SENIOR KING AND QUEEN CROWNED

Columbia Station man, Wellington woman crowned at annual Lorain County Fair

A new Senior Fair King and Queen have been crowned during the 171st annual Lorain County Fair on Aug. 25.

Edna Halsey, 100, of Wellington, was crowned Queen and Mike Thomas, 75, of Columbia Station, has been crowned King.

Halsey, who is known as Grandma Edna, is a resident of Elms Retirement Village and was nominated by Amy Wiley. Wiley wrote in the nomination that Halsey always has a smile on her face and has encouraging words for everyone.

Halsey was born on Leap Day and celebrated her “25th” birthday earlier this year.

Wiley wrote that she met Halsey while she was a patient receiving physical therapy at P.T. Services Rehabilitation of Wellington. Wiley later provided emergency medical care for her as a paramedic at South Lorain County Ambulance District.

When asked how she was after being the Queen, she replied, “Okie dokie pokey. I don’t know, I’m just a crazy old girl,” she laughed, but did offer words of advice.

“Smile and the world smiles with you, cry and you cry alone, so you don’t catch me crying,” Halsey

said.

She said she enjoys riding around and enjoys the fair.

Thomas, 75, has been camping at the Lorain County Fair for the past 51 years, according to his son, Matt Thomas, who nominated

his father.

Mike Thomas, who has four trailers at the fair, has helped past board members in moving campers, the distribution of benches, and other activities.

He was an adviser for the Shawnee 4-H Club

and participated in all of the parades.

Mike Thomas also has helped other clubs in tearing down at the end of the fair.

He has volunteered for ring duty and has ran with the children in the threelegged

sack with the children, as well as jumping horses for rescue race.

Charisse Nikel, office manager and fair secretary for the Lorain County Fair, said she has been doing the Senior Fair King and Queen contest since

2011 and works a lot with nursing homes in the area to bring people out to the fair.

“The bingo is real popular (takes place before), I think interacting with all of them is really nice,” she said.

ERIC BONZAR—THE MORNING JOURNAL Edna Halsey, 100, of Wellington ,and Mike Thomas, 75, of Columbia Station, were named the 2016 Lorain County Fair Senior King and Queen, Aug. 25.