1982-1986

Melesia Spence Enters Mm. ~ppi Pageant

Melesia Spence of Decatur, Miss. EJCJ, will enter the 27th annual Miss Mississippi Pageant to be held in Vicksburg during the week of July 18 through July 21. The Miss. Mississippi Pageant selects the state's official representative to the Miss America Pageant held each year in Atlantic City. Mississippi has enjoyed tremendous success at the Miss America Pageant in past years and Melesia will be trying to make her mark at the state level July 18 and hopefully on to Atlantic City. The following awards have been won by Miss. Mississippi in the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City in years past: Miss America (1959) - Mary Ann Mobley (Miss Mississippi 1958); Miss America (1960) - Lynda Lee Mead (Miss Mississippi 1959); Miss Mississippi (1965) - Patsy Puckett (1st alternate to Miss America); Miss Mississippi (1%7) " - Joan Myers (1st alternate to Miss America); Miss Mississippi

(1970) - Chris Mcclamroch (3 rd alternate to Miss America); Mi s Mississippi (1978) - Cheri Brown (Preliminary Swimsuit Award); Miss America (1980) - Cheryl Prewitt (Miss :vii.,sis.;ipµ i i ;n; and Preliminary Swimsuit Award); Miss Mississippi (1980) - Donna Pope (2nd alternate to Miss America and Preliminary Swimsuit Award); Miss Mississippi (1981 ) - Karen Hop– son (Top ten in Miss America Pageant and Prelimi nary Swim– suit Award); Miss Mississippi (1982) - Dianne Evans (2nd alter– nate to Miss America and Preliminary Talent Award); Miss Mississippi (1983) - Wanda Gayle Geddie (3rd alternate to Mis:; America and Preliminary Swim– suit Award). You will note that for the past five consecutive years, Miss Mississippi has finished in the Top Ten in the Miss America Pageant. Melesia is an honor graduate of Decatur High School where Continued To Page 3A

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