and had gotten past two guards," she said. "They wouldn't let us leave until they found him."
Miss Michigan 1983 Denise Gehman
The 20-year-old from Waterford was a self-described "Goody."
"In fact, my nickname was 'Arrow,' as in 'straight as...' I always felt guilty for it," she said in a People article published in 1983. "But now I feel, golly, this is great. People can finally see that it pays to be good."
She performed a vocal medley of "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" & "Show Me" from My Fair Lady.
The hectic Miss Michigan schedule contributed to a break-up with a college boyfriend, according to a Muskegon Chronicle report.
Miss Michigan 1984 Barbara Jean Crandall
One of four children raised on an 80-acre farm in Lawrence.
Only time Miss Michigan has won with ventriloquism, a skill her father taught her when she was 11.
Here are some interesting quotes and notes about the Miss Michigan title-holders of the 1960s:
She used a 5-year-old cowboy dummy named Joey in her performance; a "nice little boy" although he tends to be mischievous, according to Crandall.
"I had the hard part," Joey said in a Muskegon Chronicle article published in 1984. "But anything I say, she had a hand in it."
Miss Michigan 1985 Alecia Rae Masalkoski
The second woman from Muskegon to win the state title, the 23-year-old's karate routine involved walking barefoot on shards of broken glass. A black belt in karate who was employed as a karate teacher at the time of her crowning. Her father, mother, brother also hold black belts.
"I'll be stomping on broken glass – broken Pepsi and Coke bottles -- and to do that, you have to remain completely calm," she said. "If you're the least bit nervous, your feet perspire and pick up broken glass. I'm hoping this will show the mental part of karate, the discipline required."
Miss Michigan 1986 Kelly Lynn Garver
The 23-year-old from Farmington Hills was named third runner-up at Miss America. She toured with the 1987 Gillette Miss America Show Troupe.
"As soon as I was called third runner-up, there was that let down," she said in an AP article published in 1986. "But it was also a huge relief. It freed me up to do things I want to do."
She won the preliminary competition at Miss Michigan for her bluegrass fiddling medley that included "Battle Hymn of the Republic," "Dixie" and "Yankee Doodle."
She was in a California hospital recovering from Spinal Meningitis a month after competing in Miss America.
Miss Michigan 1987 Kaye Lani Rae Rafko
The 23-year-old registered nurse from Monroe was crowned Miss America 1988. She performed a Hawaiian-Tahitian dance. She said her Hawaiian name means "Heavenly slopes" and that she was named after a Hawaiian friend of her mother.
The pageants of the 1950s were much smaller than the modern competitions, but its winners no less radiant or deserving.
She considered giving up pageants after finishing runner-up in Miss Michigan in 1986 but a fortune inside a cookie at a Chinese restaurant swayed her. It said, "Next year is your year," she said.
Miss Michigan 1988 Krista Ann Blomgren
The 22-year-old from Livonia won after finishing third runner-up in 1987 and in the top 10 in 1986. She performed an oboe solo to a Mozart piece.
"I think my winning this title will show that the pageant does put an emphasis on education and I hope it will draw attention to the need for fine arts in schools in Michigan. So often it's the first thing to go when the budget has to be cut."
Miss Michigan 1989 Margaret Jan McIntyre
Her father had been instrumental in developing her love for music ever since she was a little girl. Her father helped her in her musical selection.
"I can still remember when I used to fall asleep at night listening to my father play the piano," she said.
She had studied classical music since she was 3 and performed a classical dance, a Spanish ballet performed to melodies from the musicals "Carmen" and "Evita."
Molly is a nickname she inherited from her maternal grandmother.
http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2016/06/miss_michigan_in_1980s_feature.html
Miss Michigan in 1970s featured 'old-fashioned girl,' junior high teacher
NOTE: This is the third in a series of stories looking back at the quotes and notes of Miss Michigan title-holders through the years.
MUSKEGON, MI – The United States was changing at the height of the counterculture movement of the 1970s and so was the Miss Michigan Scholarship Pageant.
Here is a look at some of the quotes and notes from Miss Michigan title-holders of the 1970s.
Miss Michigan 1970 Ginger Meyers
The 21-year-old graduated from Lincoln Park High School with nearly eight times the required number of activity credits.
She was a former exchange student to England where she learned the dialect she used in her award-winning talent exhibition of "A Wicked Man," one of the songs in the British musical "Earnest in Love."
"This is the happiest moment of my life," she said in an article published in 1970. "I know it sounds trite, but it's true.
Miss Michigan 1971 Linda Susan Kish
19-year-old Allen Park native, she was announced as winner of the Friday night swimsuit competition by auditors who mistakenly handed the emcee the wrong name. Instead, the award was given to Laurie Eileen Vandeusen of Battle Creek.
A self-described "old-fashioned" girl when it comes to the "new morals" of the 1970, especially when it came to men.
Here are some interesting quotes and notes about the Miss Michigan title-holders of the 1960s:
"Friends I haven't seen for a long time are coming over," she said. "Males don't like fast girls. That's the way I was brought up and I don't think I'll ever change."
She took a strong stance against drugs, too.
"I care too much about myself, my body and my parents," she said. "If someone else wants to do that it's OK, but that's not what I want to do."
Miss Michigan 1972 Terri Ann Cousino
The 19-year-old from Erie had become close friends with Miss Michigan 1970 Ginger Meyers and were told by many they looked like sisters, according to Muskegon Chronicle reports.
Her mother, Rosemary Cousino, was emotional about her daughter's win.
"This is every mother's dream," she said. "Terri and I have dreamed of this ever since she was old enough to watch the Miss America Pageant."
Miss Michigan 1973 Sherry Lee Agnello
The 19-year-old from St. Clair Shores captured her title by singing "I'd Rather Be Blue" from the musical "Funny Girl."
Miss Michigan 1974 Susan Lillian Short
A native of Wauseon, Ohio, she was a 23-year-old graduate student at Western Michigan University when crowned.
"It's just like being in a dream," she said in a Muskegon Chronicle article published in 1974. "It's just like last night and I'm dreaming.
Miss Michigan 1975 Julie Ann Beckers
The 18-year-old from Allegan was one of the few contestants sporting short hair at the competition. Upon her victory, one of the first things she asked for was to see her long-haired Chihuahua. Performed a dance to the theme from Stanley Kubrick's film "2001: Space Odyssey."
Miss Michigan 1976 Diane Kaye Hansen
A 23-year-old junior high school teacher from Berrien Center. She graduated from Taylor University and planned to earn a master's degree in education following her win.
Miss Michigan 1977 Holly Schmidt
An 18-year-old from Farmington Hills.
"I'm amazed I won," she said in a Muskegon Chronicle article published in 1977. "And I want to see my mom."
According to a report, her crown kept slipping off her head and her hands were too full of roses and a trophy to fix it so she relied on her personal escort, Michigan State Trooper Lou Quinn.
Miss Michigan 1978 Suzanne Schemm
The 21-year-old from Essexville was first runner-up in 1976. Miss Michigan Pageant Director Jack C. Bushong described her as "Miss America quality" since the first year she competed in Miss Michigan in 1975.
Her maternal grandmother, Fanny Lawrence, 93, of Flint, was in the crowd for her crowning moment.
The pageants of the 1950s were much smaller than the modern competitions, but its winners no less radiant or deserving.
"It was a wonderful evening for us," she said in an article published in 1978. "It was a big surprise. Well, not too big of a surprise. We think she's very talented."
Schemm was selected as a member of the Miss America USO Troupe, which allowed her to travel to entertain troops serving oversees in Iceland, Germany, Finland and England.
Miss Michigan 1979 Bethany Wright
The 19-year-old from Saginaw reflected on what it's like to be Miss Michigan:
"I find myself separating my life into sections for my family, friends, work and my own self," she said in an Argus-Press article published in 1979. "You're always on the go, so you have to make time for things and learn to get by sometimes on only two or four hours of sleep."
http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2016/06/miss_michigan_in_1970s_feature.html
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