The 2018 Cobden Peach Festival queen pageant contestants include, from left, Josie Walker, Erin Dillow, Addison Osman, Grace Pitts, Zoe Fuhrhop, Kaitlin McWhorter, Lexi Miller, Haley Brown and Emilee Awbrey. Contestant Grace Schroeder and 2017 Peach Festival queen Janna Harner could not be present for the picture. Photo by Tiffiny Dillow for The Gazette-Democrat.

Peach Fest queen contestants featured

Ten young women from Union County are contestants for the title of 2018 Cobden Peach Festival queen.

The Cobden Peach Festival is set for Friday and Saturday, Aug. 3-4.

A queen pageant is one of the highlights of the Peach Festival, which again is being sponsored by the Cobden Lions Club.

The pageant will take place on Friday and Saturday nights at the Cobden Community Park, which is the home of the Peach Festival.

The new queen will be crowned Saturday night. Janna Harner is the reigning queen. Debbie Stroehlein of Cobden is the pageant’s coordinator.

Profiles of each of the 2018 contestants follow. The profiles are based on responses the contestants shared about themselves for when they appear on stage during the Peach Festival queen pageant. 

Emilee Marie Awbrey

Emilee, 18, is from Anna. Her parents are Julia and Mickey Awbrey. She has two brothers, Jesse and Caden.

Emilee’s high school  is Anna-Jonesboro Community High School. She is undecided about her college plans. She works at Kroger.

Her special talents and training include child care and CPR training. 

Her interests include hiking, eating fast foods and bringing home stray animals.

Commenting on something special she would want said on stage about herself, she said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” 

Emilee said her favorite place is “Inspiration Point, because the walk up there challenges you to a nice workout and then you are taken away by the scenery while you sit on the rock. It’s a great place to clear your head and escape for awhile if needed.”

Her sponsor is Anna Tire.

Haley Ann Brown

Haley, 18, is from Anna. Her parents are Wendy Laws and Jason Brown. She has a brother, Bodhi.

Haley’s high school is Anna-Jonesboro Community High School. She plans to continue her education at John A. Logan College at Carterville and Southern Illinois University. She works at Integrity Healthcare.

Her special talents and training include basic life support and being a certified nursing assistant.

Her interests include hiking, swimming,  boating, cooking and listening to music.

Commenting on something special she would want said on stage about herself, she said, “My goal in life is to travel all over the world, to learn about other countries and their cultures.”

Haley said her favorite place is Giant City State Park. “Giant City Park is a beautiful place to explore and admire all its beauty.”

Her sponsor is Sylvia’s Brushstrokes.

Erin Dillow

Erin, 18, is from Anna. Her parents are Greg and Rhonda Dillow. She has a sister, Jessica.

Erin’s high school was Shawnee Hills Christian Academy in Anna. Her education is continuing at Shawnee Community College. She works at Hebrewz Coffeehouse.

Her special talents and training include being a coffee house barista, a phlebotomist and a self-taught soap maker.

Her interests include singing, theatre, horseback riding, cycling, reading and creative writing.

Commenting on something special she would want said on stage about herself, she said, “Academically: With much diligence, I graduated from high school this year with five additional credits and a full year of college completed, all while maintaining a 4.0 grade point average. On a personal note, I love the Lord my God with all my heart and am so blessed to be here tonight.

Erin said her favorite place is “the roof on our barn, because it is the highest point that I can climb at our farm and one of the most beautiful places to view the stars.”

Her sponsor is Heartland Properties.

Zoe Lane Fuhrhop

Zoe, 18, is from Cobden. Her parents are Brandon and Nickie Fuhrhop and Laura Rader. She has two brothers, John Fuhrhop and Dylan Duty, and a sister, Tori Fuhrhop.

Zoe’s high school is Cobden High School. She is continuing her education at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau. She is employed at StarView Vineyards and owner of Store 2 Door.

Her special talents and training include six years of cheer experience and three years of theatre experience. Zoe has experience in both acting and directing. She served as director of the children’s play, “The Biggest Little House in the Forest,” and as a student director of the Cobden production of “A Few Good Men.”

Her interests include playing tennis, watching musicals, making fried pies with her grandma and fishing with her little brother, John.

Commenting on something special she would want said on stage about herself, Zoe noted that she was a member of the 2018 Union County CEO class, in which she had an opportunity to start her own business.

Zoe said her favorite place is being “at her great-grandma’s house watching the Food Network with her, because she has grown up cooking and spending time with her grandma.”

Her sponsor is StarView Vineyards. 

Kaitlin McWhorter

Kaitlin McWhorter, 20, is from Cobden. Her parents are Garon Adams and Kim McWhorter. She has a sister, Sahara.

Kaitlin is a Cobden High School graduate. She is attending Murray State University in Murray, Ky. She is employed at Martha’s Restaurant in Murray, Ky.

Her special talent is competing in rodeo events. Her  interests are horses.

Commenting on something special she would want said on stage about herself, she said, “My love of horses and rodeo competitions has allowed me to travel to many different states and make lifelong friends.”

Kaitlin said her favorite place is “roping cows on her horse D1. It is fun and relaxing.”

Her sponsors are her parents, Kim McWhorter and Garon Adams.

Lexi Miller

Lexi Miller, 17, is from Cobden. Her parents are David and Elizabeth Miller.

Her high school is Cobden Junior/Senior High School.

Her special talents include training in both softball and volleyball.

Her hobbies and interests include riding four-wheelers, hunting, fishing and spending time on the lake.

Lexi said her favorite thing to do is “spending time in the woods with her dad.”

Her sponsor is Gurley and Son Heating and Air Conditioning.

Addison Osman

Addison, 16, is from Anna. Her parents are Eric and Janice Osman. She has a sister, Avery.

Addison is an Anna-Jonesboro Community High School student. She is employed at Jus10’s.

Her special talents and training include being a competitive gymnast for 11 years and a cheerleader for three years.

Her interests include swimming, and spending time with her cheer team, friends and family.

Commenting on something special she would want said on stage about herself, she said, “I was able to place sixth at IHSA state with the cheer team and I am the junior class president at A-JCHS.”

Addison said that her favorite place is “the beach because it’s my favorite place to relax.”

Her sponsor is Tooth Tech.

Grace Anna Pitts

Grace, 18, is from Cobden. Her parents are Kent and Nancy Pitts. She has a brother, Christian Pitts, and a sister, Lindsey LeFevre.

Her high school is Cobden High School. She is continuing her education at Shawnee Community College. She is employed at Subway in Anna and at Vina’s Dance Studio.

Her special talents and training include being classically trained in ballet for 15 years, and being on pointe for seven years.

Her interests include horseback riding, playing polo, practicing the violin and reading avidly.

Commenting on something special she would want said on stage about herself, she said, “I am a ballet instructor and teach classes to students between the ages of 5 and 8. I also run my own lip balm business, called Curly Gurl’s Lip Balm.”

She said her favorite place is “the dance studio because it is my second home and always brings happy memories.”

Her sponsor is Moreland Eyecare.

Grace Schroeder

Grace, 18, is from Alto Pass. Her parents are Janet and David Childers. She has three sisters, Olivia, Ashlee and Haylee.

Her high school is Cobden High School. She plans to continue her education at the University of Kentucky. She works as a tutor out of her home.

Her interests include running and spending time with friends and family.

Commenting on something special she would want said on stage about herself, she said, “I love to tutor and mentor young girls.”

She said her favorite place is “laying on a hammock on the beach because it is the most relaxing place in the world.”

Her sponsor is Flamm Orchards.

Josie Mae Walker

Josie, 19, is from Cobden. Her parents are Carroll and Carrie Walker. She has a brother, Noah.

She is a Cobden High School graduate. She is enrolled at Shawnee Community College and plans to earn an associate of science degree. 

She plans to transfer to Southern Illinois University Carbondale to pursue a major in biology in the university’s pre-medicine program.

Upon graduating from SIUC, she plans to attend the SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, to pursue studies with an emphasis in diagnostic radiology.

She is in the SIH phlebotomy program and is a  Mary Kay Consultant.

Her special talent is being an avid vocalist.

Her interests include singing, cooking, watching her favorite show, “Grey’s Anatomy,” and spending time with her friends and family.

Commenting on her favorite place, Josie said, “I am proud to be from Cobden and Union County, Illinois, where we are home to my favorite place, the Cross of Peace at Bald Knob in Alto Pass.”

Her sponsor is John L. Hughey, candidate for Union County treasurer.

 

 

 

 

 

The Gazette-Democrat

112 Lafayette St.
Anna, Illinois 62906
Office Number: (618) 833-2158
Email: news@annanews.com

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