Senior beauties ready

August 29, 2008 11:36 pm

— Marie Wadley and Beverly Kinser have proven it’s never late to be a beauty queen.
Both ladies are entered in the Ms. Senior Oklahoma Pageant, sponsored by Grace Hospice Foundation in Tulsa.
Wadley, 101, is the Ms. Pleasant Valley Independent Living representative.
Both said they are excited to be a part of the pageant.
“Of course I am excited,” Wadley said. “I’m not sleeping am I?”
Ms. Senior Oklahoma is being held at 2 p.m. Sept. 6 at the Tulsa Community College VanTrease Performing Arts Center for Education building.
Carolyn McGhay, director of special projects for Grace Hospice Foundation, said this pageant is something the ladies love to do.
“This is the third year for us to do this,” she said. “This honors the senior women for the beauty of the mind and spirit. Our numbers in attendance keep rising. We had over 500 people just last year. We have LeAnn Taylor as a judge and Cindy Morrison will be singing.”
Wadley moved from assisted living at Pleasant Valley to independent living in an apartment about four years ago.
“I love being on my own,” she said.
She retired from the Bureau of Indian Affairs after 42 years. She was given a distinguished character award by President Harry Truman at the White House.
“It was my privilege to meet him,” she said.
Wadley also wrote the church history for St. Paul United Methodist Church. She still enjoys reading and playing the organ.
“I love music,” she said. “I still do my daily reading.”
She said she has two “lovely” grandchildren.
“George Wadley III and Kathy Lynn Wadley — they both live in California, but they do come and visit me from time to time.”
Wadley has chosen a pale plum iridescent gown with light jacket for the pageant. When she moves the colors shift from light to dark and sparkle.
Kinser, 75, is the Ms. Pleasant Valley Assisted Living representative.
“I am a beauty queen for the first time ever in my life,” Kinser said. “This is fun.”
Kinser, who almost couldn’t make the interview because of her favorite hobby, bingo, is the mother of four — Bill and David Vaughn; Kelly McCoy and Barbara Thomas of Muskogee.
“I’m a gambler,” she said. “But it’s OK because I won.”
Kinser retired from the Department of Human Services but worked as the general manager of Holiday Inn in Muskogee before that.
“I am excited to be a part of this,” she said. “But I had to have help to pick out my dress.”
Kinser’s evening gown is a soft satin latte colored gown, which complements her vibrant red hair. Her eyes glittered more than the tiara resting on her head.
“This is the most fun I have had in awhile,” she said.


If you go
WHAT: Third annual Ms. Senior Oklahoma Pageant.
WHEN: 2 p.m. Sept. 6.
WHERE: TCC VanTrease Performing Arts Center for Education, 10300 E. 81st St., Tulsa.
TICKETS: $7.50 per person.

Judging criteria
Contestants in the Ms. Senior Oklahoma Pageant will be judged in two parts.
Part one: Evening wear — judged on the following criteria for 50 points.
• Poise and self-confidence — 15 points.
• Evening wear clothing — 15 points.
• Overall impression — 20 points.
Part two: Interview — each contestant is provided with three questions to choose from or to write their own question they prefer to answer for 50 points.
• Stage presence — 15 points.
• Answer content — 15 points.
• Overall impression — 20 points.

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