Once a Miss Gastonia ... Always a Miss Gastonia

 

The Miss Gastonia Scholarship Pageant is one of the longest-running annual traditions in Gaston County.  For more than 60 years, hundreds of young women have participated in the pageant with only a select few capturing the crown of Miss Gastonia.  Here's a list of our Miss Gastonia winners:

1944 - Virginia Huffstetler
1945 - Catherine Morrow
1946 - Martha Dean Childress
1947 - Alice Lineberger
1948 - Billie Purcell
1958 - Theresa Ward

1959 - Gwen Pearson

1960-61 - Leila Eden
1962 - Susan Leigh
1963 - Kathryn Eileen Wesson
1964 - Martha Frances Oates
1965 - Georgia Kay 'Peach' Pearce
1966 - Pam Howell *
1966 - Sandria Whitworth

1967 - Carolyn Jeannette Huggins
1968 - Deborah Ann Froneberger *

1968 - Candace Lizabeth Shermer
1969 - Bennie Jo Rowland
1970 - Toni Cloninger
1971 - Carol Hawkins
1972 - Donna Susan Colvin
1973 - Aundrea Belle Mull
1974 - Teresa Elledge
1975 - Elizabeth Anne Colvin
1976 - Lisa Wright
1977 - Donna Lynn Hawkins
1978 - Sharon Kay Allred
1979 - Sharon Jarvis
1980 - Laura Kathryn Alexander
1981 - Janet Louise Wright
1982 - Taffy Jo McLean
1983 - Margaret Elizabeth Smith
1984 - Kristal Huffstetler
1985 - Robin Kiser
1986 - Christy Parker
1987 - Angela Lyon
1988 - Michelle Featherstone

1989 - Stephanie Summey

1990 - Michelle Ann Mauney

1991 - Angie Todd
1992 - Lynn Jenkins
1993 - Tracey Lanai Patrick
1994 - Katherine Elizabeth Smoak
1995 - Charlotte Louise Hunt
1996 - Megan Jean Downing
1997 - Charlotte Louise Hunt
1998 - Anna Elizabeth Freeman
1999 - Emily Rebecca McCotter
2000 - Connie Elizabeth Chastain *
2000 - Heather Lee Elkin
2001 - Stacey Marie Heffner
2002 - Lesley Dawn Royster
2003 - Holly Elizabeth Baucom
2004 - Dayna Leigh Chapman
2005 - Jessica Elease Floyd

2006 - Elizabeth Anne Augenstein

2007 - Grace Wepner (Gastonia)

2007 - Nicole Southgate (Gaston County)

2008 - Aryn Ward (Gastonia)

2008 - Sarah Portela (Gaston County)

2009 - Laura Page (Gastonia)

2009 - Jessica Lackey (Gaston County)

2010 - Mikhaila Leinbach (Gastonia)

2010 - Shaina Anderson (Gaston County)

 

                                                      *resigned

The list of Miss Gastonia winners is taken from newspaper articles and program books.  Winners have been confirmed as far back as 1944, but the pageant may have taken place in the late 1930s and early 1940s. 

One newspaper story indicates that Gastonia was the host city for the Miss North

Carolina Pageant in 1944 and 1945.  The pageant was held at the Gastonia Armory with Miss Gastonia crowned on Friday night, and she then competed on Saturday night for Miss North Carolina.  The 1944 state pageant was to be held in Wilson, but last-minute changes moved it to Gastonia. 

 

Winners from 1949 to 1957 are unknown, and it is believed that the pageant was not held.  During the 1950s, several young women were appointed Miss Gastonia Beautification Queens to reign over the city's annual clean-up campaign, but there isn't any indication that these women represented Gastonia in the Miss North Carolina Pageant.  

 

One newspaper article states that Miss Gastonia 1958 Theresa Ward was the first Miss Gastonia to be crowned in 10 years and advance to the Miss North Carolina Pageant.  Miss Gastonia 1960-61 Leila Eden served as Miss Gastonia for about 14 months since the local pageant was post-dated and moved from June to August.  This gave Miss Gastonia more time to prepare for the Miss North Carolina Pageant, which was held in July.

While there has never been a Miss Gastonia to become Miss North Carolina, there have been a number of top 10 finalists, runners-up and competition-related award winners.

 

Miss Gastonia 1965 Georgia Kay 'Peach' Pearce was first runner-up to Miss North Carolina.  It is believed that Miss Gastonia 1971 Carol Hawkins, Miss Gastonia 1972 Donna Susan Colvin, and Miss Gastonia 1973 Aundrea Belle Mull were named to the top 10 at Miss North Carolina and Miss Gastonia 1974 Teresa Elledge was second runner-up.  More recently, Miss Gastonia 1996 Megan Downing was named fourth runner-up and Miss Gastonia 2002 Lesley Royster was a top 10 finalist.

The Gastonia Jaycees directed the pageant for many years before deciding to end their sponsorship in 1982.  Larry and Delores Cox established a pageant association independent of the Jaycees and held their first pageant in 1983.  Delores assumed the duties of executive director in 1986 upon her husband's death and still serves in that position today.

The Miss Gastonia Pageant made history on August 7, 2004 with the crowning of Jessica Floyd as Miss Gastonia 2005. Jessica is the first African-American to win the coveted Miss Gastonia title.  In 2007, the pageant made history again with the crowning of two winners - Miss Gastonia and Miss Gaston County. 

 

Nicole Southgate was crowned the first Miss Gaston County and was named a top 10 finalist at Miss North Carolina.  Miss Gaston County 2008 Sarah Portela was also named to the top 10.