ADAMS -- The only thing to spoil an otherwise perfect Mower County dairy princess banquet came when Cristy Sathre crowned the new princess.

She slipped the crown atop the head of emcee Paul Pruitt. Worse yet, he accepted the honor and gave a speech.

Fortunately, Pruitt immediately relinquished the crown and Sathre crowned Heather Hill the Mower County dairy princess for 2003.

When the dairy princess banquet ended April 12 ended, it was after 11 p.m.

But the marathon 3 1/2 hour-long event was truly an evening to remember.

After all, it was the 50th annual dairy princess banquet for the Mower County American Dairy Association.

"It was so thrilling to have so many former dairy princesses come back. There were so many memories that night for everyone to share," said Jane Sathre, a candidate for the honor in 1970 and mother of the 2002 dairy princess.

Thirty-four of the 48 former princesses returned for the golden anniversary event at Sacred Heart Catholic Church fellowship hall.

The Sacred Heart Church Women served 392 guests, making it one of the largest dairy princess crowds since the golden era of dairying in Mower County, when as many as 29 dairy farmers' daughters vied for the honor of representing all dairy producers in the county.

Susan Meier Ziegler came the greatest distance. The 1976 dairy princess came from Lincoln, Neb. to attend the pageant.

Her sister, Janelle, won the honor in 1972. The Meier sisters grew up on a dairy farm near Brownsdale.

Eleanor Maley Thatcher, the county's very first dairy princess, addressed the audience.

She was also a regional dairy princess and became the state's very first Princess Kay of the Milky Way.

Nearly lost in the excitement of a one-of-a-kind anniversary was the crowning of Hill, daughter of Duane Hill and Jean Blaser, of Adams, to be the 2003 dairy princess.

Her attendants are Angela Lynn Russell, daughter of Randy and Valeri Smith, Adams, and Hannah Valeria Miller, daughter of Lynn and Sherilynn Miller, LeRoy.

Milk Maids for 2003 are Nicole Jax, 9, daughter of Doug and Becky Jax, Waltham, Faith Miller, 8, daughter of Lynn and Sherilynn Miller, Leroy, and McKinzie Smith, 9, daughter of Rick and Tracy Smith, Adams.

Not only did the former dairy princesses steal the spotlight last Saturday night, they will shine forever in both a Powerpoint presentation and a video being prepared to sell to an apparently curious half-century of fans.

One of the former dairy princesses, Nancy Weydert (1961) died earlier this year. Allison Heimer held the honor twice: 1990 and 1992.

That left 48 dairy princesses to be honored at this year's banquet.

Preserving memories

Shari and Evan Heimer, mother and son, put together a presentation of photographs of past banquets and princesses.

Harvey Sathre, the oldest living former emcee at a dairy princess banquet, spoke to the crowd. He brought with him a 125-year-old cowbell.

The elder Sathre basked in the spotlight with his son, Lynn, and granddaughter, Cristy, giving the Sathre family three generations of dairy princess banquet participation.

The elder Sathre's granddaughter, the 2002 dairy princess, presented her grandfather with a dairy cow blanket gift.

"Colonel" George Moline once again helped the ADA raise scholarship money for the dairy princesses and attendants. In return for his long service to the ADA, Moline received a gift.

The Rev. Shari Mason, pastor of Little Cedar and Marshall Lutheran churches, gave the invocation. Al May, of Stacyville, Iowa, provided dinner music.

Culver's Restaurant of Austin received the Golden Butter Knife Award for being the outstanding business to promote dairy products.

Both the AmPride and Amoco Food Shop convenience stores and gasoline stations at LeRoy were honored for their support of dairying n Mower County.

Linda James, a state representative for the Princess Kay of the Milky Way contest, congratulated the Mower County ADA on its local dairy princess history.

Bruce Cottington, of Litchfield and a retired state ADA director, also congratulated the local ADA unit.

Videotapes of the historic dairy princess banquet are being prepared for others' viewing. Details on how to obtain one of the tapes will be announced later.

Lynn and Jane Sathre, who among other ADA board members worked so hard to produce the dairy princess banquet and golden anniversary celebration, expressed the Mower County ADA's appreciation to all the supporters of dairying.

Banquet highlights

Pruitt, who lives in Hudson, Wis., returned to entertain the audience as the banquet's emcee. So good at the job was Pruitt that he kept the audience in stitches laughing and their seats -- nobody left the banquet which started at 7:30 p.m. -- throughout the long evening.

All of the county's former dairy princesses were invited to return to Adams June 13, 14 and 15 to star in the annual Dairy Days celebration.

For more information about obtaining a video or other souvenir of the 50th annual mower County ADA dairy princess banquet, call Lynn or Jane Sathre at 582-7723.

Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at

lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com