27 Contestants vie for Colorado’s Silver Queen Pageant Presented by Sangre de Cristo Community Care
Dorothy Ohlsen, 98, of Bonaventure of Pueblo was crowned the 49th Silver Queen during a private ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 14, at the Pueblo Country Club.
Nicole Sanok, VP of Business Development, crowns Dorothy Ohlsen as 49th Silver Queen. Photo credit: David Hayden.
Charlotte Garnett, 78, of Chateau at Sharmar Village was crowned First Runner Up, and Sally Castillo, 68, of the Trinidad Inn was crowned Ms. Congeniality.
From surviving the Dust Bowl to pulling people out of the rubble from a Category 5 Tornado in Norman, Okla., this year’s nominees represented significant historical events, and provided stories about their lives that both inspired
and endeared the judges. 27 of the region’s grand dames competed for the title of Colorado’s Silver Queen.
Now in its 49th year, the annual pageant has highlighted the area’s senior women in good-natured judging of a video interview and display of character and community contribution. The contest is open to hopefuls ages 60 and
over, with contestants nominated by staff and administrators of local skilled-nursing and assisted living facilities.
A panel of judges narrowed down the 27 candidates to eight finalists. The competitor’s interviews are streamed on
Sangre de Cristo Community Care’s Facebook page. The remaining finalists are as follows:
■ Loretta Bradburn, 93, of Belmont Lodge Healthcare Center, grew up on a dairy farm, milking cows twice a day.
She represents the agricultural heritage of the region.
■ Norma Avery, 92, of Hildebrand Care Center, owned the first 24-hour truck stop and restaurant in Fremont
County.
■ Margaret Trejo, 81, of University Park Care Center, was an active volunteer and was one of the first female
volunteer firefighters in Boone.
■ Connie Elder, 93, of Crowley County Nursing Center, was a registered nurse and nursing professor at the Otero
Junior College, who was proud of her program’s 100 percent passing rate.
■ Selma Eller, 89, of Cappella Pueblo West was a military wife, lived in Alaska when it became a state, and was an
active politician, focusing on women’s groups. She also worked in real estate for decades.
Here’s a snapshot of the contestants:
■ Marie Floyd, 78, of Hildebrand Care Center, was born in Cockran, Georgia, and moved to Salida as a young
woman. She was a waitress and grocer for most of her life.
■ Betty Day, 89, of Hildebrand Care Center, is originally from Argentina and moved to Colorado when she was 50
years old. She was in the healthcare industry as a nurse for many years, and she’s one of Elvis Presley’s biggest fans.
■ Alberta Haga, 94, of Hildebrand Care Center, was born in Byron, Okla., during the Great Depression. She is a
survivor of the Dust Bowl in the 1930s.
■ Forrestine Odell, 101, of Bent County Healthcare Center, was a member of the Kitchen Clutter Band, an all-
female band that traveled and entertained people at nursing and assisted living facilities. They were invited to
perform on The Jay Leno Show but declined because they were too busy for Jay Leno.
■ Carolyn Darnell, 86, of Bent County Healthcare Center, was a housewife.
■ Helen McClure, 87, of Bent County Healthcare Center, was a nurse.
■ Barbara Barker, 92, of Atlas, used to work as an apartment manager.
■ Linda Garnet, 68, of Belmont Lodge Healthcare Center, is an artist.
■ Dorothy Presley, 85, of Bonaventure of Pueblo was a teacher for more than 50 years.
■ Sheila Norton, 80, of Columbine Chateau Assisted Living, was a rancher. Her mother was Silver Queen in previous years.
■ Deborah Clardy, 70, was the first African American to be hired as a sheriff’s deputy in Oklahoma. She was on
the search and rescue team during the aftermath of the Category 5 tornado in Norman, Okla.
■ Sarah Marquez, 77, of Innovage of Pueblo, is a housewife and a former home health caretaker.
■ Aida Castro, 84, of Life Care Center, worked in a shoe department for many years.
■ Margie Watkins, 87, of Progressive Care Center, was a nurse.
■ Marie Vigil, 70, of Rock Canyon Respiratory and Rehabilitation Center, was a volunteer Grandma for the Senior
Resource Development Agency (SRDA) Pre-Kindergarten to First Grade.
■ Debra Milovich, 68, of Rock Canyon Respiratory and Rehabilition Center, worked as an aerospace buyer until
retirement.
■ Luanne Peek of Rock Canyon Respiratory and Rehabilitation Center worked at KMart for many years in various
roles and enjoyed setting up their IT systems.
■ Elaine DeLuca, 97, of Sharmar Village Care Center, was the owner and operator of DeLuca Meats and Grocery.
■ Sherrie Fillmore, 63, of Pueblo West Gardens, was a rancher’s daughter and an active member of the Future Farmers of America.
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