Mary
Leigh Pell
Whitmer (descendant of President
Martin Van Buren)
poses beside Nicholas W. Inman in front of the first cherry blossom
tree to be officially planted in Marshfield.  The tree was planted by former Missouri first lady, Lori Houser Holden and is located at the Webster County Museum. Whitmer attended the festival as a panel member for the annual "Presidential Forum." |
This
Yoshino cherry
blossom tree
was planted to remember Ruth Scott by the Marshfield Garden Club. Scott
was a long time member of the Marshfield club.
 |
| from
left to right
(related President in parenthesis) Festivial Chairman Nicholas Inman, Shannon Lanier (Jefferson), Chris Truscott (Jefferson), Tom Washington (Washington), Mary Leigh Pell Whitmer (Van Buren), John Polk Campbell (Polk), George Cleveland (Cleveland), Devon Nixon (Nixon), John Truman (Truman)  |
Local
authors
gathered at the
historic Condo Building to sign books and greet loyal readers. This was
the first cherry blossom book signing. Pictured third from right is author Rita Stewart Allen. Click to see her web-site. |
(left
to right)
Laura Gore &
her mom Karen Gore with Maria Sazpszewicz & her granddaughter
Ellie. Maria came to speak about her personal experiences
during
the Holocaust. Maria and Ellie stayed at Blackberry Creek
Retreat
during their stay. |
Marshfield was very honored to have Holocaust survivor Maria Szapszewicz come and tell her personal experiences from the Holocaust. She volunteers as a docent at the Holocaust Museum in St. Louis, MO and authored the book "For the People I Love and Can't Forget". To find out more about the museum. Click here.  |
Mark
and Dixie
Dawson, owners of the Blackberry
Creek Retreat Bed and Breakfast
provided a beautiful,
welcoming place for some of the Cherry Blossom Festival's guests. |
Stacy
A. Cordery
came to the
Cherry Blossom Festival and shared with us fascinating stories about
Alice Roosevelt Longworth, the oldest daughter of President Theodore
Roosevelt. www.aliceroosevelt.com  |
|
The
2008 Little
Miss and Mr.
Cherry Blossom winners pose following the annual Fourth of July parade.
Danielle Quinn and Billy Pickel represented the contestants for the
children's contest on the Cherry Blossom 4th of July float.
 |
Cherry
Blossom
Queen Ashley Marlin & Cherry Blossom Princess Desiree Hicks
on the Cherry Blossom 4th of July float  |
| Dean
Webb, Maggie Peterson Mancuso and Mitch
Jayne pose with their star for the Missouri Walk of Fame. The trio were among the original members of "The Darlings" of the Andy Griffith show.  |
The
Darlings, musicians
from the
Andy Griffith Show |
| Two
of actor Robert
Cummings' daughters pose with his star at ceremonies honoring the 2008 class of inductees for the Missouri Walkof Fame.  The actor was born Clarence Robert Orville Cummings on June 10, 1910, in Joplin, Mo. |
Randle
Chowning
represented the "Ozark Mountain Daredevils" during the Missouri Walk of Fame star ceremony at the 2008 festival. Chowning is one of the original members of the legendary group of performers.  |
The
Philharmonics
are honored
with their star on the Missouri Walk of Fame at Cross Bridge Church.
The Philharmonics were among the original cast members of the Ozark
Jubilee. |
Click
to see more
pictures from the WWII Bench Dedication Ceremony |
| Hervina
Wheeler sang
Country Music at the MAC  |
Potters
Wheel performed at the Marshfield Activity Center  |
Donna
Douglas "Elly
Mae Clampett"
of the Beverly Hillbillies poses alongside Danny Cheek following her
remarks at the 2008 Cherry Blossom Sunrise Service at the Cross Roads
Evangelical Methodist Church. |
Mary
Daly Joyce of
Union,
Missouri spoke at the Missouri Titanic monument dedication at the
Dickey House. Joyce's father, Eugene Daly, was a survivor of the
April 15, 1912 sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic. Several Cherry
Blossom Festival guests stayed at the beautiful Dickey
House Bed & Breakfast. Click on the following links to check out the video that her son took of the event and posted on YouTube. |
The
2008 grand
champion cherry pie baker was Rowena Agostini. |
Roger
Baum (great
grandson of Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum) speaks as he receives
his star on the Missouri Walk of Fame.  |
Leeman
and Freeman
Kleier spoke
about their time as crew members aboard Air Force One at the Webster
County Museum. The Kleier twins are Webster County natives and
displayed a variety of memorabilia from the presidential aircraft.
Click to see article and see video at
OzarkFirst.com. |
Shannon
Lanier
(sixth great
grandson of President Thomas Jefferson and Sally Heming descendant),
Chris Truscott ( descendant of President Thomas Jefferson), Devon Nixon
(great nephew of President Richard Nixon) and George Cleveland
(grandson of President Grover Cleveland) pose together following being
honored with the 2008 Edwin P. Hubble Medal of Initiative following the
annual Presidential Forum. |
2008
Webster
County's Pearl Harbor widows were honored with the
2008 Cherry Blossom Medal at the Harry S Truman Symposium. Pictured
(left to right) Norma Pringle, Ruth Burkey and Vi Davis Little.
John
Truman is pictured in the background. Truman
was joined by Greg Roosevelt in
bestowing the medals on the ladies.
 |
The
2008 annual
"Harry S Truman
Symposium" featured a panel of Pearl Harbor survivors and was moderated
by Danny Cheek of Kona, Hawaii. The panel members took a moment to pose
with John Truman (far left) and Greg Roosevelt (far right) after the
symposium. |
|
Lois
Farnsworth,
local chairman
of the Pennies for Pearl Harbor campaign addressed those present at the
Harry S Truman Symposium concerning the building of the new visitor
center in Hawaii.
Click here to access Pennies for Pearl Harbor website. Click here to access page where Nicholas Inman is presenting check to the Governor of Hawaii.  |
Cherry
Blossom
Queen Ashley Marlin & Cherry Blossom Princess Desiree Hicks
 |
| Former
President
George &
Barbara Bush were unable to be at the Cherry Blossom Festival, so
Nicholas Inman and Debbie Chapman traveled to present them
with their medals. Click on the picture to view a larger image.  Photo Credit: George Bush Presidential Library Foundation, Chandler Arden Photographer. |
Tom Carnahan receives the Edwin P. Hubble Medal of Initiative for his |
| Tom
Washington unveils a bust of his Presidential relative, George Washington.  |
