The maiden appearance of the South Santiam Sweet Potato Queens in this year?s Sportsman?s Holiday Parade caused quite a sensation and many questions about the origins of these precious, pert paragons of pulchritude.
Her royal highness, the Sweet Potato ?boss? queen, is Jill Conner Browne of Jackson, Miss. The Queens began two decades ago as part of Jackson?s first St. Patrick?s Day Parade.
Jill put into action her daddy?s advice, ?One of the most important skills you can learn in life is how to make your own fun.?
They bought outlandish prom dresses from the Goodwill thrift shop and dyed them St. Patrick?s green and wore real live majorette boots.
Of course every queen deserves a sparkling tiara and a queenly name. They all chose Tammy.
Through the years, the costumes have evolved to their present queenly hot pink trimmed green sequin dresses and the trademark big red hair. Originally, they threw actual sweet potatoes to the crowd until several parade watchers were injured and the window in the IRS building was broken.
There are currently eight authentic Sweet Home Potato Queens headquartered in Jackson. There are chapters in all 50 states and 14 other countries.
The official SPQ maxim is ?well-behaved women rarely make history.? The Queens are spicy, glamorous, raucous, rowdy, kick-up-your-heels movement. Their ideas of living life to the fullest come from being survivors of some of life?s harshest blows, including divorce, violence, single parenthood, bankruptcy, caring for aging parents and cancer.
Jill Conner Browne is an author in much demand as a motivational speaker and is a frequent guest on major television shows. They continue appearing in Jackson?s St. Partick?s Day Parade joined by thousands of women from all over the country.
Our own Grand Queen Tammy was introduced to Sweet Potato Queens because of her own Southern heritage. Her sister, Angela Sallis of the Bookends bookstore in Bay St. Louis, Miss., is acquainted with Jill Conner Browne. She sent autographed copies of SPQ books to Sweet Home and the South Santiam Potato Queens were born.
Finding two more like-minded candidates for queenliness formed the inner circle, patterning themselves after the original Queens. The group also includes the Wannabes (hopeful to be tapped for queening), the Spud Studs (male companions) and our own addition, the Sprouts (Queens? grandchildren). And who could forget the Official Queen?s Consort (and driver), Lance Romance?
The South Santiam Sweet Potato Queens have chosen Habitat for Humanity as their designated charity of choice. The Queens will serve as unofficial hostesses for the Art in the Park benefit for Lebanon Habitat.
They hope to see you there as they continue to be true to their motto: ?Garnering memories to share in the nursing home.?