Widmer crowned Adams County Fair Queen

July 27, 2023 | By Steve Eighinger

Morgan Widmer is congratulated by last year's Adams County Fair Queen Caylee Hughes after Widmer was crowned the winner of Wednesday night's pageant. | Lisa Wigoda

MENDON, Ill. — Morgan Widmer’s smile told the story of her accomplishment.

But the dress she was wearing chronicled something much closer to her heart.

Moments after the 19-year-old Widmer was crowned the 58th Adams County fair queen Wednesday night, she detailed what was the absolute perfect accent to the title she had just won.

“The dress I’m wearing tonight is the dress my mom wore when she got married in 2014,” said Widmer, who emerged from a field of eight entrants before a crowd of about 1,500. “I started talking about wanting to wear it four or five weeks ago, and we decided to do it.”

Widmer’s mom, Trudy Willis, admitted there were some not-so-dry eyes tied to her daughter’s decision.

“When Morgan told me what she wanted to do I had some tears … and I had some tonight as well,” Willis said. “Morgan is such a great kid.”

Widmer, a Quincy High graduate who will be a sophomore this fall at SIU-Edwardsville where she is majoring in elementary education, is the first pageant winner from Quincy since Kaylyn Orpet-Hulett in 2017. Ironically, it was in 2017 that Widmer said winning the Adams County fair queen pageant started to become a goal as she began competing in other pageants.

“I’ve dreamed about this,” Widmer said.

Widmer was also awarded a $2,000 scholarship for winning the pageant, which was held in surprisingly mild conditions on opening night of the 81st Adams County Fair. The weather held steady at about 95 degrees, but a breeze and overcast skies helped both the contestants and spectators enjoy the evening in comfortable conditions.

Widmer earned her crown through a multi-tiered process. A pre-pageant interview with the judges was worth 35 percent of her score, which accounted for the largest chunk of her scorecard. The remainder of her score came from a short speech (30 percent), swimsuit competition (20 percent) and evening gowns/overall appearance/on-stage grace (15 percent).

Widmer will next compete in the 64th Miss Illinois County Fair Queen Pageant in Springfield in January.

First runner-up was 16-year-old Ashley Walbring of Quincy, who received a $500 scholarship.

Second runner-up was Annabelle Schaffnit, 19, a graduate of Unity High School and an ag business/marketing major at Western Illinois University.

The other five contestants included Sophia Ludwig, 18, of Quincy; Maddi Cramsey, 18, of Quincy; Katelyn Hummel, 21, of Liberty; Grace Peter, 17, of Quincy; and Ellie Lewis, 18, of Mendon.

CayLee Hughes, who won the 2022 fair queen title, addressed the crowd prior to the announcement of Widmer’s crowning.

“This past year has been the best year of my life,” said the 19-year-old Hughes, who is a sophomore this fall at Quincy University and the Blessing Rieman College of Nursing.

Widmer was also named Miss Congeniality, an award voted upon by the contestants. The title was also worth a $100 scholarship. Widmer also was awarded a $100 scholarship with the Don Russell Memorial Award for best overall interview.

Three other $100 scholarships/awards went to Cramsey for the best interview by a non-finalist, to Ludwig for best non-finalist evening gown and to Peter for best swimsuit.

This year’s eight entrants for the queen pageant were the most since 2017 when nine girls competed.

The last time there were double-figure entrants in the pageant was 2015 when 14 girls competed. The last time more than 20 girls competed was in 2005 (21). The event’s record number of entries came in 1975 when 26 girls took part.

The seventh annual Sweetheart of Adams County Pageant was also held Wednesday night. The pageant allows people of any age with intellectual or physical disabilities to experience being a queen or king for a night.

Earning the Little Mister and Little Miss titles were Jordan Oenning and Hope Campbell. People’s Choice Awards went to Marcus Buck and Nora Fuller. The Be Like Grace Award went to Sylvia Dedert.

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