Christine Harvey / L’Observateur / July 17, 1999

ST. ROSE – One of St. Charles Parish’s very own has made it to the topranks of state Farm Bureau Royalty.

Michelle Renee Boudreaux, of St. Rose, was crowned the 1999 LouisianaFarm Bureau Queen July 3 at the Marriott Hotel in New Orleans.

Boudreaux, a 1999 honor graduate of Destrehan High School, will represent the state’s largest general farm organization for the next year as an agricultural ambassador, making appearances at major commodity festivals, such as the rice, cotton and yam festivals, as well as in Washington, D.C., where she will meet the president and attend the city’sannual Mardi Gras ball, she said.

During her reign, Boudreaux said she must also visit five commodity farms, including a cotton, sugar, cattle and dairy farm, and document her activities there on video.

Though she does not live on a farm, Boudreaux said she has relatives who have cotton and cattle farms, and she has visited them over the years.

“My family has roots in farming,” she said.

She was selected queen over 35 other contestants from around the state who were either parish Farm Bureau queens or delegates.

Boudreaux was crowned St. Charles’ Farm Bureau Queen in May butrelinquished her crown to first runner-up Melanie Wester when she won the state title, she said.

The state pageant lasted three days, and contestants attended an awards program and a brunch, met judges, gave interviews and participated in a talent show and the pageant itself before the winner was announced, according to Boudreaux.

Boudreaux received a trophy, crown and banner for winning the title, and all of her and her mother’s expenses are paid to Washington, D.C., she said.”Your winning is the title and the opportunity,” Boudreaux said.

The Farm Bureau contests were not Boudreaux’s first stabs at a crown.

Since she began participating in pageants in August, Boudreaux has been named second runner-up, Miss Congeniality and Miss Fashion at the Miss St. Charles Festival Queen pageant, first runner-up to Miss ChackbayGumbo and second runner-up to Miss Oyster and she placed in the top five at the Miss Cotton Pageant.

Boudreaux has her eye on an even bigger prize, though.

“I’m thinking about Miss Louisiana, but I want to wait until I’m a little older,” said Boudreaux, who turns 18 next week.

Until then, she plans to concentrate on college.

Boudreaux will study pre-dentistry at Tulane University this fall on a full scholarship and said she hopes to become a dentist specializing in the needs of disabled children. She said only two dentists in the statecurrently fill that need.

Boudreaux is the daughter of Keith and Cindy Boudreaux of St. Rose.

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