We were honored last night by having Karen Price, the daughter of Miss Winnipesaukee 1944 as our guest speaker at the 81st annual Miss Winnipesaukee Pageant. Karen's mother, Marilyn Dearborn, passed away this spring. Karen brought her mother's trophy to the pageant along with the original 1944 newspaper articles for all to see. Here is a copy of the article that appeared in Saturday's Evening Citizen:
GILFORD — Karen Price, the daughter of Miss Winnipesaukee 1944 Marilyn Dearborn, will speak at the 81st annual Miss Winnipesaukee Scholarship Competition tonight. Dearborn passed away this spring.
Co-Director of the Scholarship Program Gary Vincent asked Price, who lives in Maryland, to fly up for the event.
"She'll actually be showing her mother's original trophy from 1944," Vincent said.
Dearborn was a Boston native. At the time, anyone would compete in the Miss Winnipesaukee Pageant, which was simply a bathing suit competition. Dearborn was vacationing in the area and decided to sign up.
After Dearborn won, Winnie Shaw, a celebrity who vacationed in The Weirs, presented her with the trophy.
Vincent said that the Miss Winnipesaukee Pageant, the oldest local pageant in the United States, once afforded it's winner the opportunity to compete in the Miss America Pageant, although, by Dearborn's time, Miss America competitors had to hold a state title.
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll...0140/0/CITIZEN