My father was killed in a traffic accident on 3 June 1959, my mother was a winning contestant on the Queen For A Day Show. We were as poor as a church mouse and there were no social assistance programs then as we have now. My mother was 28, my sister was 8, I was 5 and my baby sister was 3. Mama didn't know it at the time of my father's death, that she was pregnant with her 4th child. Just before he died, he had promised my sister that if she got good grades on her report card that he would buy her a pony. She did and he died before he could fulfill his promise. My mother was the winner and crowned Queen For a Day.
What she was presented as Queen was beyond belief. She won 2 complete bedroom sets, a full living room set, a full dining room set complete with a set of dishes for a service for 8, a set of silver ware, a cookset, a built in (the countertop) mixer, a hot water heater, a 7 piece patio set, a complete set of tupperware, twelve complete outfits that include; dress, matching shoes and handbags, 12 pairs of stockings, a complete set of Sarah Coventry jewelry, a complete set of rhinestone jewelry, a diamond encrusted watch, a four piece matching mother/daughters outfit, a swimsuit, a check for $1,000 and a shetland pony.
For all of those who say this was charity, I won't argue for or against that, but for all of you who say these women did not receive much in the way of gifts, I have yet to see a TV show that offers more to it's winning contestants.
The episode featuring my mother aired on 16 July 1959. I'd give my right arm to have a copy of that episode.
What she was presented as Queen was beyond belief. She won 2 complete bedroom sets, a full living room set, a full dining room set complete with a set of dishes for a service for 8, a set of silver ware, a cookset, a built in (the countertop) mixer, a hot water heater, a 7 piece patio set, a complete set of tupperware, twelve complete outfits that include; dress, matching shoes and handbags, 12 pairs of stockings, a complete set of Sarah Coventry jewelry, a complete set of rhinestone jewelry, a diamond encrusted watch, a four piece matching mother/daughters outfit, a swimsuit, a check for $1,000 and a shetland pony.
For all of those who say this was charity, I won't argue for or against that, but for all of you who say these women did not receive much in the way of gifts, I have yet to see a TV show that offers more to it's winning contestants.
The episode featuring my mother aired on 16 July 1959. I'd give my right arm to have a copy of that episode.