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Grace Hartley Ramey Was Born to Be a Tyler Rose Festival Queen

Grace Hartley Ramey

Grace Hartley Ramey follows in the family footsteps – her mother and grandmother were also Rose Queens.

Tyler’s highly anticipated annual Texas Rose Festival wouldn’t be quite as spectacular without the Rose Festival Queen – an honor bestowed upon one lucky 19-year-old girl each year by the festival president.

“The queen is someone who repre­sents Tyler well and whose family is very involved and civic minded‚” says Jill King Ramey‚ who served as the Rose Festival Queen in 1950. “She acts as a goodwill ambassador‚ gives speeches at the drop of a hat and welcomes visitors to Tyler.”

Ramey’s father-in-law‚ Tom Ramey Sr.‚ founded the Texas Rose Festival in 1933 after seeing Tyler roses displayed at the Chicago World’s Fair. Inspired to advance Tyler’s rosy identity‚ Ramey came home and partnered with the Tyler Garden Club to cultivate the first Rose Festival.

“It was a wonderful‚ small-town Americana effort‚” Ramey says. “People were cleaning up yards for company‚ and everybody got into the act.”

In 1979‚ Jill King Ramey’s daughter‚ Claire Ramey Turner‚ was crowned queen‚ and her granddaughter‚ Grace Hartley Ramey‚ will reign as queen of the 2007 Texas Rose Festival.

“We’re the first family to have a mother‚ daughter and granddaughter queen‚” Ramey says proudly. “But it’s not intended to be a debutante thing. It’s meant to promote Tyler and the rose industry.”

Nevertheless‚ it’s a huge commitment for the queen and her family. Their responsibilities include paying for the queen’s tailor-made costume (which is later donated to the Tyler Rose Museum) and hosting the citywide Queen’s Tea the Friday before the festival.

“It’s a community responsibility‚ but you can’t help but love being in the limelight‚” Ramey says. “But it’s also about maturing‚ growing up and being proud of your community. Doing speeches will certainly benefit Grace‚ and I’m so happy for her. It’s a Cinderella experience.”

Story by Jessica Mozo
Photo by Tyler Morning Telegraph and TylerPaper.com

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