After COVID forced the cancellation of the annual Miss Salem pageant in 2021, the event is back this Saturday at Salem Civic Theater with the theme, Across the Decades.
The variety show will feature acts from classes at Salem Academy of Dance, a comedy bit by Ben Pursifull, and routines by classes of the Flippians 413 Gymnastics Studio.
Betty Henry Moss was the first crowned Miss Salem in 1953. Past winners were invited to the annual pageant, as it celebrates another year. A couple dozen winners will be in attendance Saturday, and recognized during the show.
David Massengale will be the master of ceremonies. Catherine Dent, president of the Cosmopolitan Club will serve as narrator for the pageant portion, as she has since 1995. Judges are from South Central Missouri.
Massengale will crown Miss Salem 2022.
Miss Salem contestants
(in order of appearance and sponsor)
• Neely Leathers, That Special Touch Florist
• Denise Stoner, The Bank of Salem
• Kayla Howard, Gray Construction
• Trinity Gorman, Travis Fulton Construction
• Skyler Klapperich, Flat Nasty Off-Road Park
• Riley Darby, Curt’s Mobil Homes
• Tessa Gorman, Vandivort Drug
• Lizbeth Blanco, Bigos Mexican Restaurant
• Sierra Rusco, Moser Pharmacy
• Kaitlynn Stephan, Carrell’s Garden
The flower girl and crown bearer will be Emily and Ben Taylor, children of Steven and Robyn Taylor.
Coordination of sound is under the direction of Nathan Phelps; stage and lights, Tim Murr and JAG of Northwood R-IV. Assisting contestants as escorts are Garrett Brooks, Collin Heavin, and Eddie Lavant.
Past Miss Salem winners include:
1953 – Betty Henry Moss – Columbia
1954 – Sally Bixler Dodds – Deceased, 2020
1955 – Jeanette Maxwell Sims – Deceased, 1990
1956 – Halene Myers Dillard – Bridgeton
1957 – Jonita McCall Boyd – Snowmass Village, Colorado
1958 – Patty Allison Sterling – Warrensburg
1959 – Melba Lee Counts Pflueger – Bradenton, Florida
1960 – Mary Ann McCarter McDonald – Garland, Texas
1961 – Carol Sue Hume Maddox – Deceased, 2010
1962 – Carole Blackwell Raulston – Deceased, 2010
1963 – Linda Bottorff Wood – Columbia
1964 – Wanda Lee Wisdom Parks – Salem
1965 – Kathy Pace Major – O’Fallon
1966 – Pam Dodds Castle – Winchester, Tennessee
1967 – Rita Carroll Deckard – Springfield
1968 – Barbara Taylor McGrail – Salem
1969 – Sharon Wisdom Pace – Salem
1970 – Nancy Grauf Lough – Columbia
1971 – Carolyn Uhley – St. Louis
1972 – Kathy Lough Grauf – Salem
1973 – Kathy Allen Dunlap – Benton, Arkansas
1974 – Lynne Emory Engle – Jefferson City
1975 – Kathy Allen Dunlap – Benton, Arkansas
1976 – Debbie Dunlap Dobbs – Greeneville, Tennessee
1977 – Tammy Partain Olson – Fulton
1978 – Jan Stephenson Gott – Salem
1979 – Debbie Crandell Breit – Powell’s Point, North Carolina
1980 – Joni McDonald Morton – Salem
1981 – Jill Clark Ball – Salem
1982 – Beth Duckworth – Hermann
1983 – Stephanie McDaniels Floyd – Salem
1984 – Sheri Robinson Stack – Salem
1985 – Christine Wilber Adcock – West Plains
1986 – Gail Hagan Vaughn – Mt. Vernon
1987 – Debbie Bergner Fore – Salem
1988 – Jamelle Gray Leyden – Centennial, Colorado
1989 – Mary Stephens Fraley – Beaufort, South Carolina
1990 – Dana Boxx Green – Rolla
1991 – Tanya Rowden Soucy – Colorado Springs, Colorado
1992 – Vanessa Enke Paine – Salem
1993 – Erica Cross Kelso – Fayetteville, Arkansas
1994 – Judy Conaway Dillon – Miami, Oklahoma
1995 – Ellen Sapaugh Barnett – San Antonio, Texas
1996 – Corinne O’Dell Schneider – Frisco, Texas
1997 – Nicole Metzler Anconatani – St. Peters
1998 – Shannon Jones Fonseca – Overland Park, Kansas
1999 – Amber Zayac Hammack – Concord, Massachusetts
2000 – Dottie Burgdorf Steelman – Salem
2001 – Tasha Adamick Ellis – Springfield
2002 – Jenny Mitchell Laney – Springfield
2003 – Bonnie Welch Heithold – Columbia
2004 – Jessica Nash Sullivan – Salem
2005 – Brooke Beeson – Maryland Heights
2006 – Emma Heithold – Licking
2007 – Mina Ibrahim Habibi – Tulsa, Oklahoma
2008 – Allison Hall – Pittsburg, Pennsylvania
2009 – Rebecca Potts Head – Salem
2010 – Rachel Arts Moncrief – Salem
2011 – Kayla Gott Brandt – Annville, Pennsylvania
2012 – Lindsey Purcell Vass – Excello
2013 – Carly Green – Rolla
2014 – Gracie Fiaoni Redford – Columbia
2015 – Natalie Leathers Castro – Lubbock, Texas
2016 – Lyndsey Parker – Salem
2017 – Baylee Bilyeu – Bloomington, Illinois
2018 – Katelyn Schwartz Schafer – Salem
2019 – Lauren Grogan - Salem
2020 – MacKenzie Thompson – Salem
2021 – No Miss Salem held
