Mendon May Day— 1973
May Fete Saturday— For more than 100 years Mendon has crowned a May Queen every May, little girls of the town have learned to dance the maypole and the community has invited the rest of the valley to join with them in one of the oldest annual celebrations in the area. Saturday, the 1973 celebration will begin at 10:00 a.m. with the crowning of Julie Muir by her consort Tony Hardman, on the town square, weather permitting. If it is stormy, the ceremony will take place in the Mendon ward cultural hall. Members of the May Queen’s court are Angela Cheney, Larry Krogh, Denise Bird, Tony Buist, Andrea Maughan, Eric Bowen, Karla James and Kevin Barrett. Jill Fonnesbeck will be the flower girl and Troy Quinlan, the crown bearer. June Bowen, Carolyn Baker and Julie Kidman have trained the twenty-eight little girls who will dance the maypole. They will be costumed in red, white and blue. Officers of the Mendon ward Sunday school are in charge. They are Merlin Yonk, Lemuel Earl, Sr. and Wayne Hiibner. Following the traditional crowning and dance, there will be a program. In the afternoon there will be sports and a children’s dance. In the evening Oscar Morris’ Orchestra will play for the adult dance. Picture Caption: Winding the maypole is a traditional part of Mendon’s May Day to be held Saturday at 10:00 a.m. on the town square. Mrs. June Bowen, Carolyn Baker and Julie Kidman have trained the twenty-eight little girls who will dance the maypole following the crowning of the May Queen. The celebration is under the direction of the Sunday school presidency, Merlin Yonk, Lemuel Earl, Sr. and Wayne Hiibner. In the afternoon there will be sports, a children’s dance and a dance for the adults in the evening.
Picture Caption: Winding the May Pole is a traditional part of Mendon's May Day to be held Saturday at 10 a.m. on the town square. Mrs. June Bowen, Carolyn Baker and Julie Kidman have trained the 28 little girls who will dance the May Pole following the crowning of the May Queen. the celebration is under the direction of the Sunday school presidency, Merlin Yonk, Lemuel Earl and Wayne Hiibner. In the afternoon there will be sports, a children's dance and a dance for adults in the evening.
Picture Caption: In Mendon Ceremonies— Mendon’s century old May Day celebration will be held Saturday with the crowning of the May Queen at 10:00 a.m. on the town square, weather permitting. Above are two members of the queen’s court, Jill Fonnesbeck, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Barry Fonnesbeck, who will be the flower girl, and Troy Quinlan, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wade Quinlan, crown bearer.
Picture Caption: Mendon May Day Court— Royalty for Mendon May Day celebration will include Andrea Maughan, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. Gordon Maughan; Eric Bowen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Bowen; Karla James, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Elmer James; Kevin Barrett, son of Mr. and Mrs. Stanton Barrett; Angela Cheney, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. DeLar Cheney; Larry Krogh, son of Mr. and Mrs. Larry Korgh; Denise Bird, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. Karl Bird; Tony Buist, son of Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Buist; Julie Muir, the May Queen, and her consort Tony Hardman. Their parents are Mr. and Mrs. Steven Clyde Muir, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Hardman. The crowning of the queen at 10:00 a.m. Saturday will begin the celebration.
Printed May Day Program: Mendon May Day, May 5th, 1973, 10:00 a.m. Queen’s Court: May Queen, Julie Muir; Consort Tony Hardman; Flower Girl, Jill Fonnesbeck; Crown Bearer, Troy Quinlan. Maids of Honor with Partners: Denise Bird with Tony Buist; Angela Cheney with Michael Krogh; Karla James with Kevin Barrett; Andrea Maughan with Eric Bowen. Dance Directors: June Bowen, Carolyn Baker, Julie Kidman and Doreen Sorensen. Maypole Dance Accompanist: Mozelle Sorensen. Maypole Dresses: Blanche Yonk, Nan Earl and Joyce Hiibner. May Day Chorister: T. Kay Sorensen. The 26 Maypole Dancers for 1973—
| Tresa Quinlan | Paula Anderson | RaNae Anderson | Melanie McMaster |
| Lana Richards | Marnie Freeman | Suzette Quinlan | JoAnn Brown |
| Audrey Anderson | Stephanie Muir | Jessa Watkins | Deanne Richards |
| LaNa Bodily | Terry Larsen | Lisa Jackson | Michelle Taylor |
| Rachelle Kirby | Cindy Kidman | Jody Helms | Marciea Barrett |
| Claire Johnson | Peggy Reid | Debbie Reid | Kimberly Kidman |
| Anita Cheney | LuDean Skinner |
May Day Program: To be held in the Mendon ward chapel immediately following the maypole dance. The queen and her court will be introduced by T. Kay Sorensen. The featured speaker is President Lloyd R. Hunsaker. Afternoon Events: Children’s races, 2:30 p.m.; Juniors baseball game, 3:00 p.m.; Seniors baseball game, following the Juniors game; evening dance, 9:00 p.m., come and enjoy yourself. Following the program and throughout the afternoon there will be home cooked foods for sale. Eat your lunch with us. Hamburgers, Pronto Pups, Hot Dogs, Drinks, Pie, Cake, Candy, etc. Under the direction of the Mendon ward Sunday School officers and teachers. We sincerely thank all those who took part today and helped in anyway to make this a successful May Day 1973. Merlin Yonk, Wayne Hiibner and Lemuel Earl, Sr.
Mendon Crowns May Day Queen— Miss Julie Muir, fifteen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Muir was crowned Queen of the May at the Mendon May Day celebration Saturday. Julie was chosen from five contestants ages fourteen to fifteen, from the Mendon ward Sunday school class. Other contestants were Karla James, Andrea Maughan, Denise Bird, and Angela Cheney. Historians say that May Day originated in ancient India or Egypt. The celebration marks the coming of new life in early spring and the end of winter. The Mendon celebration dates back to the 1860’s, when the early Mormon settlers celebrated the coming of May after settling the town. The Mendon May Day, sponsored by the Mendon ward of the LDS Church, was highlighted by the traditional dance around the maypole. Other festivities included a speech by Lloyd R. Hunsaker, former Logan Stake President, softball games, children’s races, a bake sale, and an evening dance featuring Oscar Morris and his band. The turnout was exceptionally large this year, according to Merlin Yonk, in charge of planning the events. About 250 go 300 people turned out for the crowning of the queen and the maypole dance at the Mendon ward church. T. Kay Sorensen led the audience in the traditional May Day songs before the queen’s coronation.
Picture Caption: Saturday was bright in Mendon, despite an overcast sky. It was time for the annual May Day festivities in the Cache Valley village. At right (above), Tony Hardman crowned Julie Muir, a picture of springtime gentleness, as the community selected its queen. Below, youngsters participated in an age-old activity as they danced around the maypole.