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Handley Everman crowned 2022 Miss Putnam County Fair Queen
Of the estimated 250 people at the Miss Putnam County Fair Queen contest on Saturday night, 200 must have wanted to hug or get their photo taken with Queen Handley Everman at night’s end.
Of course, it’s always a lovefest when a young woman is crowned the fair queen, but there seemed to be a little extra outpouring for the 18-year-old daughter of Lyndsay and Jason Holmes and sister of Haelynn.
Well-wishers of all ages came wave upon wave after Everman was crowned by 2021 Queen Gayle Baugh, culminating weeks of preparation and years of dreaming before that.
The 2022 queen knows she’s fortunate to have such a deep and supportive group of people in her corner.
“All I can say is that I’m really blessed,” Everman said. “I’m really blessed to know the people that I know and to have an amazing support system that I get to call family.”
If they weren’t already on her team, Everman will have four more people in her corner in the coming weeks in the members of her court.
Everman is joined on by First Runner-up Bree Mahoney-Sutherland, Second Runner-up Haley Smith, Third Runner-up Hailee Young and Miss Congeniality Brooke Robertson.
That support will be vital, as Everman is a relative rarity in recent years, a fair queen who is still an active 4-H’er. The recent North Putnam graduate and Oklahoma State University commit would have had a busy fair week even if she hadn’t been crowned queen, between her 10th year of 4-H and a dozen animals headed to the fair in about a week.
“Well, it’s definitely going to be crazy, but I have an amazing support system, and I know that I’m going to have a lot of help,” Everman said. “I have a lot of animals — 12 I believe. I have sheep, goats, pigs and I’m trying chickens this year. I’m trying something new.”
The good news is, Everman has a role model who gracefully performed double duty as queen and 4-H’er back in 2016. That was when Lauren Johnston (now Flanders) served as queen in her 10th year.
Flanders happens to remain heavily involved as one of the organizers of the queen contest and wife of sheep barn superintendent Joel Flanders.
“In 2016, when Lauren won the contest, I knew that I wanted to win Miss Putnam County because Lauren has always been my biggest role model in showing sheep, in life and I always wanted to be just like Lauren,” Everman said. “It’s very special to be able to prepare for this contest and to have her right alongside me.”
She certainly shares with Flanders that special feeling that just one Putnam County woman can experience each year, going from uncertainty to elation in a moment.
“Really, I had no thoughts going through my head,” Everman said. “I was so nervous. I was sweating. My knees were shaking, but as soon as they called my name it was like a wash of relief over me. It was crazy.
“You can’t really see a whole lot, but I was definitely looking for my mom. My mom is my biggest supporter. She’s my No. 1 fan, and she’s my favorite person on earth.”
Taking home another of the big honors was Robertson, who won the only award voted upon by fellow contestants.
“I’m really humbled and honored that they chose me as Miss Congeniality,” Robertson said. “All these girls are so sweet and nice that really any of us could have gotten it. So I really appreciate them.
“I’m really looking forward to the dairy show, that’s my day,” Robertson added. “But the whole county fair is just an enjoyable experience.”
Everman wants to try and take it all in, the 4-H part in particular.
“I am looking forward to seeing all the kids showcase what they’ve been working on all summer,” Everman said. “4-H is truly an amazing thing, and so many kids work so hard on these projects.”
It’s the kind of outlook that seems to follow the advice Baugh gave to the as-yet unnamed queen during her farewell address — focusing on other people and the community as a whole.
“Take in and cherish every moment because it goes by so fast,” Baugh said. “Let your mom take lots of pictures even when it might seem like she’s already taken a hundred. When a few months go by, trust me, you are going to want to sit and look at all of them and relive all the wonderful memories. Stop and talk to every little girl or boy who is waving or looking at you because chances are when you do, their days will be made.
“Be proud of Putnam County,” Baugh concluded. “You are so blessed to be able to represent this amazing place that we all call home.”
Everman seems to have no problem with Putnam County pride.
“I have wanted to win this contest for a long time,” Everman said. “Putnam County has done a lot for me in making me the strong young woman I am today, and I’ve really wanted to have the chance to represent Putnam County.
“So I’m really thankful that now I get to represent Putnam County with not only a title, but with the other lovely ladies that are on my court.”
List of Putnam County Fair Queens
2022: Handley Everman
2021: Gayle Baugh
2020: Kinzee Wilson
2019: Nicole Newgent
2018: Raegan Bowling
2017: Hannah Cunningham Newgent
2016: Lauren Johnston Flanders
2015: Kristen Stevens Maudlin
2014: Brittany Birt Pell
2013: Madison Marsteller
2012: Sarah New
2011: Paxton Stephenson Mitchel
2010: Stephanie Berry Alcorn
2009: Chelsea Clark Neier
2008: Cheryl Mitchel Crosby
2007: Tara Thornburg Trent
2006: Jordan Zaring Kean
2005: Tabitha Clifford Bandy
2004: Caitlin Taylor Cooper
2003: Brandy Noll Ames
2002: Shelby Neier Cadwell
2001: Lindsey Harwood Roberts
2000: Brianne Rowan
1999: Ashlee Neier Craiger
1998: Kyleen Jensen Bushroe
1997: Jennifer Chestnut Blagg
1996: Joanna Clodfelter Chestman
1995: Joy Albin Rader
1994: Tricia Woodall
1993: Kelly Layton Gerling
1992: Jackie Campbell Miller
1991: Shannon Trout
1990: Tara Regnier Baugh
1989: Jenney Jessup Taylor
1988: Angela Staley Satterfield
1987: Jennifer Quigly Sappenfield Brown
1986: Leanne Mitchem Kirsch
1985: Vanessa Baird Norsworthy
1984: Julie May
1983: Tara Gasaway
1982: Becky Wedemeyer
1981: Sue Nonweiler
1980: Karen Roberts Stoker
1979: Roberta Means
1978: Dixie Keller Turner
1977: Patsy Hall
1976: Janice Smiley
1975: Vicki Maulsby
1974: Rhonda Carter
1973: Linda Everman Carrington
1972: Jenny Summers Richard
1971: Jean Michael
1970: Christy Surber
1969: Vicki Wallace Brewer
1968: Rhonda Sutherlin Richardson Stites
1967: Vicki Judy Steele
1966: Melanie Priest Fasone
1965: Janice Barrett Vanek
1964: Roma Brooks Holt
1963: Carolyn Blue Milner
1962: Pam McKenna Harwood
1961: Nancy Hazel Hammond Baumann
1960: Carol Parker Conner
1959: Diane Gardner
1958: Deanna Goff
