Editor’s note: With the 100th anniversary of the Grant County Fair, the Blue Mountain Eagle sent Abbie Elmore-Gron to visit with a few of the past fair queens. Here’s a sample of what she found.

Amy (Durr) May – 2002 Amy (Durr) May was a stand-alone queen – no princesses – in 2002.

May said that in her time as queen, she most enjoyed the traveling that she did throughout the state and meeting different people. She didn’t travel alone, though; she was chaperoned by Charlene Morris, and her mother Pam Durr also assisted her by attending every event.

Her favorite events were the Crooked River Round-Up and the Pendleton Round-up, for the simple reason they were both mainly horse-driven parades. May’s advice for today’s court, “Make sure you keep in smiling, and keep your chin up through the obstacles!”

Today May works as an office specialist for the Oregon Department of Forestry. She and her husband, Justin May, live in Mt. Vernon with their daughter, 2.

She said she feels “very blessed to live in Grant County where you know everyone.”

Carol (Akers) Waggoner – 1981 Carol (Akers) Waggoner was queen in 1981. As a young girl she remembers always looking up to the Fair Court. Her idol in 1973 was Queen Jeanette Ray, and from that point on she dreamed of becoming royalty.

Waggoner has many fond memories of her reign, but one that stands out was riding in the Emerald Empire Round-Up parade in Eugene. She said this was the most distant and most interesting parade she participated in.

Waggoner sees her former Princesses as sisters and enjoyed the exciting times, travel and laughter she shared (and still shares) with them. The admiration they received was the shocking part for her; it was not something she expected.

Waggoner didn’t have to go far to find her “king.” In 1983 she married Ron Waggoner from John Day. They have three grown sons. The eldest is Jake Waggoner, who is a horse trainer in Nampa, Idaho, and also is No. 1 in the nation iin limited open hackamore competition. Next is Tyler Waggoner, a high school vocational ag teacher and FFA advisor in Arizona. The youngest, Greg, is a lance corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is set for deployment to Iraq in October.

Grant County, Waggoner said, is “the best place to be raised, and the best place in the world to raise your children!”

Waggoner, who lives in Prairie City, commutes to John Day to work as the 4-H program assistant.

Her advice to the current court: “Treat people how you want to be treated, ride your horse a lot, remember that you are representing Grant County so do your best and take pride in what you are doing.”

She added, “Little eyes are always on you, and those little eyes are dreaming!”

Susan (Lemcke) Pielstick – 1968 The summer of 1968 was the summer of Grant County Fair Queen Susan (Lemcke) Pielstick. As a Jr. Rodeo princess in 1967, she had a preview of what to expect as a queen.

She fondly recalls traveling to various rodeos including Joseph, Prineville and Redmond, which were, “tons of fun.”

She went on to Oregon State University, where she met her husband of 39 years, Leon Pielstick. They have three daughters, all married: Dusty Swinney of Texas, Kelley Basey in Burns and Jamie Bartley in McMinnville. Today they keep her busy with three sets of grandchildren.

Now retired, for 33 years Pielstick was the office manager at her husband’s veterinary clinic in Burns, which they recently sold. Her husband continues to work as a relief veterinarian in both Burns and John Day when needed.

She has deep roots in Grant County, as both her grandparents and parents are from here. As a young girl Pielstick was active in 4-H, and she continued to support the program later as an adult leader.

She still loves the Grant County Fair.

“People come to the fair with a smile on their face, and let everything else stay at home,” said Pielstick.

Susan Carter – 1966 Susan Carter, the 1966 queen, was born and raised in Long Creek. After attending Eastern Oregon University, she became a USDA meat inspector. Working as the kill floor was not a favorite job for her, but she paid her dues in both Texas and New Mexico.

Carter recalled that she ran for fair court at the urging of Bill Trowbridge. She remembers travelling to Portland to find suitable attire for a queen and her court. They ended up with yellow outfits. She and her court weren’t too pleased with the look, but others were – the yellow costumes won several prize ribbons during her reign.

Carter rode Gizmo, her big sorrel horse, during her reign. She recalled that the horse was not too happy about parade duty.

“He would always flip his lip,” she recalled.

Carter has a daughter, Sayward Carter, who lives in Portland.

Pat (McGirr) Still – 1950 Junior Rodeo QueenInvolved with the fair court since the age of 15, Pat (McGirr) Still of Fox was Junior Rodeo Queen in 1950, and a Grant County Fair Court princess in 1951. She was raised on a ranch in Long Creek, where she became a skilled horse rider.

She went on to become the secretary for Eastern Oregon (later Western States) Junior Rodeo from 1965 to 1980. Still was a chaperone for the Grant County Fair Court with Mickey Brink and Lula Starwalt in the late 1950s and early 1960s. She also worked as secretary of the High School Rodeo with Anita Solsbury.

As a homemaker, she had two children. Michelle George lives in Pilot Rock with her husband Tim and their two sons. Daughter Leslie (Still) Rochon – a fair queen in 1984 – passed away in 2003, but her four children live in Portland.

Fair royalty runs in Still’s family, which boasts ten members who have been elected to the court – starting in 1937 with Elizabeth Billy Carter. A cousin, Rilla Livingston (queen in 1977) went on to become Pendleton Round-Up queen.

Still recommends the experience to today’s young women.

“It teaches them poise,” she said.

And she lauded the “countless volunteers” who keep the fair going.

“Every single person involved deserves credit and there are too many to name,” she said.

Here’s a look at the family tree:

1937 Billy Gibbs Carter, Princess

1940 Naomi Gibbs Bond, Princess

1950 Pat McGirr Still, Jr. Rodeo Queen

1951 Pat McGirr Still, Princess

1952 Betty McGirr Craven, Jr. Rodeo Queen

1953 Sharon Carter Livingston, Queen

1960 Charlotte Carter, Queen

1967 Rilla Carter Coleman, Queen

1977 Rilla Carter Livingston, Princess

1978 Rilla Carter Livingston, Queen

1984 Leslie Still, Queen