By Chris Schad

There are many loving names people give to a relative who passes away. There is mother, grandmother, friend and many others. However, few people can say they held the title of “Spam Queen.”

That’s something Inez Honderich, who died on Feb. 8 at age 92, could once claim. Not only could she call herself the Spam Queen, but she could say she was the first Spam Queen.

Her journey started in Bryant, S.D., where she was born on Sept. 7, 1919. After moving to Austin at 12, she graduated from Austin High School in 1937.

She then worked for Hormel Foods for 32.5 cents an hour, selling copies of a publication called “Squeal!,” according to Gina Gage, her oldest granddaughter.

“Grandma was a stunningly beautiful woman physically,” Gage said in an e-mail. “When she was young, everyone told her she should be a professional model.”

In 1939, she got the opportunity to become one.

Hormel decided to hold a contest in which the woman who sold the most copies of their publication “Squeal!” would be named the Spam Queen. The Spam Queen would then represent Hormel in ads, alongside professional models, for the canned meat that was sent overseas to help feed U.S. troops in World War II.

Honderich, who was known as Inez Oscarson at the time, won the contest and appeared in several ads for Spam that were featured in the Saturday Evening Post, Life, the Ladies Home Journal, Time, and many other publications.

“We had no idea she was the Spam Queen until we were in our 40s or 50s.” said her son and owner of Johnny’s Main Event in Austin, John Clark. “She was kind of ashamed of being the Spam Queen because at that time, people who worked at the Hormel plant were known as ‘Pack Rats.’ She was afraid of being ‘Queen of the Hogs’ so she never told us.”

She reigned as the Spam Queen for two years and then married Robert Clark in 1940. Together, they started Clark’s pet shop in downtown Austin in the late 1950s. However, just a few years later, the business was destroyed in a fire.

They moved to Arizona in 1973 because of Robert’s failing health, and as time went on Honderich became more comfortable with being the Spam Queen. After Clark’s death in 1975, she remarried. And after stops in Mississippi, Iran, and Texas, Honderich and her new husband, Forrest, returned to Arizona.

“They would figure out that she was the Spam Queen and everyone would want to interview her.” John Clark recalled. “She realized that it was quite an honor to be named the Spam Queen.”

Upon her death, the people close to Honderich remembered the first Spam Queen as a wonderful person willing to give anyone a second chance.

“Grandma was the sweetest, kindest, gentlest lady in the world.” Gage said in her e-mail.

“She never smoked; I think I saw her drink a glass of wine once, and she always saw the good in everyone.” said Clark. “I am very thankful to have had her in my life.”