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Remembering Darrell

Miss Illinois County Fair — Tue, 19 Nov 2025 03:54:10 GMT

I’ll never forget Monday, November 5, and getting the news that a very dear member of our pageant family, Darrell Fisher had passed away. The words didn’t really sink in for a while. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to.

Darrell worked security for the Miss Illinois County Fair Queen Pageant for many, many years. He’s known by past contestants around the state as the door man. At the State Pageant, he made sure no one entered the dressing room who shouldn’t. And there were never any issues; Darrell took care of all of us.

I met Darrell at the Central Zone Meeting in the fall of 2012. At the time, I didn’t know who he was; in fact, I didn’t know who anyone was on the State Crew. Darrell was one of my judges in my mock interview. He told me I was the only girl who had kept his attention throughout the entire interview, a complement that I had never been given before, but certainly appreciated.

In January, Darrell helped me move all of my stuff (and trust me, there was A LOT) into my room at the Crowne Plaza. I didn’t ask for help and didn’t expect it either, but when he came out with me to our car and offered to help move me in, I accepted his offer. All weekend long, Darrell guarded the door to our dressing room. We all felt safe and secure.

When I was crowned last January, I had no idea just how close I would get with all of the State Crew. It really has become a family to me, a family that would not be the same without the Fishers. Darrell and Linda always kept me laughing.

Mom and I had the opportunity to stay in Fisherville (rural Lawrenceville, but I’ll never call it that) in June for the Jasper County Fair Queen Pageant. It was a quick turnaround for us, since we had to leave around 6 a.m. the following morning to get back to Rock Island County. We were up before dawn, and so was Darrell. He insisted upon cooking us his famous breakfast, and boy was it good! Ham, bacon, omelets, and Linda made sure I had lots of blueberries (they’re my favorite). Right before we left, we checked out the corn which was easily three to four feet taller than our corn at home at that time. I loved being able to talk about the differences in agriculture between northern Illinois and southern Illinois.

Darrell was the best bodyguard I could have asked for. Whenever I needed to get up at a pageant, he was right by my side, making sure I didn’t go anywhere alone. At the end of the summer, I was able to spend more time in Fisherville for the Georgetown and Effingham pageants, and I am so thankful I was able to do that.

Darrell and Linda showed me around Vincennes. We rode over the “scary” old railroad bridge, and I remember how happy Darrell was that the rickety old bridge didn’t really scare me because I was a country girl. We stopped by the military museum that was nearby, he pointed out the levy and where it had broken, where Lincoln had entered Illinois, and even Red Skelton’s childhood home. Darrell didn’t want to shop with Linda and me. Can’t say I blame him. Linda and I took our time meddling through the little shops in Vincennes.

We all met up with Kim for pizza burgers. Pizza burgers, a novelty in those parts, were good, but probably not something I’ll eat again. Nevertheless, it’s a memory with the Fishers that I’ll always think about.

The State Pageant won’t be the same without Darrell this January. We’ll all miss seeing him guard the door, and I’ll miss my bodyguard. I’m sad that more queens won’t get to know him.

I will always have a special place in my heart for Darrell Fisher. I feel so blessed that I got the chance to know him. My thoughts and prayers are with the Fisher family.

Zone Meetings

Central Zone Meeting, Springfield. Check. Northern Zone Meeting, Ottawa. Check. Southern Zone Meeting, Mt. Vernon. Check. All zone meetings have been attended and completed.

Yes, that’s right, my fall pageant obligations have ended. And there are only about two months until state. Time flies. Now that’s an understatement. Time hasn’t just flown this year; it has gone by lightning fast.

It was great seeing all of the contestants at all of the zone meetings. We have a wonderful group of 72 girls competing, and it will be an excellent pageant. And while I will be crowning a new queen, it’s going to be bittersweet. Bittersweet because this is probably the best job I will ever have. Bittersweet because I have loved this so much. Bittersweet because I have made some wonderful friendships this year and met outstanding people I won’t be seeing as much now.

As the girls prepare for State, I’d encourage all of them to work hard, be themselves, and most of all have fun! It will be an unforgettable weekend, super busy, but way more fun.

Best of luck to all contestants as you continue your preparations for the State Pageant. I will see you all in January!

Summertime is Gone

Miss Illinois County Fair — Fri, 27 Sep 2025 01:42:04 GMT

I can’t believe it. I’m not sure if I have ever been in more disbelief. Summer is over, and I have been working for almost a month now! When people say time flies, they didn’t know how fast summer would go as Miss Illinois County Fair.

My apologies once again on how long it has taken me to blog. I feel like I could just write novels about my summer experience, but I will spare you three hours of reading.

Let’s see. I believe the last time I “blogged,” it was the beginning of July, so let me give you a quick rundown of the rest of the month.

During the month of July I attended Schuyler, Fayette, Moultrie-Douglas, Jersey, Cass, Pike, Stark, Clinton, Monroe, Fulton, Adams, Madison, Lawrence, Logan, and McLean county pageants. When July hit, things really got busy. I was hardly ever home for more than two days. My longest span away from home was 2.5 weeks!! That’s a long time to live out of a suitcase and the good ole Chevy Malibu.

I was honored to ride in a horse-drawn carriage at the Schuyler County Fair Queen Pageant. I really had royal treatment as I waved to the grandstand from the carriage.

Jersey County’s interviews were held in a historic Underground Railroad house in Jerseyville. Diane and I enjoyed exploring the basement with the hidden rooms, but were caught off guard when the lights suddenly went out! No worries, it was just an employee of the historic home.

In Clinton County I had my first Ski soda! I remember hearing all about Ski soda in high school when I was a section president in FFA and all the southern Illinois kids would brag about this soda that you just couldn’t find anywhere else. Well Clinton County, I’ll give it to you, that Ski was good!

A 10-year 4-H member, I was so excited to go to the McLean County Fair, an entire fair built completely around 4-H! There were thousands of 4-H projects and it was just so cool to see youth all so excited about 4-H.

And how could I forget the Corndog Kickoff in July! It’s not every day you can be Vana White for the State Fair. Okay, maybe twice. I guess I was Vana for the Sale of Champions, too. I had a great time meeting with people at this fundraiser for the State Fair Museum. There was fair food, entertainment, and lots of people excited about the state fair.

Before I knew it, it was August. Bureau, Georgetown, and Effingham counties, and then it was the Illinois State Fair! I’ve never had more fun in my life than at the State Fair. Every day was jam-packed. Dr. Susan Shea had me going from sun-up to sun-down, and later really. From the livestock barns to the culinary building to “cutest little farmer” contests, riding the sky glider, and everything in between, it was the ten most memorable days ever!

It was so much fun cutting the ribbon to open the State Fair three times. I loved being able to give one of the opening speeches alongside the governor. And then seeing all of the county fair queens later that morning was wonderful. Almost a little sad, because it made me realize that in a few months my reign would be coming to an end. I couldn’t believe that only one year ago, I was in their shoes. I sure didn’t think I would be the state queen speaking to them that day!

My favorite part of the state fair was seeing people and visiting with them, and really just learning their stories. There are some awesome exhibitors in our state, and we should all be proud of the wonderful state fair that Amy Bliefnick (State Fair Manager) works to put together with her staff. Agriculture is what the fair is all about and Director Bob Flider did a wonderful job of making that a point.

Giving speeches everywhere I went was also a blast. By the end of the fair, I felt so much more confident in the speeches I gave. It was another one of my favorite parts of the fair.

And how could I forget all of the amazing performers I met! Toby Keith, The Band Perry, and Ke$ha, just to name a few. Watch for me on Ke$ha’s TV show. I signed a waiver, so you just might see an episode… “Ke$ha Meets the State Fair Queen.”

I could go on and on about the State Fair…the harness racing, the horse shows, the news interviews, running Abe’s Amble 10K with my sash on the last morning of the fair, being completely exhausted from staying up late, getting up early and eating fair food all week…I can’t believe I made it out of the race alive. Susan and I had a blast every day, and got to know each other pretty well, considering all the time we spent together. I’m so thankful for all of the friendships I made this summer.

I was pretty sad after the State Fair, because that’s when it really sank in that the summer was almost over.

After the State Fair, it was off to Cumberland County, then the DuQuoin State Fair. The DuQuoin grounds were breathtaking. Acres upon acres of rolling hills. The mansions were so cool, and I loved all the history. It was certainly warmer in Southern Illinois, but it was also the end of August. There was a wonderful hospitality day put on by Roger and Meschelle Brand. I was happy to see so many queens come down for a wonderful lunch and an afternoon of fun at the races.

I enjoyed my time in the livestock barns again, and was even surprised by my grandparents who came without telling me. I cannot thank my family and friends enough this summer for coming to so many of my events, and supporting me every step of the way, it really meant a lot.

After the DuQuoin State Fair I was off to the Pana Tri-County Pageant and then the Farm Progress Show. The Farm Progress Show was like a “family reunion.” It was great to see so many people I know in the ag industry, and especially wonderful to be able to talk to Orion Samuelson at the U of I tent. I always love getting to talk to all of my U of I friends! On that day I met fellow Deere co-workers, too. So cool to meet them before my first day on the job!

Although summer has ended, I couldn’t have asked for a better one. The State Pageant Crew was so giving and so kind. They all treated me like their own daughter and made sure I was always well-taken care of. I enjoyed getting to know everyone and spending time with their families too. I really can’t thank them enough. And Cathy and Bill Redshaw, for making their home my “home-away-from-home” for the summer. I have so many wonderful memories from this summer that I will carry with me my whole life.

I won’t have much to report until we have a few zone meetings. After a weekend full of Labor Day parades in the Quad Cities area, I started my full-time job with Deere as a marketing representative in construction and forestry. It has been quite an adjustment for me, moving into a full-time position, and “growing up,” but I really enjoy the group I work with, and I am learning tons!

Thanks to all of you for reading the blog so far. Stay tuned for my last few blog posts in the next few months. Have a safe and abundant harvest!

The summer is flying by

Miss Illinois County Fair — Thu, 25 Jul 2025 11:39:18 GMT

How is it already July?

I feel like just yesterday I was typing out a blog and now it is more than an entire month later! I have a lot of ground to cover in this blog, so I will try to cover everything as succinctly as I can.

May 11: Graduation

On May 11, 2013, I graduated from the University of Illinois, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. It was a bittersweet day for me, as I said goodbye to three years of hard work and wonderful memories. I turned a chapter in my life, and am now an “adult,” I guess. I’m 21 years old, have a college degree, and will be starting a full-time job this fall, so I suppose that qualifies me as an adult, even though I still feel like a kid. My family and closest friends from home came down to help me celebrate, and I also enjoyed the day with many of my friends from school. After graduation, I had a few weeks at home, in which I spent my time helping around the house and farm, and landscaping. I spearheaded the landscaping project at my house, and am still working on it whenever I am home.

June 1: Lovington Pageant

On June 1, I had the opportunity to judge the Jr. Miss and Miss Lovington Pageants. I had a great time judging with my co-judges Susan Mellendorf and George Castles. I learned a lot from them, too. All of the contestants did a great job, and it was fun being on the opposite side of the pageant process. We had a wonderful supper at Pauly’s BBQ, but I wore my white suit, so I had to be wrapped in paper towels, to avoid any close calls. The paper towel dress was well worth it, because you can’t beat pulled pork!

June 10: Getting the Car

On June 10, I picked up my state car for the summer—a 2010 Chevy Malibu. I met Cathy and Amy Bliefnick at the State Fair Office with my parents and picked up the car. It was another one of those moments where I just couldn’t believe that I was the state queen.

After picking up my car, my parents and I met with Cathy to discuss my summer schedule. So many dates, so many pageants and appearances, and so much excitement! I am just so, so excited about this summer!

Cathy and I did a little shopping at the mall in Springfield before heading to Rushville to my “homeaway-from-home” for the summer.

June 11: My First Pageant Appearance—Macon

On June 11, Cathy and I set out for my first pageant appearance—Macon. I had a great time meeting all of the contestants and supper with the judges was very good, too! It felt good to be back on stage, as I addressed the audience and encouraged them to attend the state fairs. It was wonderful to see so many of my fellow county fair queens, too!

June 14: River Bandits’ Pitch

June 14, was Agriculture Night at Modern Woodman Park in Davenport, Iowa, which is the home of the Quad Cities’ minor league baseball team, the River Bandits. My friends from the Rock Island County Farm Bureau requested that I throw the first pitch of the evening, as a representation of Illinois Farm Bureau. I actually threw about the fifth or sixth “first pitch” of the evening, but I would like to think that I did the best job. I made it to the plate and the catcher caught it!! I was thrilled because let’s just say that coordination and athleticism are not strengths of mine by any means. It was a lovely evening and awesome to see so many people there in support of agriculture.

June 18: Henry County Fair Queen Pageant

On June 18, I attended the Henry County Fair Queen Pageant. All of the contestants did a wonderful job and it was great to attend a pageant that was in my “neck of the woods” in Northwestern Illinois. I had fun spending time with my chaperone Michelle, too.

June 19: Sangamon County Fair Queen Pageant

It was a quick turnaround for me, as I left the following morning for Cathy’s, so we could attend the Sangamon Pageant together. Sangamon put on a wonderful pageant, and I was honored to be there.

June 20: Milan Rotary and Henry County Fair Livestock Auction

I left Cathy’s Thursday morning and headed straight to Milan, where I spoke to the Milan Rotary, which is in Rock Island County. My uncle is a member, so it was fun to meet many of his fellow Rotarians.

They had lots of questions about pageants and my responsibilities, and I really enjoyed filling them in on the ins and outs of the County Fair Pageant System. I’m also hoping that I inspired some of them to encourage the young women they know to enroll in pageants.

That evening, I was recognized at the Henry County Fair Livestock Auction for being Miss Illinois County Fair. After showing livestock and general projects at that fair for 10 years, it was a true honor to be recognized by the county. It was also fun to be back in the show ring again.

June 21: Farm Credit Scholarship Luncheon

Friday took me to Normal, Illinois, where I was the keynote speaker for the Farm Credit Scholarship

Luncheon. Three years ago, I received Farm Credit’s first Presidential Scholarship, so I gave my presentation on everything I have done during the past three years including my academic history, study abroad trips, experiential learning, student organizations, jobs, and internships. My Power Point presentation ended up lasting about 30 minutes, but the time just flew for me. I was back in my element of school, and had an absolute blast!

June 22: Henry County Fair Farm Bureau Young Leaders Pedal Tractor Pull

For three years, I have emceed the Pedal Tractor Pull at the Henry County Fair, and this year I went as Miss Illinois County Fair. I was a fierce pedal pull competitor back in my day, and always enjoy coming back to watch the kids battle it out. New this year was an adult pull, but unfortunately I was not dressed for the occasion. Next year I will certainly compete. I’m already gearing up for it now.

June 24: Jasper County Fair Queen Pageant

On June 24, Mom and I headed down to Jasper County for their pageant. It was a gorgeous day for a nearly five-hour drive. Due to the weather, the pageant was moved indoors, but it turned out to be a nice venue, and I could even wear my hair down, since it was inside. Mom and I spent the night at Darrell and Linda Fisher’s home. I was shocked to see that the corn down there is tasseling!! And I loved seeing wheat fields. There isn’t much wheat growing up here, so traveling the state and seeing the differences in agriculture has been really cool.

June 25: Rock Island County Fair Queen Pageant

Mom and I had to wake up around 4 on Tuesday morning to make it to Rock Island County in time for my pageant obligations. Darrell still insisted on making us a big breakfast, so we ate omelets, ham, bacon, hash browns, fruit, strawberry milk, and certainly did not go hungry. A big thank you to the Fishers for getting up that early with us and making sure we were well-fed before we hit the road.

I made it back in time for lunch with the judges, and then was off to the fair grounds to assist with Celebrity Showmanship in the barns. Watching local celebrities try to show hogs was entertaining to say the least. And then it was off to the pageants. I made it to the Little Miss pageant just in time for coronation. Then it was time for the Jr. Miss and Miss Pageants. The hours flew by and before I knew it, I was crowning our first Jr. Miss and the new Miss Rock Island County Fair 2013!

I am so excited for our 2013 queens: Little Miss Alyssa Williams, Jr. Miss Abbey Gustaf, and Miss Rock Island County Fair Taylor Smith! I know they will all be excellent representatives of the county and am excited for all of the opportunities they will have around the county this year.June 25 was definitely a whirlwind for me, but it was a great day. I am looking forward to many more whirlwind days this summer.

June 26 and June 27: Rock Island County Fair Talent Show

On June 26 and 27, I was asked to judge the Jr. and Sr. Talent Shows at the fair. Our county has some outstanding talent, and I was happy to be part of the judging process. Later on both of those evenings I also had the chance to be introduced and address the grandstand crowd. It sure was nice to be back at the county with so many familiar faces.

June 29: Champaign County Fair Queen Pageant

On Saturday, I met Ashley at my school apartment in Urbana and we headed to Rantoul High School for the Champaign County Fair Queen Pageant. It was a lovely venue and a great day to have a pageant indoors. When we were at lunch it poured and poured, so we were all thankful that the pageant was indoors and we wouldn’t have to worry about our hair-dos being messed up.

When the pageant’s emcee asked me what my favorite fair food was, I admitted that I don’t like any fair food. The crowd got a kick out of that. It’s true. Fair food isn’t my favorite, so when I visit fairs, my food choice is usually a pork burger or a pork chop sandwich. I’m all about supporting the pork industry!

It’s July!

And now it’s July! I can hardly believe how quickly the time has passed. Attending the pageants has been so much fun and I love meeting all of the girls and getting to spend time with so many wonderful state crew members. I still find myself saying, “Oh wow. I still can’t believe this is real. I am the state queen!”

It truly is an honor to serve as Miss Illinois County Fair this year, and I am looking forward to what the remainder of the summer and the year holds.

Busy Spring!

Miss Illinois County Fair — Wed, 24 Apr 2025 03:28:39 GMT

Wow! The time has flown, and I am sorry it has taken me so long to update the blog!
March was pretty busy, and April has also been full as well, as I work to finish up college. Only a few more weeks!

Miss Blackhawk Valley Pageant
On March 2, I attended my first pageant as a visiting queen. It was so nice to be back at home in the Quad Cities for the weekend, and it was great to spend time with Shauna (my county director) and my Little Miss. All of the contestants did a great job and it made me excited for the summer and all the pageants I will be attending then.

Miss Greek Illinois Pageant
The very same weekend as Miss Blackhawk Valley, I judged the Miss Greek Illinois Pageant on campus at the U of I. Contestants from several sororities competed in the categories of skit, dress, and poise, and onstage questions. The Delta Chi Fraternity hosted the event and Theresa Scanlin, Miss America 2011 emceed. She was so sweet, and I even got my picture taken with her! It was cool to be on the other side of the competition at this pageant, but I do not envy judges for the work they do one bit. it’s hard work!

Ag Legislative Day
Ag Legislative Day was March 14, and was one of the highlights of my reign so far. For years I attended Ag Legislative Day as an FFA member, preparing and delivering baskets to our legislators, and encouraging them to continue to fund the agricultural education line item. I remember taking the big group photo with the director of agriculture and the governor with 700 of my closest FFA friends and the state queen. Never did I think that one day I would be that girl standing in the middle of the photo. If it was a dream, I really hoped I didn’t wake up that day!

I spent some time with my representative, Mr. Don Moffitt. Rep. Moffitt showed us around and answered many of my questions. Kenny Wallace was at the Capitol, promoting ethanol, so I had the chance to have my picture taken with him. He has a real sense of humor, and I’m glad I got to meet him!

My senator, Darin LaHood, introduced me to the Senate around noon, and I presented my speech on the Senate floor. I got such a thrill from being able to address our legislators. I love public speaking, and as I stood there giving my speech, I couldn’t help but imagine myself speaking from that venue again someday. Maybe I will go into politics, but only time will tell. 

Reception
After spending my spring break in California, studying agriculture, policy and regulations with a class, I came home for my birthday and pageant reception. It was truly a birthday I will never forget as friends, family, state pageant crew, and IAAF Board members came together to help me celebrate. I had a wonderful time meeting everyone and appreciate the Rock Island County Fair Board and DeAnne Bloomberg (the Rock Island County Farm Bureau Manager) for organizing and putting on the event. It was a great day!

Dress Shopping
During the last two weekends in March, I went dress shopping for my summer wardrobe. Kathy at Bridal Elegance and Emily in Farina were both so helpful, and it was fun shopping with Cathy and Bill, Darien, my mom, and Grandma. Trying on all of the dresses made me feel like such a queen. It’s a feeling that I can’t seem to get used to but I sure am enjoying it! I now have plenty of dresses to wear all summer long, and Shelly is altering them so they all fit perfectly. I can’t wait to wear all of them!

Photo Shoot
On Saturday, April 20, I had my official photo shoot at Studio 131 in Springfield. One of my close friends, Cathryn Ayers, came with me and took us to her family’s farm, where we were able to get some awesome pictures in my Miss Illinois County Fair denim jacket. A special thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Russell Vandeveer for the jacket that I will carry with me everywhere I go this summer.

Julie Kinter did my hair and makeup for the afternoon, and as soon as my hair was pulled up, I felt even more like a queen.

The photo shoot was so much fun! Dave and Steve did a great job, and I can’t wait to see all of the photos.

It has been a busy past few months, as school continues to pick up, but only a few more weeks, and I will graduate! I am so looking forward to wrapping up college and being Miss Illinois County Fair full time. The past few months have been very fun, and I am appreciative to everyone who continues to help me with anything and everything that I need. Counting my days until the summer!!

Until next time....
Queen Amelia

Queen Amelia

Miss Illinois County Fair — Wed, 03 Apr 2025 23:47:17 GMT

The blog post below was written by Queen Amelia in late February. Due to technical difficulties, it is just now being posted. Thank you for following Queen Amelia on her journey!

I cannot believe it has been a whole month since I was crowned Miss Illinois County Fair! The time has absolutely flown!

I’m not sure how many times I have said that this is a dream come true, but it truly is a dream come true for me. I still wake up some mornings, barely believing that it happened. I cannot put into words how honored and thrilled I am to represent county fairs and agriculture this year. I am so excited to begin traveling the state this summer, that I have a countdown going!

A little bit about me—I was Miss Rock Island County Fair 2012. I grew up on my family’s farm in Orion and was very active in 4-H and FFA. It was through 4-H that I discovered my love for communicating in my bucket calf project. I loved the thrill of getting up in front of people to answer questions about my calf on the microphone. In FFA, I competed in many contests; my favorites included parliamentary procedure, agricultural issues, agricultural communications, public speaking, and job interview. I served as a chapter and section officer, and attended numerous leadership conferences. Through FFA, I discovered my major, agricultural communications. It was through my supervised agricultural experience program of writing for local newspapers that I realized educating the public about agriculture was something I wanted to do full time.

Which leads me to the present…I’m currently studying agricultural communications at the University of Illinois and will graduate this spring, after three years of study. I will begin work for John Deere in September as a marketing representative in their Construction and Forestry division.

In the meantime, I will be fulfilling my duties as Miss Illinois County Fair, and am so excited! Did I say that already? My apologies, but I really am excited!

During my first month as Miss Illinois County Fair, I have had a few radio interviews, as well as some interviews for agricultural publications and newspapers at home and in my county. In early February, I attended the State Fair Press Conference and addressed the press and all of the guests at the event. It was my first official appearance and everyone made me feel very welcome. I was happy to meet so many of the people I will be working with this summer. And there was fair food, too! Mini corndogs and fried brownies make for an interesting breakfast at 8 a.m. I can’t say that I’ve ever had fried brownies before, but if you ever get the chance to try them, go for it!

I’m gearing up for Ag Legislative Day which is coming up in a few weeks. My speech is written for the Senate, and I am ready to go. I’m looking forward to seeing all of the FFA members at the event. I attended for three years in high school as an FFA member, so it will be great to go back and reminisce with members and advisors. I can’t wait to meet many of our state legislators and talk to them about the importance of agricultural funding and the role that agricultural youth programs play.

It has been an exciting first month as queen, and I’m very humbled to represent the state as Miss Illinois County Fair this year. I’m so thankful for all of the help my family, the Rock Island County Fair Board, my pageant director Shauna Learn, Taylor Schulte, Cait Robb, and all my friends have provided. I am excited to get to know the state pageant crew better in the coming months. Please stay tuned for updates to my blog!