Evening star., 1955-04-28
Apple Queen
Takes Throne
In Pageantry
Sun Smiles on Fete
As Miss Stephens
Storts 2-Doy Reign
BY MARY LOU WERNER
Star Stan Correspondent

BY MARY LOU WERNER
Star Stan Correspondent
WINCHESTER. Va, April %
Blond. green eyed Jean
Spratley Stephens, who feels more
at home on a basketball court
than in the role of royalty. today
became queen of the 28th An
nual Shenandoah Apple Bios
som Festival.
Coronation of the 21-year-old
daughter of Virginia's 1t. Gov.
A. E. S. Stephens took place in
the Handley School Bowl before
the first official presentation of
the festival pageant. "In All Gen.
erations." The crowning. by SEN
ator Symlngton, Democrat, of
Missouri. officially began the
pretty queens two-day reign over
the annual apple festival.
The weather was warm and
sunny and the weatherman said
it was going to stay that way
for the duration of the festivities.
All the pomp and pageantry
that customarily attend an ap-
pie queen is something new to
Queen Jean. even though she is
a member of one of Virginia's
official families.
Everyone stands and claps
when the slender. smiling queen
enters a room at the various
festival activities.
Il keep looking behind me to
see who's there" she said laugh
ingly. as she talked about activ-
tiles that she is more accustomed
to.
MajOring in Chemistry
One undertaking at which she
excells is basketball. She plays
at Hollins College. where she is
a junior. Miss Stephens is ma
joring in chemistry. She re-
Gently won an award at Hollins
as the schools outstanding
chemistry student.
In her native Smithfield, Va,
Queen Jean was graduated from
high school as class valedicto-
rian. Her scholastic achieve
ments are almost too numerous
to mention.
The apple queen managed to
disguise her athletic and mental
agility behind a pretty. smiling
face and slender figure.
Past apple blossom queens have
included Pat Priest. daughter of
the United States Treasurer;
Nina Honey Bear" Warren,
daughter Of the Chief Justice,
and Kathryn Eisenhower, niece
Of the President.
This years queen-elect ar
rived here yesterday for a pre-
coronation whirl of royal duties.
She wore straight-cut navy
blue dress that set off her bril-
liant golden hair and fair COM
plexion to advantage. One of her
first chores was the cutting of a
huge apple pie 3 feet wide.
At least two dozen guests at
the pie-cutting sampled it. and
there was still plenty left to send
to Winchester orphans for their
apple festival dessert.
Yesterday afternoon the queen
visited a street carnival set up
in Winchester's main shopping
district. She rode on the ferris
wheel with her maids of honor,
Misses Gretchen T. Armstrong
and Martha Hall Robinson, both
Of Winchester.
Winchester's 200 school chill
dren went through a dress re-
hearsal Of the festival pageant.
A new sequence with a distinct
Walt Disney flavor depicting
lines from the nursery rhyme,
The House That Jack Built, "
has been added to the pageant.
Garland Quarles, Winchester
school superintendent. who
writes and directs the pageant,
makes changes annually but
sticks to many scenes that have
become so popular-the sham
battle between Confederate and
Yankee troops. the Shawnee In
dian maiden story and the
perennial blossom dances.
How Long Pageant
The pageant lasts slightly
longer than an hour. After to-
days showing. it will be re-
peated at 10:30 am, Eastern
Standard Time, tomorrow.
Celebrities participating in
this years festival include Capt.
Video of television fame, who is
to be grand marshal of the
parade tomorrow, and Pick Tenn
pie, cowboy singing star of tele-
vision. who is to ride at the head
of tonight's firemen's parade.
Only one thing seems to be
missing from the 28th festival
apple blossoms. Early warm
weather coaxed the pink and
white blooms to their peak a
week ago. and ensuing days of
rainy weather left most orchards
bereft of petals.