Keaundra Harris Crowned 2019 Grapeland Peanut Queen

All Hail The Queen!

By Will Johnson

Messenger Reporter

GRAPELAND – There was only one award left to present on Saturday night, Oct. 19. Haylee Cryer, Miss Grapeland Farm & Ranch, was selected as Most Photogenic. Miss Grapeland Volunteer Fire Department – Cayden LeBlanc – had been awarded the title of Miss Congeniality and was selected as the Second Runner-up.

Keaundra (KeKe) Harris, Miss Best Friends Community Services, was presented with the trophy for the talent competition and Alyssa Dilli, Miss Houston County Heating & Air, was selected as First Runner-up.

This was THE moment eight young ladies had been waiting for. After a brief pause – which must have seemed like an eternity – a drum roll started and the PA system seemed to crackle with excitement. The capacity crowd in the Lorena Shoultz Auditorium fell silent. Emcee Brian Perez could be heard taking a deep before exclaiming, “And your 2019 Peanut Queen is – Miss Best Friends Community Services (KeKe Harris)!”

On Monday afternoon, Oct. 21, following all the accolades, pictures and ceremonial duties befitting a member of royalty, the newly crowned 2019 Peanut Queen spoke with The Messenger about her coronation.

“I was really surprised, honestly!” KeKe – the daughter of Darrin Harris and Clida Walker – said when she heard her name called out as the 2019 Peanut Queen.

Asked to describe her day leading up to the coronation, the newly crowned queen said it started off a little rough.

“I woke up about 6:30ish to get ready and get everything together to get on my float. I was in a dress and it was misting. I was cold and I wasn’t having a good time that morning!” she laughed.

Following the parade said she went to the Grapeland City Park and was asked to ride one of the carnival rides.

“I was completely against it but it was with a friend of mine who I hadn’t seen in a long time, so I rode it with her. I felt a little sick before we talked to the crowd (at the park). I was trying to look okay even though I did not feel good,” she said.

By the time she got to the Lorena Shoultz Auditorium, however, KeKe said she was beginning to feel much better.

“Once I got to the auditorium and started to get ready for my interview, I literally felt great. I was in one of the greatest moods – one of the best moods I’ve been in for a very long time. I was completely happy and there was nothing that could have put me in a bad mood,” she said.

When the lights dimmed and the contestants hit the stage, KeKe said she was “… completely calm. I wasn’t nervous. It felt like it was routine. That was one of the best (performances) I had ever done. My talent and my public speaking part – I just felt good the whole night.”

In regard to the public speaking, she credited Grapeland FFA Advisor Gary Graham for helping to prepare her for that.

Pertaining to her talent, KeKe said she had a hard time deciding what she wanted to do before settling on telling the audience a story, while painting on stage.

“I re-wrote my talent and re-wrote my talent and re-wrote my talent until I finally ended up with what I had. I wanted to paint on stage, but I’m too much of a perfectionist. I would spend too much time on one thing. I finally just decided I wouldn’t be able to make it (the painting) look great in two minutes so I would just have to roll with it and try to fix it up,” she said.

As the pageant progressed, KeKe said she wasn’t confident she would be able to win but added, “My sponsor was confident in me, my mom was and all these people were telling me ‘You’ve got this.’ I’ll be honest – I didn’t and I was pretty nervous competing against the girls.”

When it came time to announce the 2019 Peanut Queen, KeKe said she had no idea who would win.

“I didn’t have a winner picked out. I was just excited for one of us,” she explained.

KeKe said her initial reaction when she heard her name called was one of “… shock. Complete shock! It didn’t set in even when everyone was up there and we were taking pictures. I went to eat afterwards and it still hadn’t set in that I was the Peanut Queen. It still takes some getting used to.”

As to what it means to her, KeKe said it means a lot to her. She explained one of the best things would be able to come back in 2020 in order to crown the 75th Anniversary Peanut Queen.

“I’ve talked to a lot of people about the coronation and it’s a part of our tradition. It means a lot more to me now that I’ve won. It has opened my eyes to how much this means to our community,” she said.

Asked what some of her favorite parts of the preparation for the contest were, KeKe paused for a moment.

“I would have to say the different things we got to do. We definitely did not go into the interview with the judges or the pageant blindly. Mrs. Tammy (Hassell-Anderson) made sure we were prepared. One thing I liked the most was the meeting we had with Mrs. Linda (Galayda) who talked to us on how to prepare for an interview and what we should and should not say, along with how to present ourselves. That stuck with me the most,” she said.

On the flip side, her least favorite thing was “… the practices, but not in the way you would think. Practices only killed me because I went from school to volleyball practice and then usually straight to pageant practice. I was exhausted by the time I was finished. They really weren’t that bad though and I learned a lot.”

Continuing with the conversation, KeKe made sure to thank those who helped her in her bid to become the 2019 Peanut Queen.

“I would like to thank a lot of people who may have supported me in ways they don’t even know. I want to thank my sponsor, Mrs. Nikki (Steinsbo – with Best Friends Community Services). I wouldn’t have even been able to do the pageant without her and the people she got to help me. I would like to thank Mrs. Tammy (Hassell-Anderson) for helping us throughout the whole thing. I would also like to thank Mary Jane (Watson). She probably doesn’t know how much she meant to me, but throughout the whole pageant, she was texting me and complimenting me and helped to keep me positive and going throughout the pageant,” she said.

KeKe also expressed her thanks to Mrs. Katie Doughty, GISD Associate Principal of Instruction and Guidance, for her support.

“I would also like to thank my family. There were about 25 or so who were there the night of the pageant to support and watch me,” she added.

Asked what she would tell future Peanut Queen contestants, KeKe said, “To keep pushing. You may get tired, you may think you’re not getting anywhere or that you don’t have a chance – but keep pushing -because you’ve got this.”

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].