Local Women Compete to be Crowned Ms. Missouri Senior America

On Friday afternoon, nine ladies chatted, danced, sang and bounced around with great energy in preparation for a pageant on Sunday afternoon in the . This isn’t your average Miss America contest, however.

Each contestant ranges in the age of 60 to 80 years old, and each has the chance to be the next Ms. Missouri Senior America.

Sponsored by the Missouri Cameo Club, the pageant features women from across the state of Missouri; however, the state co-director Barbara Malta said that a majority of the contestants come from the Greater St. Louis area.

Florissant resident and contestant Wendy Gordon became aware of the pageant in 2008 when one her friends competed in it. Although she wasn’t of age at the time, she looked forward to the day when she would be able to be a part of the pageant.

“I’m stepping out of my comfort zone,” she said. “Speaking and singing are two different things.”

Carol Moldafsky, of Town and Country, shared the similar sentiment.

“It’s nerve-wrecking,” Moldasky said. “Being in the Cameo Club is a plus, and I’ll have the ability to share my talent with other people.”

The pageant serves as an initiation to the Cameo Club, co-director Malta said. Former queens and pageant contestants serve as members of the club and attend more than 50 events for nursing homes, senior expos and senior centers.

Current Queen Jacquie Crawford, who’s from St. Peters, said she hadn’t competed in pageants previously, but this one opened doors and her eyes.

She said she’s been able to share her tap-dancing talent with people she would not otherwise know.

The winner of Sunday’s pageant will become an ambassador for the state of Missouri and the representative at the national pageant in early October.

Malta said that 38 other states will send a queen to the national competition in Atlantic City, Oct. 2-7. The club pays for the queen’s flight, hotel, food, pageant entrance fees, gown and even a $500 allowance for her while she’s competing.

“To be the queen is a once-in-the-lifetime experience,” Malta said.

Contestant Modalsky said she would be honored and shocked if she won, and she would be excited to represent Missouri and meet new people on her journey.

The contestants for Sunday include: 

• Peggy Eggers, Florissant
• Phyllis Follmer, St. Louis 
• Char Gestring, Bonne Terre
• Julia L. Gettinger, Hazelwood 
• Wendy Gordon, Florissant
• Elizabeth Herring, St. Louis 
• Carol Modafsky, Town and Country
• Sandy Rosell, University City 
• Merrily Woodford, Manchester

The Ms. Missouri Senior America pageant takes place Sunday at the Florissant Civic Center at 2 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at the box office for $15 and increase to $17 on the day of competition.