2014 LOGAN COUNTY FAIR LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com July 31, 2014 page 65
To display their communication
skills, candidates described
obstacles they have faced and
offered advice for overcoming
them such as “striving to do your
best,” “looking beyond similarities
to accept differences,” and using
“power, strength, and optimism” to
“fight back against cancer.”
The pop question asked the
candidates to discuss what they
would tell other young women
about being individuals in today’s
society. Many of the contestants
said they would encourage
others to “be themselves,” to “be
confident,” and to “not [worry]
what others think.”
As usual, the little miss
contestants, ranging in age from
five to eight, provided some
priceless moments with their sweet
little faces as they introduced
themselves and told what they
liked best at the fair with responses
such as “the rides,” “the derby,”
“tractor pulls,” “eating corndogs,”
and “showing sheep and pigs.”
The fifteen little miss candidates
were Chloe Bottom, Mia Boughan,
Jayden Cherry, Mia Clark, Lauryn
Crawford, Chloe Stone, Kiersten
Fulk, Natalie Geary, Kaeli Jones,
Aliannah Kodatt, Azul Kong,
Sydney Loeffler, Isabella Miller,
Josie Wakeman, and Karsyn
Wilham. With their engaging
smiles and waves to the crowd,
they all displayed charm that
delighted the crowd.
Special guests filling the time
between the various sections of
the competition included this
year’s royalty from several different
Illinois counties, two former little
misses; and ten former Logan
County fair queens. Two queens
were from the pageant’s early days:
1941 queen Irma (Kaesebier)
Leesman and 1945 queen Evelyn
(Oltmanns) Belcher, and each
fondly remember their days as
queen.
Before this year’s queen was
crowned, outgoing queen Crystal
Quint gave a teary-eyed speech
in which she called this past year
the “experience of a lifetime” and
thanked the many people who
helped her throughout the year,
most of all her parents.
Fair association president Dean
Bruns talked about how much he
enjoys the pageant and his love for
the kids, telling them to call him
grandpa. Riding in Bruns Gator,
he enjoys escorting the royalty
around the fairgrounds to pose for
pictures at various awards.
The long pause from performances
is built into the pageant to allow
judges to make their decisions.
Finally, the dramatic moment
of decision arrived, and Alyssa
Morris was crowned Miss Logan
County Fair 2014 and Chloe
Bottom was chosen as Little Miss
Logan County 2014.
Other awards for the queen contest
were presented to Chloe Cox, first
runner up; Michelle Paulus for
both crowd’s choice and second
runner-up; Sydni Rohlfs for Miss
Congeniality, and Chloe Cox for
selling the most raffle tickets.
Other awards for the Little Miss
contest were presented to Karsyn
Wilham, Miss Photogenic;
crowd’s choice, Jayden Cherry;
fourth runner-up, Kiersten Fulk,
third runner-up Isabella Miller;
second runner-up, Azul Kong;
first runner-up, Chloe Stone; and
most raffle tickets sold, Aliannah
Kodatt.
Queen Alyssa Morris is the
daughter of Mark and Donna
Morris. She is a graduate of
Lincoln Community High School,
was in an honors program and
will attend ISU with plans to get
a degree in Psychology in 2017
and intends to get a Masters in
occupational therapy from St.
Louis University. Her goal is to
work in schools with children
with special needs. She enjoys
exercising, sewing, vacationing
with family, and going to country
music contests with friends.
Little Miss Chloe Bottom is the
daughter of Russell and Linda
Bottom.
Queen Morris, joined by Little
Miss Bottom, will reign over the
Logan County Fair attending
several events and presentations
during the remainder of the fair.
They will represent Logan County
as various other events during the
year and Miss Morris will compete
in January for the title of Miss
Illinois County Fair.”
Their experiences are sure to stay
with them, for as 1993 queen
Patience Horton said, “The week
of the fair after winning was a
blast” as she attended events and
handed out ribbons, while 2000
Queen Elizabeth Stoll Wrage says
it provides a lifetime connection to
the fair.
[Angela Reiners]
