When the Miss Greene County Scholarship Pageant opens at 7 p.m. Saturday evening at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center, 14 former title holders will be in the audience.

Nine young women are competing for the opportunity to represent Greene County at the Miss Tennessee Scholarship Pageant in Jackson in June.

Lesa Fox and Terri Lamons purchased the franchise in 2007.

In December, Erin Collins, of Greeneville, was crowned as the first Miss Greene County since 1993.

Before 2007, however, 25 women had worn the crown that entitled them to compete for Miss Tennessee and perhaps Miss America. Of those 25, only one, Kathy Brang, ever wore the state crown, and she won it in 1993 as Miss Historic Jonesborough.

Since 2008 is the 45th anniversary of the first Miss Tennessee preliminary held locally, a committee of Debbie McAmis, Cathy Cannon and Linda Allman Crawford were eager to find and contact all the previous winners.

They were successful and have replies from each one.

No matter where they're living, each former Miss Greene County had positive recollections of that special year in her life. Most stated that self-confidence was a major byproduct of wearing the crown. They're also appreciative for the opportunity, the memories and the local people who were so supportive of them. Space limitations prevent the printing of each one's statement.

So, if you've been wondering what ever became of them, here they are: (The ones with ** prior to the year are planning to attend Saturday evening.)

**1963 - Brenda Parman Kucharski and her husband, Dick, reside in Spring City. Brenda is enjoying retirement following 39 years of working with the University of Tennessee Extension Service. She was a home economist and direct program leader.

**1964 - Ann Carter Ross and her husband, Robert, reside in Greeneville. They have two sons and two grandchildren. She taught school for several years, then opened a retail gift store, "Country Heritage," which they enjoyed for 13 years.

1965 - Barbara Harrison resides in Clearwater, Fla. She has two daughters and a grandson. She has been head registered nurse for Urgent Care for more than 20 years.

1966 - Sylvia Brooks Schneider and her husband, Keith, reside in Knoxville. She has a daughter, two grandchildren and a stepson. She has had a State Farm Agency for 20 years.

1967 - Linda Higgins McCarty and her husband, Bryan, reside in Franklin. They have one son and a grandson. For nine years, she was a teacher and school administrator. Then, for 18 years, she was the executive director for the Tennessee State Employee Association, for seven years, she represented the Tennessee Education Association, and for one year was a consultant for three states.

**1968 - Jeanie Waddell Burns and her husband, Tommy, reside in Greeneville. She is a retired educator from the Greene County Schools. They have two sons, three grandsons and a granddaughter.

**1969 - Debbie Bible Hendrix resides in Greeneville. She has had a 27-year career as a teacher at Greeneville Middle School. She has one son.

**1970 - Mary Ruth Reynolds McNatt and her husband, Terry, reside in Powell. She has been a music educator for more than 25 years. They have two daughters and a granddaughter. One of the daughters has followed in her mother's pageant footsteps and is a two-time Miss Tennessee state preliminary pageant winner.

**1971 - Karen S. Crumm Harrel and her husband, Sid, reside in Strawberry Plains. She has been a teacher for 19 years and spent six years in administration. She is the principal at South Doyle Middle School. They have four children and two grandchildren.

**1972 - Sherry Carter Hodges and her husband, Al, reside in Morristown. She is a Realtor and a retired dental hygienist of 30 years in Knoxville. She recently received a bachelor of arts degree in political science.

**1973 - Dale Ann Dyke Ladd and her husband, Mike, reside in Greeneville. They have two children and two grandchildren. For 20 years, she has been an import coordinator for MECO.

1974 - Denise Carter resides in Greeneville. She has been a homemaker.

**1975 - Jane Ann O'Dell Bell and her husband, Berkeley, reside in Greeneville. They have three children and two grandchildren. She is the principal at Camp Creek Elementary School.

**1976 - Linda Allman Crawford and her husband, David, reside in Greeneville. They have three sons and six grandchildren. She had a 27-year career in telecommunications and retired as vice president and general manager for Alltel Communications over Alabama. She is the co-owner of Greeneville Self Storage, LLC.

**1977 - Tammy Myers resides in Greeneville. She has two sons. She has worked eight years with McInturff, Milligan and Brooks Insurance and works part-time at Lowe's.

(Editor's note: Linda Crawford and Ali Burkhard Royston have said that the pageant was not active between 1977 and 1988, when it was revived by the Jaycees for one year prior to Jack and Ali Burkhard purchasing the franchise. Mrs. Royston said that she didn't know why the pageant ceased to exist in those years.)

1988 - Kathy Brang Mesmer and her husband, John, reside in Oak Ridge. They have three children. She was Miss Tennessee 1993. She was an entertainer at Dollywood and worked in the pharmaceutical industry. Currently, she enjoys being a homemaker.

1989 - Kelly Broyles Cutshaw and her husband, Tim, reside in Knoxville. They have two children. She is a pre-school teacher.

1990 - Jan Charles Hickerson Keller and her husband, Ricky, reside in Federal Way, Wash. They have four children. She has dedicated her career to raising awareness/funding for children with life threatening diseases. She is working to get Congress to pass a "Catastrophic Bill" to financially assist parents with large financial health care debt. She has created a camp for these children called, "Camp Good Time."

1991 - Angela Brown Harvey and her husband, Tony, reside in Lenoir City. They have two children. She has a 16-year career in the financial industry with First Tennessee Bank.

1992 - Wendy Miller Crowe and her husband, Brian, reside in Knoxville. She is the director of education/senior adults at Smithwood Baptist Church. They have three children.

1993 - Tracey Towater Kizer and her husband, Jody, reside in Union City. She is a women's health nurse practitioner and works at Martin Medical Center and the UTM Student Health Clinic. They have two children.

1994 - Beth Jones Powell and her husband, Keith, reside in Vero Beach, Fla. They have two children. She has had a career in land management for nine years. She works with endangered species management. She speaks, educates and does media interviews as a conservation specialist.

Forty-five years ago the first Miss America preliminary pageant was held locally.

Other local women had worn a Miss Greene County crown previously, but 1963 was the first year for the Miss America/Miss Tennessee preliminary event.

Beginning in 1940, the national Jaycees organization began to assist with the Miss America Pageant.

It was the Jaycees who started the local pageant, inspired by the late Billy Williams, who had been involved with the pageant in Morristown and was president of the Greeneville club.

The Miss Greene County pageant, as a preliminary to Miss Tennessee, was first held June 14, 1963, in the auditorium of Greeneville High School.

In the early years, the pageant was open only to Greene County residents. In the later years, it was opened to residents across the state.

Until 1989, the Jaycees were the local sponsor. However, the club ceased to exist, so Jack and Ali Burkhard picked up the franchise and continued the tradition.

Mr. Burkhard is now deceased, but his attorney peers sponsor a scholarship in his name for the revived pageant.

Tickets for the pageant are $20 for VIP ticket, which includes a program, $12 for adults and $6.50 for children 10 and under. For tickets, call the NPAC box office at 638-1679.