TRAVERSE CITY — Past and current National Cherry Festival presidents and National Cherry Queens gathered at the Park Place Hotel in Traverse City on Friday.
LuEllen Benson Baty, the oldest surviving National Cherry Queen was there. She was crowned in 1961 at 18 years old.
Growing up in Traverse City, her family was involved in the local cherry industry and her mother participated in the Cherry Festival.
“It’s amazing just to have one more day in your life when you’ve lived in a wonderful country, in a community with people,” Baty said. “And I think it’s wonderful that they’re recognizing all these people, not just me, but the directors, this one that are here, former directors that have helped put on this wonderful event each year.”
Baty was surprised when she was crowned Queen, she never planned to run.
“I was always really tall, 5 feet 11 inches and it just didn’t seem possible for me,” Baty said. She explained she ran “because my girlfriends were all running and I thought I should be supportive.”
During her reign, Baty traveled throughout the country promoting cherries.
“I enjoyed being out and talking to people, introducing them to the product that they already knew, but making them more aware how really good the product is both to eat and medicinally, all different ways,” Baty said.
She noted that the experience changed her life.
“I’ve met so many wonderful people around this community in the world that I would not have known it on other way,” Baty said.
For more information on National Cherry Queens, click here.