"All the Birdies Love Hopkins County Milk"
1966 Found Dairy Festival
Celebrating Musicals
by: Bobby McDonald
1966 Hopkins County Dairy Festival Queen, Judy Gillis, rode this beautiful float, as she
reigned over the 1967 Dairy Festival events.
The war in Vietnam was on everyone's mind, with husbands, brothers, uncles, and cousins all fighting the Viet Cong in the jungles of Southeast Asia, as the community paused to celebrate the Hopkins County Dairy Industry, in 1966.. The Texas Draft Quota for May 1966 had been raised almost 700 young men, from the previous month, to include 1642 men, as part of an additional 34,000 troops that President Johnson had called to war. Hopkins County was doing her part and most every young man in the area was either volunteering or joining the National Guard, a few had farming deferments and others were being inducted as soon as they graduated high school or college.
And, the 1966 Ford Mustang was the car of choice among young people, as Ashcroft-Wilson Ford had sold their business to the Price Brothers, Frankie, Bobby, and Pizzini, that was still located on Jefferson Street, at the time. Advertisements boasted that over 1 million Ford Mustangs had been sold in the nation and "we're working on the second million!"
It was this "Bye, Bye Birdie" float that Judy Gillis rode in the 1966 Dairy Festival Parade,
built by the Rotary Club, that won First Place in the contest.
A bond election for Sulphur Springs ISD had just been passed, as the Dairy Festival Board began planning their annual salute to the Hopkins County Dairy Industry. The election approved the sale of bonds to construct a new elementary school, south of Interstate-30 (what would later be known as Bowie Elementary), and to build a new Lamar Elementary School. Voters had approved the issue by a slightly better than 2 to 1 margin.
And, not only was the Sulphur Springs ISD dealing with "growing pains" from a building project, but they were faced with intergration of their schools according to two federal mandates, according to Superintendent Tom Linam. Linam's main concern had been that the federal mandates forced the local system to mail materials to every parent in the district but offered no funds to complete the extra paperwork burden. And, they were offering "free choice" enrollment for the school year, once again in a mirror image of the current school term.
The Queen and her Court.....Queen Judy Gillis posed with her Royal Court, following
being named 1966 Dairy Festival Queen.
Sulphur Springs ISD Principals and administrators, who had signed contracts for the upcoming school year included: Truman Drake at SSHS; Dudley Allen at SS Junior High; Johnny Dobson at Austin Elementary; G.W. Duckworth at Houston Elementary; Vaden Richey at Lamar Elementary; Calvin Denton at Travis Elementary; W.B. Jones at Douglas High School; John E. Crook at Douglas Elementary; and Billy Connor as Assistant Principal at SSHS.
Ellen's Dress Shop was boasting their new selection of spring fashions with dresses priced at $3.00, $4.00, and $5.00, Women's Capri Pants for $2.99 - $4.99, and Pratts Federated was offering women's dresses for $2.88 each, or a large line of spring fabrics for only 47 cents a yard. Walt House's Shoe Town, located on the Downtown Square was conducting a half-price shoe sale.
Marynell Anderson, Sponsored by the Farm Bureau, rode this beautiful float depicting "Brigadoon."
Babcock's, located on the East side of the Downtown Square was featuring a 16" Arostat Portable T.V, with stand, for only $99.99 or a Briggs and Stratton Lawn Mower for only $44.00. Wester Furniture Company, located behind City National Bank was featuring a 19" Zenith Color Television, in cabinet, for only $129.95.
Carol Swindell, sponsored by the Junior Waverly Club, was featured on this "South Pacific Float."
Hagy's Appliances was still featuring "wringer" washing machines, but was conducting a "Onesy-Twosy" Sale on Washers and Dryers, for the home. Marshall's Department Store was featuring women's boots for only $5.00 a pair or "flats" for just $2.00 - $4.00.
Miss Linda Linam, sponsored by the Standard Club, and her escort, were featured on this
"Sound of Music" float with a dairy "twist."
Cigarettes were only $2.89 a carton for major brands, and Maryland Club Coffee was just 37 cents a pound, at Brookshires. Quicky Foods was featuring their Banquet Frozen Dinners for only 35 cents each and the new "drink of choice," Mountain Dew, a six-pack for only 19 cents, with returnable bottles. T-Bone and Top Sirloin steaks were 69 cents a pound and a 1/2 gallon of buttermilk was only 29 cents. Ice Cream was 69 cents a half-gallon and Cream Cheese could be purchased for only 25 cents for an 8 oz. package.
Marilyn Reynolds, sponsored by the Waverly Club, rode this beautiful float depicting "Carousel."
Note the Northeast Texas Livestock & Dairy Association Show Barn in the background where the
classic Northeast Texas Dairy Show was held each year, during Dairy Festival Week.
Dub Murphy, Wilbur Long, and Jimmy McKinney had joined in a partnership to form Murphy Building Supply and were operating their business from 201 Dabbs Street. And, the Martin Springs Community was the seventh Hopkins County Community to indicate that they were organizing to join the Rural Progress Club Awards Program. They had elected Clayton Ponder, President; W.F. Garrison, Vice-President; and Mrs. Don Smith, Secretary of their organization. Mr. & Mrs. Truitt Dicken, of the Brashear Community had been featured in a "Farmer-Stockman" Magazine article, touting their success with Coastal Bermudagrass in their dairy operation.
This Music in Dairyland float, entitled "Babes in Toyland" was ridden by Becky Booker, representing
the Mother's Culture Club.
Note the little girl in front of the float.....that's Becky's little sister, Bonni, and who
would have ever dreamed that she would have "grown up" to be a future Dairy
Festival Queen, back in 1966. She was only 4 years old.
The Economic Growth Committee of the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce was informing the public that "the amount of money leaving Hopkins County each year in out-of-town purchases would pay for the new hospital in only 4 months." "Every dollar you spend at home goes to make our community prosper," expressed the committee. And, an organizational meeting had been conducted by the Chamber to begin a Jaycees Program for young men, between the ages of 21 and 35. Gene Orwosky, immediate past president of the Chamber, indicated that there was interest in the community for such a service organization to develop leaders for the community.
The Theme for the 1966 Dairy Festival was "Music Magic in Dairyland." It featured eight young ladies vying for the title. They were: Becky Booker, riding a float entitled "Babes in Toyland;" Carol Swindell featured on a "South Pacific" float; Marilyn Reynolds riding the "Carousel" float; Judy Gillis on a float entitled "Bye Bye Birdie;" Marynell Anderson was featured on the float featuring "Brigadoon;" Linda Linam rode "The Sound of Music" float; Cynthia Cherry was featured on "The King and I" float; and Melinda Morgan rode the "Camelot" float in the '66 parade.
And, it was the magical world of "Camelot" that was featured on Melinda Morgan's float, as she
represented the B&PW Club in the 1966 parade. Note the National Guard Armory Building in the
background, that was a "fixture" of Buford Park.
The Hopkins County 4-H clubs had just completed their Share the Fun Festival, naming Rose Gregg and Kenny Crowson, of the Dike 4-H Club, as their annual King and Queen. Runner-ups were Rachel Anderson and Tommy Darling, of the Shooks Chapel Club. In the senior skit division, it was Miller Grove 4-H winning the competition with their rendition of "Milk 'Em In the Morning Blues. Featured in the skit were Martha Anderson, Sheila Bearden, Holly Woodard, Yvonna Stapleton, Darla Stapleton, Jeff Dicken, Ronald Dicken, Mike Woodard, and Dwight Alexander. "Slightly Exagerated" was the winning junior division skit, presented by the Shooting Stars 4-H Club. Cast members included: Candice Dial, Cassie Clayton, Martha Johnson, Evelyn Curry, Mary Searcy and Paulette White. Over 300 youth and parents had attended the festival, hosted in the Sulphur Springs Junior High School Auditorium.
Cynthia Cherry, the niece of the first Dairy Festival Queen, Sunell Rogers, rode this Dial Study Club
sponsored float, depicting "The King and I."
And, a recently released report on Hopkins County Agriculture showed the previous year's annual agricultural income at over $20,500,000. Of course, the dairy industry led the way, accounting for over $12,600,000. Second source of agricultural revenue was beef cattle at $6,143,500. Cotton, which had once been "king" in Hopkins County agriculture had fallen to only slighty over $400,000. Paul Herschler was the County Agent for Hopkins County and stated that the dairy business was "on the rise" in the area and that the national outlook for dairy farming seemed very favorable for local farmers.
Ticket Sales, talent, and beauty were the three categories that determined the winner of the crown. The talent portion of the contest was hosted on May 3, 1966. Carol Swindell was featured with a dance routine, and Becky Booker performed a Pantomime/Dance routine. Marilyn Reynolds sang for her talent presentation and Judy Gills presented "Put on a Happy Face," for her talent number. Melinda Morgan was found presenting a singing pantomime, while Marynell Anderson presented a piano presentation and skit. Cynthia Cherry presented a pantomime dance and Linda Linam was featured with a pantomime dance, also. Members of the Talent and Beauty Competition Committee on the Dairy Festival Board for the 1966 Pageant were Mrs. Verdon Graves, Mrs. Billy Hager, Mrs. Durwayne Irvin, Mrs. Paul Herschler, Paul Herschler, and Rawlings Lemon.
A smiling Judy Gillis Lanham fondly remembers her
year as 1966 Hopkins County Dairy Festival Queen and
looks forward to participating in the Golden Jubilee events.
And, it was on May 5, 1966, that the Coronation and Crowning of the new queen, by 1965 Queen, Her Royal Majesty, Janet Bailey, was featured. Thirteen Duchesses from neighboring communities were present for the affair, and included representatives from Cooper, Daingerfield, Gilmer, Mineola, Mt. Vernon, Emory, Paris, Naples, Quitman, Tyler, Winnsboro, Mt. Pleasant, and Commerce.
Escorts included: John Granack, Phil Kenley, Bob Kirkpatrick, John Rives, Sammy Fox, Vick Hines,
Harold Richey, and Mike Camp. Carl Brice served as the President of the Dairy Festival Board and introduced the Narrator, Former Queen Sunell Rogers. J.T. Adams was the featured soloist and the "Fireside Singers," entertained, as well. Mrs. Johnny Anglin was featured as the pageant organist.
When it came time for the new queen to be named, it was Miss Judy Gillis who was crowned queen and named as the ticket sales winner. Becky Booker was named first-runner-up in the contest and Linda Linam was sited as the winner of the Beauty portion of the contest. Miss Melinda Morgan was honored as the winner of the talent portion of the competition.
1966 found the Dairy Festival cancelling the Queen's Dance, that had traditionally been held in the Armory, following the Coronation Ceremonies. But, Judy Gillis Lanham remembers her first duties as being up "bright and early" the next morning to distribute milk on Interstate-30, to passing motorists.
"My life was truly irreversibly changed, when I was named Dairy Festival Queen in 1966," remembers Judy. "The experience enhanced my life by teaching me social graces, as a teenager. I learned to enjoy meeting new people and that everyone has something interesting to share in their life!"
"After reigning as 1966 Dairy Festival Queen, I tried to make my life mottos be: 'Let Your Light Shine,' and 'All things are possible through God," expresses Judy Gillis Lanham. "And, those lessons learned in Dairy Festival have served me well in life!"
Judy attended East Texas State University, The University of Hawaii, Hendrix College, and graduated from the University of Tennessee, in 1971. Today, Judy works part-time in the health care industry, following a move back to her hometown of Sulphur Springs, in 1997. She is a registered Health Information Administrator and functions as an independent consultant, working in nursing facilities, home health and assisted living facilities. Her two daughters, Ashley Ann Roberts and Alison Leigh Bagley, both live in San Antonio. And, Ashley has blessed Judy with two precious grandchildren, Katelyn and Lucy Roberts, that are the "pride" of Judy's life. Judy is married to Dr. Larry Lanham, originally from San Antonio, and he practices dentistry at East Texas Children's Dentistry, in Mt. Plesant, with Sulphur Springs native, Kenny Thompson.
"I enjoy traveling, cherish my family and friends, and enjoy entertaining, snorkeling, the new hobby of fly fishing, and spending my leisure time at Lake Quitman," acknowledges Judy.
"Some of my fondest and unique memories of the Dairy Festival include representing Hopkins County and the Dairy Industry at area pageants, and I was fortunate enough to be able to meet Sissy Spacek, as she served in the Quitman Dogwood Fiesta," remembers Judy. "I also received a beautiful Swiss music box from Leo St. Clair, when he helped build my queen's float. That began a lifelong music box collection, that continues even unto today!"
"I was blessed with a great circle of special friends, who helped me serve milk and aided in my 'queenly duties,'" denotes Judy. "They included: Cathy Spencer, Jan Craver, Janie Funderburk, Kay Froneberger, Gilda Gideon, James Arnold, Sammy Fox, Tim Gee, Mike Camp and Gary Thompson, and of course, my sister, Janet Gillis helped me too!"
Judy Gillis not only represented the Hopkins County Dairy Festival but was representing her multi-generational Hopkins County heritage, as she served as Dairy Festival Queen. "Although my family was not in the dairy business, they were actively involved in the beef cattle industry, on a ranch founded in 1873, by my great-great grandfather, H.A. Gillis, in the Cumby area of Hopkins County," expresses Judy. "My parents, Jack and Ruth Gillis were behind me 100% and aided me throughout the contest and my reign as queen, by building floats, saddling-up my horse 'Smut' for the Autumn Trails ride, and anything else that had to be done!"
Judy Gillis Lanham and her family are still involved in Hopkins County agriculture, as they own
and operate a ranch in Hopkins County, where they raise Santa Gertrudis cattle.
Judy's grandparents Mr. & Mrs. A. K. Gillis and Mr. & Mrs. Ashley Plunkett were all residents of Hopkins County and Judy fondly remembers her Granddaddy Plunkett teaching her how to milk a cow and her grandmother showing her how to pasteurize milk in a double boiler and how to churn butter from cream! "There are just certain lessons that a lady from Hopkins County must learn," quips Judy!
"I'm excited about representing my era of the Hopkins County Dairy Festival in the 2009 Golden Jubilee Celebration," states Judy. "I look forward to enjoying visiting with all of the former queens, board members, and all the great people who have continued to be an inspiration to our community for the past 50 years!"
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