Beth Ashcroft 1971 Dairy Festival Queen
Dairy Festival "Back on Track"
In 1971
by: Bobby McDonald
The Hopkins County Dairy Festival Board reorganized and was "back on track" in 1971, following not having a pageant and coronation in 1970. "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night was the top song and Janet Skidmore, 1969 Dairy Festival Queen was ready to relinquish her crown after representing the local dairy industry for two years. She had already begun her college career.
Meanwhile, grocery prices had escalated during the two years following the 1969 event. Quicky Foods was advertising eggs at $1.00 a dozen and coffee had risen to 79 cents a pound. However, bacon was still at 49 cents a pound and five pounds of flour could still be purchased for 49 cents.
Dairy Festival Candidate Beth Ashcroft rode this float sponsored by the Waverly Club.
Carothers Brothers was advertising their Men's Suits for $34.99 - 59.99 and men's dress shoes were only $15.95. Haggar Polyester slacks were $16.00 a pair.
The "lady of the house" could drop-by Walt House's Shoe Town and purchase "Naturalizer" shoes for $13.95 a pair and get two pair of pantyhose, at Penny's for only $3.00. Pratt's Federated, located on the east side of the square, had "double-knit" material for $3.99 a yard.
Billye Beth Berry rode this beautiful float in the parade.
"One of the best deals in town, especially if you were a teenager," was the $146.00 AM/FM Radio and 8-Track Tape Deck, for your automobile, at Jim Master's Western Store. Of course, your selection of music would include such hits as: "Go Away Little Girl," and "Puppy Love," by Donny Osmond; "Take Me Home Country Road," by John Denver; "Maggie May," by Rod Stewart; "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart," by The Bee Gees; "Proud Mary," by Ike and Tina Turner; or "Me and Bobby Magee," by Texan, Janis Joplin.
Other selections might include: "Knock Three Times," by Three Dog Night; "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," by Joan Baez; "Rainy Days and Monday's," by The Carpenters; "Peace Train," by Cat Stevens; Love the One You're With," Stephen Still; and "Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves," by Cher. Lynn Anderson had made "Rose Garden" a favorite and Anne Murray was singing "Snowbird." However, if you really wanted to have a great time "cruising Gilmer Street," and preferred Country tunes you "put in" "When You're Hot, You're Hot," by Jerry Reed, or "Easy Lovin'," by Freddy Hart.
"Ain't No Sunshine," by Bill Withers; "Put Your Hand in The Hand," by Ocean; "Don't Know How to Love Him," Helen Reddy; and "She's A Lady" by Tom Jones, might have been your selections in 1971. One of my favorites was The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's "Mr. Bojangles" or Bobby Goldsboro's "Watching Scotty Grow!"
Susan Gulley rode this Treasure Island Float, that featured a purple whale pulling it, that spouted water.
Price Ford Sales had their 1971 "Maverick" car priced at $2,895.00 and Maddox Motors, located at 1217 South Broadway, pleaded with local customers "we must sell seven more new plymouths, this month!"
The Sulphur Springs School Board had met in a called meeting to determine that a student would be suspended for a drug-related offense. And, a bill was in the Texas House to give 18 year-olds the right to vote.
On a "much brighter note," Tom Sellers, Brad Beers, Mike Mitchell, Dick Sellers, Alan Spencer, and Robert Thomas had all received their "Eagle Scout" awards at ceremonies at First United Methodist Church. And, Mr. Dudley Allen, Principal of the Sulphur Springs Junior High School, had announced his retirement, following a 27 year career, as principal of the school. He received telegrams from Forrest Gregg, and other former students, at a reception held in his honor.
The Carnation Milk Company had hired a new manager for the local plant. He was Tom Roberson, and was only the third manager for the local milk processing facility. He would replace J.E. Tyree on June 1, 1971.
Brenda Chapman, sponsored by Como-Pickton School, rode this float in the 1971 parade.
One of the most public murder trials of the era was unfolding in the Hopkins County Courthouse, as Homer Wood, age 61, stood accused of murdering his step-son, Hollie Shelton Young. The incident had occurred on September 7, 1969, in the Bonanza Community. In what had taken the calling of numerous panels of jurors, the trial had just begun in May 1971. Wood was found "guilty" and sentenced to 99 Years in the state penitentiary, pending appeal.
Mark Horton, local SSHS Track Star, was headed to the State Track Meet, as a sophomore, following his winning the Regional 2-AAA Championship in the half-mile run.
This float rode by Rose Jennings won third place honors.
Ten young ladies entered Dairy Festival in 1971, with hopes of winning the crown. They were: Debra Dixon, North Hopkins High School; Beth Ashcroft, Waverly Club; Jacque Brown, Sulphur Bluff High School; Nita Gouge, Standard Club; Patty Stewart, Cumby High School; Brenda Chapman, Como-Pickton High School; Rose Jennings, Beta Sigma Phi; Billye Beth Berry, Dial Study Club; Susan Gulley, Junior Waverly Club; and Tonya Nordin, Mother's Culture Club. Local businesses who sponsored the candidates included: Associated Milk Producers, Inc., City National Bank, Peoples National Bank, Winzen Research, Inc., Sulphur Springs Farm Store, Elliott Office Equipment, Mid-American Dairymen, Inc., Lewis Auto Company, Rockwell Manufacturing Company, and Sulphur Springs State Bank.
George Andrie, star defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys, was the M.C. for the Talent and Beauty
competition. He's shown here visiting with Lynda Hager and Joe Parris, Jr., before the show began.
The 11th Annual Hopkins County Dairy Festival began with a Tuesday night "Talent and Beauty Competition," in the Junior High School gymnasium, amidst "flood warnings" for Hopkins County and Northeast Texas. Ronnie Throneberry, Queen Janet Skidmore, and the High School Stage Band, under the direction of Rex Wilemon, provided the musical entertainment for the evening. Tickets for the show were priced at $1.00 each.
Joe Parris, Jr. served as the Chairman of the Dairy Festival Board and had commented on the "great" rehearsal that had been conducted on Monday Night.
Debra Dixon, representing North Hopkins High School, waves to the crowd from her float in the 1971 parade.
But, "all wasn't quiet on the Western Front," as three teenaged juvenile girls, aged 14, 15, and 17, had been placed in county jail, charged with being "runaways." County Attorney John Perry and Juvenile Probation Officer, John Odom were seeking having them determined as "juvenile delinquents." They had been returned to Sulphur Springs from a location in Dallas.
However, two senior members at Sulphur Springs High School had received athletic scholarships. Lineman Barney Totten and running back, Marvin Dial had received the awards to play college football. Totten was headed to Stephen F. Austin College at Nacogdoches, and Dial was headed for Kilgore Junior College.
Dairy Festival Candidate, Nita Gouge, presents her Dairy Festival Talent number.
And, the American Petrofina Company of Dallas had increased its price for asphalt-type crude oil in two Hopkins County fields, by 20 cents a barrel. The purchases in the Sulphur Bluff and Mitchell Creek fields had a new top price of $3.16 cents a barrel for "32-gravity" oil.
Patty Stewart, of Cumby, rode this float in the 1971 Dairy Festival Parade.
The Dairy Festival Parade began on Thursday, May 13th, with a beautiful array of floats prepared by the Dairy Festival Candidates and their clubs. "Dairyland Splendor" was the theme and Representative Wright Patman had sent greetings and salutes to Hopkins County from Washington, denoting the dairy accomplishments of the area and praising the the work being done by local dairy farmers.
"Perfect, mild, spring weather" prevailed for the afternoon parade featuring "an attractive combination of colorful floats, pretty girls, music, and local business and organization entries."
Tonya Nordin won 2nd place with this "Land of Milk & Honey Float," sponsored by
Mother's Culture Club.
Winning floats included: First Place, Junior Waverly Club, featuring "Milk is the Treasure of Our Island" where the float was a tropical island with palm trees and sandy beaches, on which a treasure chest of milk products were displayed; a purple whale pulled the the island through waves, and spouted water along the parade route; Second Place, Mother's Culture Club, featured "The Land of Milk and Honey," and had a waterfall of milk on the float; and Third Place was the Beta Sigma Phi entry, which was called "Dairy Capital" and featured an imposing capital like structure in the center of the float.
The queen had already been chosen on Tuesday night, "but her identity was a closely guarded secret," that was revealed at the pageant on Thursday night. The pageant featured Miss Vicki Vanderburg, who was Miss East Texas State University for 1970, who served as the narrator. Soloists were Miss Rhonda Reed and Greg Atkins, and other music was presented by Vicki and Grady King. Court assistants were Jeff April and Kris Koon.
Visiting duchesses from neighboring communities included: Mt. Vernon, Winnsboro, Cooper, Linden, Mineola, and Commerce. Miss Judy Borden, 1971 Miss East Texas State University presented the court entertainment following the naming of the queen.
When it finally came time to name the new queen, it was Miss Beth Ashcroft, a Sulphur Springs High School Junior, and the daughter of B.F. and Denney Ashcroft, that was announced the winner. She was also named the Talent Winner, for her piano medley of Grieg's Piano Concerto in A Minor and Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. Patty Stewart, representing Cumby High School, was named first runner-up in the pageant, and was proclaimed the Beauty Winner in the contest.
In the Ticket Sales section of the awards, Beth Ashcroft received first place; Tonya Nordin, received second place; and Billye Beth Berry received third place. Having been a factor in previous contests, for the first time in 1971, ticket sales were removed as a part of the judging criteria for the queen.
Hopkins County Judge Ed I. Palmer, sited four long-time Hopkins County dairy people during the pageant for their contributions to the local industry. They were: Judge Grove Sellers, Mrs. Mary Waits, T.D. Harness, and Wilbur Koon.
"Dairying is the Key to Prosperity" depicted the conditions of the Hopkins County Dairy Industry in 1971,
as this float was rode by Jacque Brown, representing Sulphur Bluff Schools.
We found 1971 Dairy Festival Queen, Beth Ashcroft Holland, now living in Dallas, Texas. "I remember the Dairy Festival and my year as queen, as one of the most enjoyable of my life," relates Beth. "I was very nervous about playing the piano, for my talent, in front of such a large audience. However, by preparing my talent portion of the contest, it helped me overcome my fear and that would help me with other skills, later in life. When I was confronted with those 'can I do this?' moments I could always say to myself, 'well, those people may be very important, but I am the Dairy Festival Queen, and that makes me Texas Royalty!'"
And, yes, those sentiments have served Beth well. She graduated Sulphur Springs High School in 1972, and attended Southern Methodist University, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority, a cheerleader, founding member of the SMU Student Foundation, and chosen as an SMU Rotunda Beauty. She's also worked as an actress in regional T.V. ads, infomercials, and done small parts in Walker Texas Ranger!
Beth's family, the Ashcrofts are pioneer Hopkins Countians and have lived in the area for generations. Her father, B.F. Ashcroft, was a local businessman and one of the owners of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company, for years. Her mother, Denney Pounds Ashcroft, was a longtime member of the Hopkins County Dairy Festival Board, serving many, many years following Beth's crowning as queen. Beth also bears the distinction of being a first-cousin to 1963 Dairy Festival Queen, Mary Ann Prim Salch.
Queen Beth Ashcroft presents a first place ribbon to Sheila Bearden at the 1971 Northeast Texas
Dairy Show.
Beth has been active in volunteer work, served as a docent at the National Gallery of Art, in Washington D.C., and worked in the Gifts Department of the White House, cataloguing and researching gifts given to the President and First Lady. Today, following her move back to Dallas, she serves as a school docent at the Dallas Museum of Art, and is a consultant and plans art related tours for groups.
"But, my greatest achievement in life is my three children," exclaims Beth. "I've finally managed to get them raised to be wage earning adults, each with a wonderful sense of humor and good moral character (most of the time), and I count that as a wonderful blessing!"
Beth Ashcroft has been married to Robert Holland for 32 years and now
makes her home in Dallas, Texas.
Beth is shown with her daughters, Katy and Anne Holland.
"My children are my greatest accomplishment," exclaims Beth Holland, shown here with son Bobby
and wife, Lorraine.
Beth is married to her husband of 32 years, Robert Holland, a former Dallas Attorney, and former United States Executive Director of the World Bank. She and Robert enjoy entertaining, visiting their children, and "spoiling" their white lab, "Lucy."
Their three children are: Katy Holland, 29, who lives in Los Angeles, California; Bobby Holland, 28, and wife, Lorraine, who live in Dallas; and Anne Holland, 24, who also resides in Dallas.
"I guess one of my fondest memories of Dairy Festival involved my Mom," expressed Beth. "I was invited to be a visiting duchess in the Gilmer Yamboree Festival and received a box with a costume in it for the pageant. The package only contained a wired black net, with colored sequins, in the shape of human butterfly wings. This sent my mother into a 'flutter,' as we had to create a costume, 'from scratch,' for me to wear in the pageant. We created a costume, but I remember thinking that I looked more like a 'crushed moth' than a butterfly, when we got finished. I learned early in life that costume designing was definitely not my forte!"
Sheila Bearden 1970 Dairy Show Queen was
Shown as she rode in the 1971 Dairy Festival Parade.
The Northeast Texas Dairy Show opened on Friday morning, May 14th, and Miss Beth Ashcroft , Susan Gulley, and Sheila Bearden were presenting awards, as Billy Penn served as the Arena Director. Mr. Paul Watson served as the President of the Northeast Texas Dairy Show Board.
The show began with Ricky Koon, a Hopkins County 4-H Member from the Divide Community, winning the first two trophies of the morning, as he showed his Jersey bull to Grand Champion honors and won Junior Champion Female of the Junior Show, with one of his heifers. Dr. Harry A. Herman, Executive Director of the National Association of Animal Breeders and President of the American Guernsey Cattle Club, served as the judge of the 1971 show.
"The addition of wood shavings to the arena and isles of the show barn, has helped solve one of the previous years' distractions, of dust in the barn," advised County Agricultural Agent, Paul Herschler. "We have one of the larger numbers of entries in the show this year and the first morning in the arena has proven the top exhibitors being the children of Wilbur and Brodie Koon. They have won four trophies, four first place class winners, four second place ribbons, and a third place this morning!"
Jana Koon concentrates on showing her entry in the
1971 Northeast Texas Dairy Show.
Robert Newsome and his younger brother, Jack, showed the Grand Champion Jersey Female in the Show in 1971. Other local Jersey winners included: Randy Koon, Jana Koon, Ricky Koon, Lee Glenn, and J. B. McQueen. The Sulphur Springs FFA won the Chapter Herd in the Jersey Division.
In the Holstein Division, local winners included: Tony Gene Smith, C.F. Tucker, James Jackson, Richard and Paul Watson, Allen Buchanan, Don Hinton, Jacky Hinton, Joe Marts, Rickey Jetton, Neal Anderson, Clint Anderson, and Amy Anderson. C. F. Tucker won the Grand Champion Female honors with his five-year old cow, Tucky Elevation Marge, who had earlier in the year been scored "Excellent," and had a milk record of 14,350 pounds of milk. Sulphur Springs FFA member, Don Hinton, won the Showmanship award in the Holstein Division, and the Sulphur Springs FFA won the Chapter Herd Award.
In the Other Breeds Division, it was John Arnold who won the Grand Champion Female honors and Sheila Bearden, of Miller Grove, who won Reserve Champion honors. Other local winners included: Dwight Alexander, Bearden, Richard Crowson, Jim Glenn, Clifton Alexander, and Rodney Alexander.
Meanwhile, in other news, Larry Nordin, a junior student at Yantis High School, had been selected to attend the Science and Mathematics Institute at the University of Kansas. And, Tira had been notified that they were "in the running" for the Rural Progress Club's State Contest for Rural Communities.
Two weather records were set in early May of 1971, when the temperature fell to a morning low of 41 degrees on May 14th. It rose to a high of 88 only two days later.
Roland's Exon Station, on Gilmer Street burned to the ground, when a gasoline tanker delivering gas to the station caught fire. Doyle Wood and Wayne and Junior Hinton were advertising their "good selections of springing Holstein heifers," that were priced at $375-400.00 each.
The Mission Theater was showing Walt Disney's "The Wild Country," and the Hi-Vue Drive-In had a double-feature of "Billy Jack" and "Walk The Line," starring Gregory Peck, Tuesday Weld, and Estelle Parsons. Upcoming movies included: John Wayne in "Rio Lobo," Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood," and "Lovers & Other Strangers." Most youth couldn't attend the Jack Nicholson movie "5 Easy Pieces."
Coke, Sprite, Fresca, and Tab were all priced at 39 cents for a six-bottle carton, and Ozark Fried Chicken, on Gilmer Street, was featuring their "Liver and Gizzard" Dinners, complete with mashed potatoes, gravy, cole slaw, and rolls and honey, for only 69 cents, every Thursday. "What a deal!"
And, a "sell-out crowd" was determined for the "The Carpenters," Karen and Richard, as they were in concert at East Texas State University Auditorium. Over 1800 youth attended the concert in nearby Commerce. Ticket prices were $3.00, $3.50, and $4.00. Of course, they most certainly sang their hit "Close to You" and "We've Only Just Begun!"
And, as you made your way back across the Hopkins County line, from Commerce, from attending the concert, you might have been listening to the 8-track playing: "Bridge Over Troubled Waters," by Simon & Garfunkel; "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head," by B.J. Thomas; "Band of Gold," by Freda Payne; "Mama Told Me Not to Come," by Three Dog Night," or "Look What They've Done to My Song, Ma," by The New Seekers.
Other favorites included: "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," by the Hollies, "I Think I Love You," by the Partridge Family, and "Who'll Stop the Rain," and "Lookin' Out My Back Door," by Creedence Clearwater Revival.
The Year 1971 was a "year of plenty" in Hopkins County, as milk prices rose and dairy inputs were relatively low. Hopkins County prospered with local banks posting record deposits, all four quarters of the year.
"I'm exceptionally proud to have represented Hopkins County, as their 1971 Dairy Festival Queen, in a time that was a great experience to be reared in Sulphur Springs," expressed Beth Ashcroft Holland. "I'm looking forward to coming back for the Golden Anniversary of Hopkins County Dairy Festival in 2009, and representing an era of prosperity in my hometown!"
______