Nine women

competed on Saturday for the title "Ms. Southland." Each year

ladies at Southland Nursing Home in Peachtree City vie for the title and

the crown.

On the day

of the pageant getting ready is the focus of the contestants' day. Nails

are done, hair is fixed and coiffed, and finally, their best party or

Sunday dress is donned with extra care to ensure makeup is not mussed.

Then comes

the difficult part the waiting. They line up down the hall, chatting with

family members and getting last minute touch-ups. They watch as the room

fills with visitors and the judges come walking in. The handsome Marines,

their uniforms in tip-top shape, begin to line up and the ladies know

it's almost time for their time in front of the audience and judges.

Although they

have rehearsed the event, nerves are tight as they wait for their chance

on stage. Finally, it is their turn to be escorted to the stage by a member

of Marine Aviation Logistic Squadron 42.

This year,

the ladies all seemed to have a spry sense of humor, making the crowd

laugh on many occasions. Questions were posed by Superior Court Judge

Chris Edwards, his third time as emcee. The contestants were judged on

personality and physical appearance in relation to age, ability to communicate

and alertness, participation in nursing home activities, attitude toward

life and their excitement about being in the pageant.

Eight judges

had the difficult job of determining who would take top honors. Dr. Tom

Williams, Peter Pfeifer, Greg Dunn, Janet McGregor, Cappie Glanton, Dave

Edmondson, Debra Fowler and Richard Carlisle graded each woman individually

a total of all scores were tallied to arrive at the winners.

Six of the

nine contestants had entered the contest in previous years, the remainder

were first-timers. All are active in nursing home activities, participating

in exercise, arts and crafts, Bible study, music, cooking classes and

parties. Parties seemed to be the favorite activity for all of the entrants.

After answering

questions and bantering back and forth with the emcee and judges, they

enter the time that is often most difficult the wait to see who will take

the crown.

Lottie Abbott,

71, was overjoyed to be selected as the winner of this year's pageant.

She said initially she did not want to enter the contest, feeling she

was too young. Her granddaughter cleared up that objection, telling her

that wasn't true she was old. Her granddaughter was on hand to watch as

she answered questions and ultimately won.

Nadine Treantafilos

was first runner-up, followed by Ruby Preston, Alice Brouillette and Ira

"Mimmie" Cawthon.

A special presentation

was made to the Marines in memory of MGySgt. Michael E. Bussier, who had

been an annual volunteer at the event for five years, escorting the women

to and from the stage. Shortly after last year's event Bussier was diagnosed

with an inoperable brain tumor and passed away.

During a tearful

presentation, Angie Brown and Debbie Azzarelli of Southland spoke highly

of Bussier and presented the Marines with a plaque and a scrap book commemorating

his five-year involvement in the pageant.

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