Miss Missouri
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- For the state pageant affiliated with Miss USA, see Miss Missouri USA.
The Miss Missouri competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Missouri in the Miss America pageant.
Contents
History
From 1935 to 1970, the Miss Missouri pageant was held in a number of locations, including St. Louis, Kansas City, and Springfield.
In 1970, the pageant was held for the first time in Mexico, Missouri, which would become the pageant's home. The pageant has been held in Mexico in all following years.
Missouri has produced one Miss America: Debbye Turner (Miss America, 1990). They have had a number of runners-up and semi-finalists.
Three Miss Missouri pageant winners have won the Miss Missouri USA crown and competed in the annual Miss USA pageant, most notably Miss Missouri 2002, Shandi Ren Finnessey, who won the Miss USA title and placed 1st runner-up at Miss Universe. Sarah French, Miss Missouri 2006, is the only titleholder who has also competed at Miss Teen USA, although she represented Arkansas.
Winners
| Year | Name | Hometown | Age | Local Title | Miss America Talent | Placement at Miss America | Special scholarships at Miss America | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | McKensie Garber | Hale | 22 | Miss Gateway St. Louis | Jazz Ballet en Pointe "P.Y.T." | Previously Miss Missouri's Outstanding Teen 2011 | ||
| 2014 | Jessica Hartman | Pueblo | 23 | Miss Springfield | Dance "Steppin' Out with My Baby" | Miss Colorado USA 2010 and 3rd runner-up at Miss USA 2010, Miss Intercontinental 2011 representing the United States | ||
| 2013 | Shelby Ringdahl | Columbia | 21 | Miss Springfield | Vocal "Defying Gravity" | Top 12 | ||
| 2012 | Chelsea (Tippe) Tipton Emmott | Springfield | 21 | Miss Branson | Ballet en Pointe "Un Dia Llegara" | 1st runner-up at National Sweetheart 2011 | ||
| 2011 | Sydney Friar[1] | El Dorado Springs | 22 | Miss Branson | Vocal "Dream On" | |||
| 2010 | Erika Hebron | O'Fallon | 23 | Miss Gateway St. Louis | Lyrical Dance "Dream In Color" | Missouri's Junior Miss 2005 | ||
| 2009 | Tara Osseck | St. Charles | 23 | Miss Lake of the Ozarks | Tap Dance "Sing, Sing, Sing" | Quality of Life Finalist | ||
| 2008 | Lacey Fitzgerald | Kansas City | 24 | Miss Gateway of the West | Vocal | |||
| 2007 | Lindsay Casmaer | Florissant | 24 | Miss River City | Ballet en Pointe "Piano Fantasy" | Missouri's Junior Miss 2001 | ||
| 2006 | Sarah French | Columbia | 21 | Miss Mid-Missouri | Vocal "I've Got the World on a String" | Miss Arkansas Teen USA 2004 and Miss Photogenic at Miss Teen USA 2004 | ||
| 2005 | Stacie Cooley | Liberty | 22 | Miss Columbia | Jazz Dance "Last Dance" | |||
| 2004 | Whitney Weeks | Chesterfield | 24 | Miss Jackson | Tap Dance "Tico Tico" | Non-finalist Talent Award | Daughter of Carole Johnson who was Miss West Virginia 1961 | |
| 2003 | Amber Etheridge | St. Louis | 23 | Miss Northwest Missouri | Vocal "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" | Top 15 | ||
| 2002 | Shandi Ren Finnessey | Florissant | 24 | Miss Metro St. Louis | Piano Solo "Bumble Boogie" | Preliminary Evening Gown | 3rd runner up at Miss Oktoberfest 2000, Miss Missouri USA 2004 and Miss USA 2004 and 1st runner-up at Miss Universe 2004 | |
| 2001 | Jennifer Hover | Springfield | 23 | Miss Springfield | Vocal Medley "Somewhere" & "Over the Rainbow" | Top 20 | ||
| 2000 | Arron Wendel | Lawson | 23 | Miss Ray County | Modern Dance "This Is Your Time" | |||
| 1999 | Patryce King | New Cambria | 23 | Miss Mid-Missouri | Piano "Rhapsody in Blue" | |||
| 1998 | Deborah McDonald | Alton | 24 | Miss West Plains | Vocal "I Will Always Love You" | 3rd runner-up | ||
| 1997 | Michele Eise | St. Louis | 24 | Miss Malden | Gospel Vocal "How Great Thou Art" | |||
| 1996 | Kimberly Massaro | St. Louis | 24 | Miss Mid-Missouri | Tap Dance "Favorite Son" from The Will Rogers Follies | 4th runner-up | ||
| 1995 | Erin Phillips | Mexico | 23 | Miss Audrain | Tap Dance "Gershwin Medley" | |||
| 1994 | Ann Marie Sun | Springfield | 22 | Miss Mid-Missouri | Piano | Allman Medical Scholarship | ||
| 1993 | Amber Green | Steelville | 23 | Miss North Central | Piano Solo "Battle Hymn of the Republic" | |||
| 1992 | Stephanie Patterson | Kansas City | 23 | Miss Aurora | Vocal Medley "I Have Dreamed" & "If I Loved You" | Top 10 | ||
| 1991 | Soncee Brown | Springfield | 24 | Miss Lake of the Ozarks | Vocal / Piano "He Touched Me" from Drat! The Cat! | 2nd runner-up | Missouri's Junior Miss 1985 | |
| 1990 | Sherry Traylor | Mexico | 26 | Miss North Central | Vocal "What's New" | |||
| 1989 | Patricia Ann Meusburger*[2] | 25 | Miss Twin Counties | All of the runners-up turned down the crown because they would have been ineligible to compete again until 1991. Meusburger who finished in 6th place accepted the title. | ||||
| Debbye Turner | Mexico | 23 | Miss Columbia | Marimba Medley "Flight of the Bumblebee", "Csárdás", & "Can-Can" | Winner | Preliminary Swimsuit Award | National Sweetheart 1988 as Miss Arkansas | |
| 1988 | Heather Smith | Maryland Heights | 21 | Miss Columbia | Baton Twirling "Whistler and His Dog" by Arthur Pryor | Non-finalist Talent Award | Missouri's Junior Miss 1984 | |
| 1987 | Robin Riley | Columbia | 25 | Miss Columbia | Ballet "Overture from Funny Girl" | Top 10 | Miss Missouri USA 1983 | |
| 1986 | Tamara Tungate | St. Peters | 21 | Miss North Central | Vocal "Don't Rain on My Parade" | 4th runner-up | Preliminary Swimsuit Award | |
| 1985 | Lisa Coverdale | Columbia | 24 | Miss North Central | Classical Piano Solo | |||
| 1984 | Anna Schell | Kennett | 26 | Miss Springfield | Semi-classical Vocal Medley from The Sound of Music | |||
| 1983 | Barbara Webster | Jefferson City | 21 | Miss Santa Fe Trails | Violin Medley "Listen to the Mocking Bird" & "Orange Blossom Special" | Top 10 | Preliminary Talent Award | Miss Missouri USA 1986 |
| 1982 | Julie Phillips | Ava | 18 | Miss Queen of the Ozarks | Classical / Jazz Piano | |||
| 1981 | Theresa McDonnell | Florissant | 22 | Miss Trenton | Vocal "Let's Hear It For Me" from Funny Lady | |||
| 1980 | Carla LeFevre | Harrisonville | 22 | Miss Kansas City | Semi-classical Vocal "And This Is My Beloved" | |||
| 1979 | Susan Wilson | Columbia | 21 | Miss Jefferson County | Piano "Fantaisie-Impromptu" | 3rd runner-up | ||
| 1978 | Tamara Fister | Poplar Bluff | 21 | Miss St. Louis | Vocal "Beautiful" | |||
| 1977 | Jayne Scherder | Bowling Green | 20 | Miss William Woods College | Piano Solo "The Firefly" | |||
| 1976 | Marcia Kolich | Sugar Creek | 22 | Miss Jackson County | Jazz Dance "Everything's Coming up Roses", "On Broadway", & "That's Entertainment!" | |||
| 1975 | Rebecca Rives | Stoutsville | 22 | Miss Kirksville | Vocal Medley "The Trolley Song" & "Over the Rainbow" | Contestant at Maid of Cotton 1974 | ||
| 1974 | Michelle Marshall | Florissant | 20 | Miss St. Louis | Vocal / Dance "Sweet Charity" | |||
| 1973 | Terri Dodson | Fulton | 22 | Miss William Woods College | Piano "Dizzy Fingers" | |||
| 1972 | Anita Columbo | St. Louis | 21 | Miss St. Louis | Vocal / Dance "It's Today" from Mame | Contestant at Miss Teenage America 1966, Missouri's Junior Miss 1969 and 1st runner-up at America's Junior Miss | ||
| 1971 | Deborah Duff | Kansas City | 19 | Miss Kansas City | Modern Jazz Dance "Big Noise from Winnetka" | |||
| 1970 | Marcia Mossbarger | Brookfield | 22 | Miss Brookfield | Tap Dance "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" | |||
| 1969 | Frances Biesemeyer | New Franklin | 18 | Miss Fayette | Art Presentation "Talk to the Animals" | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||
| 1968 | Kathleen Goff | DeSoto | 21 | Miss Southwest Missouri State College | Vocal "I'm Gonna Live Till I Die" | Toured with Miss America USO Troupe | ||
| 1967 | Ronnee Brunk | St. Louis | 19 | Miss Camdenton | Vocal "I Feel a Song Coming On" | Missouri's Junior Miss 1966 | ||
| 1966 | Janice Robinson | Marshfield | 20 | Miss Southwest Missouri State College | Skit w/ Piano, Vocal & Dance "Calling Billy Names" | |||
| 1965 | Lesley Fleenor | Springfield | 20 | Miss West Plains | Vocal "Hard Hearted Hannah" | |||
| 1964 | Carol Browning | Lee's Summit | 20 | Miss Lee's Summit | Marimba & Accordion Medley | |||
| 1963 | Judith Engelhardt | Affton | Miss St. Charles | Classical Vocal "The Jewel Song" from Faust | Contestant at Miss Dixie 1964 | |||
| 1962 | Sandra Lyle | Springfield | 19 | Miss Springfield | Dramatic Reading "The Potion Scene" from Romeo & Juliet | Miss Dixie 1963 | ||
| 1961 | Sarah Burns | Caruthersville | 20 | Miss Caruthersville | Vocal / Dance "Put on a Happy Face" from Bye Bye Birdie | Contestant at Maid of Cotton 1962 | ||
| 1960 | Dusene Vunovich | Kansas City | 19 | Miss Kansas City | Vocal "Honey Bun" from South Pacific | Contestant at Miss Dixie 1961 | ||
| 1959 | Linda Long | Independence | 19 | Miss Independence | Dramatic Reading "The White Cliffs of Dover" | Contestant at Miss Dixie 1960 | ||
| 1958 | Marjorie Critten | Kansas City | Miss Kansas City | Tap Dance "Opus No. 1" | Contestant at Miss Dixie 1959 | |||
| 1957 | Sara Cooper | Buckner | Miss Kansas City | Charleston Dance | Top 10 | Preliminary Talent Award | 1st runner-up at Miss Dixie 1958, Daughter of Major League baseball player Walker Cooper | |
| 1956 | Roseann Teri | St. Louis | Miss St. Louis | Dress Design | ||||
| 1955 | Sharon Knickmeyer | St. Louis | Miss St. Louis | Synchronized Swimming | Non-finalist Talent Award | |||
| 1954 | Carole Wilkinson | Maplewood | Miss Maplewood | Vocal | ||||
| 1953 | Laura Holmes | Northwoods | Miss Northwoods | Dance | ||||
| 1952 | Florence Spack | Clayton | Miss Clayton | Vocal | ||||
| 1951 | Carol Romann | St. Charles | Miss St. Charles | Bassoon | ||||
| 1950 | Beverly Rotroff | Kansas City | Miss Kansas City | Vocal / Piano | ||||
| 1949 | Mary Stone | Jefferson City | Miss Jefferson City | |||||
| 1948 | Dorothy Smith | Kansas City | Miss Kansas City | |||||
| 1947 | Mary Burke | Kansas City | Miss Kansas City | Vocal "I'm a Big Girl Now" | ||||
| 1946 | Nadine LaVerne Fugett | Kansas City | Competed as Miss Kansas City | |||||
| 1945 | Betty Ream | Hughesville | Miss Hughesville | |||||
| 1943 | Emma Jean Adams | St. Louis | Competed as Miss St. Louis | |||||
| 1941 | Geraldine Koehler | St. Louis | Miss St. Louis | |||||
| Leila Bell Wright | Kansas City | Competed as Miss Kansas City | ||||||
| 1940 | Virginia Morrison | St. Louis | Miss St. Louis | Top 12 | ||||
| Gloria Kathleen Gipson | Kansas City | Competed as Miss Kansas City | ||||||
| LaFern Mueller | St. Louis | Competed as Miss St. Louis | ||||||
| 1939 | Margaret Ley | St. Louis | Miss St. Louis | |||||
| 1937 | Mary Sue Klein | Moberly | Miss Moberly | |||||
| Wauneta Bates | St. Louis | Top 16 | Competed as Miss St. Louis | |||||
| 1936 | Margaret Price | Lexington | Miss Lexington | |||||
| 1935 | Edna Smith | Fayette | 19 | Miss Fayette | Piano / Vocal "Prelude No. 20 by Chopin" & "When Day Is Done" | 1st runner-up | ||
| 1933 | Marie Marks | 16 | Top 18 | |||||
| 1927 | No Miss Missouri | Marion Kenser competed as Miss Kansas City and Katherine Calloway competed as Miss St. Louis. | ||||||
| 1926 | Ruby Wallace | Also representing Missouri were Marguerite Jordan who competed as Miss Kansas City and Corinne Groves who competed as Miss St. Louis. They both finished as Finalists. | ||||||
| 1925 | No Miss Missouri | Eileen Wenzel competed as Miss St. Louis. | ||||||
| 1924 | No Miss Missouri | Helen Moore competed as Miss St. Louis. | ||||||
| 1923 | No Miss Missouri | Charlotte Nash competed as Miss St. Louis and placed 3rd runner-up. | ||||||
| 1922 | No Miss Missouri | Miriam Chafee competed as Miss Kansas City and Mildred Hose competed as Miss St. Louis. | ||||||
* Succeeded to the crown after Miss Missouri won Miss America
