Queen Vonda Richards

1957's Queen of the May, Vonda Richards was crowned by her consort, Larry Olsen.

<< Back Index Next>>

Mendon Utah Logo

Mendon May Day— 1957Larry Olsen crowns Queen of the May, Vonda Richards.

Mendon Selects Queen For May 4 Festival— Miss Vonda Richards has been chosen to reign over the traditional Mendon May Day celebration to be held Saturday, May 4th, according to the Sunday school superintendency, William Longstroth Jr., Zeno Andersen and Edwin Olsen. Vonda is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M. M. Richards. Mrs. Mozelle Sorensen, assisted by Delpha Longstroth and Rae Leishman, Will direct the maypole dance and the crowning of the queen on the church lawn. A program will be given and in the afternoon, a children’s dance will be held. This will be followed by races and a ball game. A dance in the evening will conclude the day’s festivities.

May Festival In Mendon Set Saturday— Mendon’s traditional May Day celebration will be held Saturday, May 4th. At 10:00 a.m. on the church lawn, Vonda Richards, fourteen year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mahonri M. Richards, will be crowned by her consort, Larry Olsen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Olsen. Vonda has chosen as her maids Marilyn Kidman, Pauline Sorensen, Sandra Whitney and Ruth Olsen. Their escorts will be Brant Wiser, Larry Kidman, Carl Baker and Douglas Muir. May Day colors this year will be lavender and green. Twenty little girls dressed in colorful dresses will dance the maypole. Mozelle Sorensen is accompanist and assisting with dances are Delpha Longstroth and Margaret Rae Leishman. William Longstroth, Jr., Zeno Andersen and Edwin Olsen, members of the Sunday school superintendency, have arranged for a program following the crowning of the queen. Vance D. Walker, former principal of the Mendon school, will be the speaker. At 2:00 p.m. the sports program will begin. Mendon’s Skyline Riders and the Hyrum Riding club will give a demonstration at the park west of town. A children’s dance followed by races for young and old and a ball game will complete the afternoon. In the evening Mendon Orchestra will play for dancing. Everyone in the Valley is invited to attend. Picture Caption: Mendon’s May Queen this year is pretty Vonda Richards, fourteen year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mahonri M. Richards. The traditional celebration is Saturday of this week.May Queen Vonda Richards and her royal court.

Picture Caption: The freshness and prettiness of young womanhood are reflected in this photo of Mendon’s May Queen and her maids of honor. Queen is Vonda Richards, center; her maids are, from left: Pauline Sorensen, Ruth Olsen, Sandra Whitney and Marilyn Kidman. Annual May Day celebration is Saturday, including crowning of the queen at 10:00 a.m., maypole dance, sports and dance.

Maypole, Queen, Mendon Festival Ushers In Spring— Twenty little girls in green and lavender dresses started the May Day celebration in Mendon as they danced around the maypole. T. Kay Sorensen was in charge of the dance. At the same activity, fourteen year-old Vonda Richards, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mahonri M. Richards was crowned queen of the May by her consort, Larry Olsen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Olsen. Acting as maids were Marilyn Kidman, Pauline Sorensen, Sandra Whitney, and Ruth Olsen. Their escorts were Brant Wiser, Larry Kidman, Carl Baker, and Douglas Muir, while crown bearer was Scott Hiibner, and flower girl, Becky Yonk. Superintendent of the Sunday school, William Longstroth, Jr., was in charge of the program held in the chapel. Opening prayer was offered by Zeno Andersen and May songs were sung by the group. A quartet, composed of Shirley Bingham, Linda Bird, Norma Baker, Sandra Kidman and accompanied by Joyce Richards, presented a musical number as did Tawna Bartlett, who was accompanied by her mother, Mrs. Ross Bartlett. Pauline Sorensen gave a comic reading followed by a duet by Steven Leishman and Dee Bassett, both of Wellsville. They were accompanied by Mrs. Ray Leishman. Speaker for the May Day services were Vance D. Walker. A trumpet solo was presented by Larry Olsen, accompanied by Marilyn Kidman and Sidney Larsen gave a comic reading. A student of Gilbert Wood, Edward Able, presented some Hawaiian guitar music. Bishop Rulen C. Ladle gave some remarks. A trio, composed of Julia Miller, Kohnie Miller and Larry Olsen, accompanied by Mozelle Sorensen, presented a number and the benediction was offered by Fred Taylor. Later in the day the Mendon and Clarkston riding clubs presented a demonstration and a children’s dance was held in the afternoon. Races for young and old followed later in the afternoon and a baseball game between the married and unmarried men of Mendon concluded the activities of the afternoon. The last event of the day long celebration was a dance Saturday night with the Mendon Orchestra providing the music.

Picture Caption: It was May Day in Mendon yesterday, and traditional ceremonies to greet spring were conducted. At top are children braiding the maypole in a colorful dance; below Queen Vonda Richards is crowned by her consort Larry Olsen.1957 Mendon May Day, May Pole Dancers.

Mendon May Day— Mendon’s May Day is one of the oldest traditions in the valley. The crowning of a pretty young girl as queen, the winding of the maypole, the singing of the May Day song which Isaac Sorensen wrote for the spring festival many years ago, all these are part of the life of every child who grows up in the little town nestled at the foot of the western mountains. Saturday morning, as on many another lovely May mornings, these same memories brought many former residents and friends back to spend the day on the church square. Twenty-four little girls dressed in lavender and green, daughters and granddaughters of other maypole dancers, skipped happily to the familiar music. Vonda Richards, this year’s May queen, smiled as happily as another queen as the crown of flowers was placed on her head.