In the back, from left to right, are Rosemary Gillespie; Taylor Rae Goodman; Chelsea Folmar; Fran McAninch; and Alyssa Reams. Contestant Alayna Bertothy is missing from photo. (Photo by Jessica Shirey)
CLEARFIELD – The 12, young women who will compete in the 25th annual Clearfield County Fair Queen competition were introduced during last night’s banquet at the Expo II Building at the Clearfield County Fairgrounds.
This year’s contestants are Katelyn Matthews; Danielle Farmery; Kaylee Mulhollan; Emily Grimes; Lyndsey Good; Alyssa Reams; Rosemary Gillespie; Taylor Rae Goodman; Cierra Joelle Kephart; Chelsea Folmar; Alayna Bertothy; and Fran McAninch.
The fair queen competition will be held at 3 p.m. July 28 at the grandstand stage. It consists of a written essay about what the fair means to the community (15 points); a personal interview (35 points); a speech presentation about why people should visit the fair (30 points) and an evening gown competition.
Contestants have already completed their written essays. Their personal interviews will take place with the judges on the morning of the competition and are worth the most points. All other portions of the fair queen competition will take place on the grandstand stage, said Rachel Carr Davidson of the Fair Queen Committee.
After the evening gown competition, the judges will tally the contestants’ points and determine their Top 5. All five contestants will answer the same impromptu question to help the judges narrow it down to one fair queen and the first and second runners-up, said Davidson.
Greg Hallstrom, fair board manager, reminded the fair queen contestants they were being guided by the top Fair Queen Committee in Pennsylvania. He also expressed that they will be representing the No. 4 fair in the state.
Both U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson and State Rep. Matt Gabler were in attendance. Thompson said each year he looks forward to attending the banquet, as it showcases “fine, young ladies” that become the “ambassadors” for Pennsylvania’s top industry, agriculture.
“This is our royalty right here,” said Thompson.
This year’s contestants also heard the story of one former fair queen, Shannon Curry Henry, from 1994. Henry was joined by her daughter, Kyra, 9, who was the Clearfield County Dairy Maid in 2012.
Henry shared about a young boy’s passion for agriculture and particularly the dairy industry. The boy was 10 years old when he started milking cows with his neighbor. He fell in love with cows and decided then he wanted to be a dairy farmer when he grew up.
Over the years, the boy farmed with his neighbor, which only reinforced his passion for agriculture. At age 18, he went off to serve his country but never lost sight of his passion. He returned home from his service, married and started to build his farm, said Henry.
As her story goes, the boy who has grown into a man worked at the brickyard in Curwensville and farmed part-time. His job had constantly changing hours and shifts, which had the same effect on his milking times.
“He called his first cows his golden oldies, because they adjusted very well,” said Henry. The man started milking 13 cows with hopes of one day building a barn large enough for him to become a full-time farmer.
According to her, it took several years before the man’s barn was built in the fall of 1979. She said while building his farm, the man was blessed with seven daughters, and she was one of them.
“The boy I’m speaking of is my father,” said Henry. “He’s been a dairy farmer for the past 40 years, and till this day, he has that same passion for agriculture.
“His devotion to the industry has influenced my life tremendously; my experiences as a farmer’s daughter have been some of the most rewarding.”
For example, Henry, along with her sisters, learned farm chores since her father never had a son. She started milking cows at 8 years old and still does, as she’s now a farmer’s wife. With farm chores, she learned such things as responsibility, time management, team work, work ethic, etc.
In 1985, she became the Clearfield County Dairy Maid at 9 years old, which was her “first taste” at promoting the dairy industry. She joined the 4-H Club that same year and met another “farmer boy” who would eventually become her husband.
Then, in 1992, she was overjoyed by the opportunity of being the county’s Dairy Princess. Her experience molded her appreciation and respect for her father’s farm work. Growing up, she said, they never took a family vacation in the summertime.
“Our summers consisted of a tractor, a hay baler, wagons and a whole lot of hay,” said Henry. Each summer she and her sisters aimed to have all the hay baled by fair week, which was sort of like their summer vacation. Henry’s time spent at the fairgrounds ripened her interest in the fair queen competition.
In 1993, she was the first runner-up; one year later, she was crowed the sixth Clearfield County Fair Queen. In her speech, she spoke of the major components to her fair: the brain, or the fair board; the heartbeat, or the people; and the backbone, or agriculture.
Henry’s reign ended with her crowning her sister as her successor in 1995. In 2001, Henry married the “farmer boy” from 4-H who gets the same satisfaction from farm work as her father, and their children get the same life lessons as they did.
To this year’s fair queen contestants, Henry expressed this, “Believe in yourself; trust your abilities; and don’t change who you are.” She told them being a fair queen contestant is a wonderful experience even if they’re not the one who gets crowned in the end.
“If you’re not chosen, remember the young boy on the farm. Don’t lose sight of your passion but believe in yourself and try again,” she said.