Dual queens, Barbara Bell and Marilyn Mullins, were crowned during the
second annual Hopkins County Dairy Festival Pageant, in 1960.

 

It Was "Double the Pleasure"
For the Second Year of Dairy Festival

 

by: Bobby McDonald

 

 

"A crowning moment"......This photo has surfaced of Sunell Rogers crowning
Marilyn Mullins, and best we can determine, it was taken after the pageant was
over, as the seats that the queen contestants were sitting on were all vacant in
the photo. Does anyone have one of her crowning Barbara Bell?

 

Hopkins County was boasting an over $7,000,000.00 annual dairy income and over 600 grade-A dairy farms, as the folks in Sulphur Springs gathered for the second annual Hopkins County Dairy Festival Pageant in 1960. 1959 Queen Sunell Rogers arrived as "Her Gracious Majesty" and fifteen young women competed in the contest. They included Martha Gee, sponsored by the Dial Study Club; Bob Ann King, sponsored by the B&PW Club; Linda Melton, sponsored by the Gafford Chapel Progress Club; Carolyn Edwards, sponsored by the Treble Clef Club; Sarah Lee Lilly, sponsored by the Standard Club; Betty Stubbs, sponsored by the Sulphur Springs FFA; Gayle Harrelson, sponsored by the Pickton FFA; Cherrisue Nance, sponsored by the Mother's Culture Club; Linda Kellum, sponsored by the Dike Rural Progress Club; Jo Scott Ward, sponsored by the Waverly Club; Lucy Kennemur, sponsored by the Morning Arts Garden Club; Sharon St. Clair, sponsored by the Lions Club; Marilyn Mullins, sponsored by the Dial Study Club; Suzanne Gray, sponsored by the Junior Waverly Club; and Barbara Bell, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club.

Flower girls for that 2nd Annual Pageant included Ruth Ann Prim, Rose Jane Jennings, Sherri Sanderson, and Dewalea Morris, and eight duchesses from neighboring communities came to pay tribute to the dairy industry in Hopkins County.

"Rapsody in Blue" was the theme for the second pageant and by the time the points were tallied, two young ladies were chosen to represent the Hopkins County Dairy Industry, for the next year. Barbara Bell and Marilyn Mullins were both crowned queen, by Rogers. It would be seventeen more years before co-queens would again be crowned.

 

  

Today, Barbara Bell Seymore, left, is a resident of Lake Fork and Marilyn Mullins Bettes lives in Plantersville, Texas. Both credit their
experiences as Hopkins County Dairy Festival Queens with providing them with life skills they use often.

 

"Thank goodness the only talent I had to show was that I was a salesperson," expressed Marilyn Mullins Bettes. "I'm thankful we didn't have a talent portion in the Dairy Festival, back when I was competing!

"I can truly say that holding the position of Dairy Festival Queen was an honor and taught you to represent yourself and the community, wherever you went," related Bettes. "The salesmanship skills that I learned, whether meeting strangers or enlisting the aid of friends, has served me well in life, as it developed communication skills that I continue to use today."

"Being crowned Queen of the 1960 Dairy Festival Pageant gave me self-confidence and an awareness of my conduct," reminisced Seymore. "I was a representative of my hometown as I visited other cities at pageants, fairs, and events. It was an experience that helped put me at ease meeting new people and improved my life skills!"

"It also made me aware of what a great place Hopkins County was and made me proud to be from Sulphur Springs," continued Seymore. "My husband and I were both reared here and we always planed to move back to this area, when we retired. Our dream came true, when we returned in 2002. We are active members of First United Methodist Church in Sulphur Springs and enjoy a Sunday school class with many of our high school friends."

Marilyn Mullins Bettes now lives in Plantersville, Texas, north of Houston, where she and her husband of 45 years, Dane, are actively involved in the community and run a stocker cow-calf operation. Marilyn was an educator for 39 years in the Ft. Worth ISD, where she served as classroom teacher, instructional coordinator, and academic coordinator. She is the proud parent of one daughter, Michelle Allen, and has three grandsons, Drew, 14, and twins, Clay and Kyle, 10.

The Bettes were active for many years in showing registered Morgan horses and Marilyn admits that Dane and Michelle did the riding, while she was the "behind the scenes mom," and wardrobe coordinator. They are active members of the Navasota United Methodist Church.

Marilyn was the daughter of the late Margaret Burt Waits Mullins and the granddaughter of Burt and Lois Waits, a historic dairy producing family, in Hopkins County.

And, not only did they share the crown, but Barbara Bell Seymore, is also the proud grandmother of three grandsons, like her Co-Queen, Marilyn Mullins Bettes. "We have two children, Craig Seymore and Alicia Seymore Day, and three wonderful grandsons," expressed Barbara, from her lovely home, overlooking scenic Lake Fork. "And they are all going to be here visiting next week, so I'll be doing loads of cooking. They have quite monstrous appetites!"

Barbara married her high school sweetheart, Lesley Seymore, three weeks after they graduated from Texas Tech University. She has taught business courses on the college level and is licensed by the IRS as an Enrolled Agent. She was a tax professional for over 19 years. Lesley's career as a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot gave them the opportunity to live in many places across the U.S.

"The Dairy Festival Pageant in 1960 included practicing in the hot gym, behind the high school on Connally Street," remembers Barbara. "And, then we had to learn how to walk, sit, and bow (curtsy) flat on the floor with our long, full skirts, hiding our legs.... and continuously smiling!"

Barbara was the daughter of the late John S. and Muriel Bell and the granddaughter of Mr. & Mrs. Frank Bell. Her brother, Talley Bell has served on the Hopkins County Dairy Festival Board, and did for many years, and Barbara has been back for several Dairy Festival Pageants, when her nieces, Jennifer, Jimmi, and Francy Bell were all candidates.

"I'm like Marilyn, I'm glad we didn't have to build floats during our era of the Dairy Festival," relates Barbara. "I know how much hard work Talley and his family endured building the beautiful floats that their daughters rode in the parade on, when they competed!"

Both Marilyn and Barbara are excited about the 50th Anniversary of the Hopkins County Dairy Festival and are making plans to attend the celebrations involved in June 2009.

 

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