Look-alike contest a hit at the fair

Amy Blattel had to coax her husband to enter the SEMO District Fair's look-alike contest. She was surprised to find herself onstage as master of ceremony for the first-time event.

Her husband, Andy Blattel, waiting to go on stage with the couple's 4-month-old son, Owen, said he had no idea what the winners would get.

"I guess braggin' rights. I don't know!" he said with a grin.

Most men admitted they were urged to sign up by a wife or mom. And most wore matching caps and shirts, though Anthony Strack, 8, and his dad, J.W. Strack, wore yellow hard hats.

Mothers and daughters also coordinated their outfits. Kelly McCulley heard about the contest from a friend and spent the day helping her daughter, Audrey, 7, get dolled up for the event.

"We spend the day having fun, painting our nails and picking out clothes," Kelly MCulley said.

The fair's activities director, Dale Steffens, had estimated drawing at most 18 pairs each of mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, vying for the prizes: $30 for first place; $20 for second.

AARON EISENHAUER ~ aeisenhauer@semissourian.com Three-year-old Nathan Landewee looks up to his father Edward Landewee as they answer questions on stage in the father/son look-alike contest on Thursday. The Landewees took the prize for first place.

He was delighted when 19 sets of females and nine sets of males registered. The competition was fun, fast and light-hearted, with Blattel asking each pair for names, ages — of the children, not the parents — and where the pair was from. The three judges, Crystal Williams and Ronnie Maxwell of Cape Girardeau, and Kristen Howard of Jackson, offered a single spontaneous question on favorite activities, hobbies, movies, pets or colors.

Kevin Schremp and son Cody, 16, of Fruitland watched Kevin's mom and sister, Joan Leimer and Robin Marberry, compete before getting onstage themselves.

Edward Landewee and son Nathan, 3, won first place among fathers and sons; Sean Macgee and son Sean, 13, finished second. Jody Blattel and daughter Coley, 6, standouts in their matching purple blouses and white cowboy hats, won second place among mothers and daughters. Misty Arthur, a mother of seven, won first place with her only daughter, Isabelle, 4.

Arthur had urged the McCulleys to enter but hadn't planned to herself.

"And [Kelly] said we should because Isabelle and I look so much alike and I said, 'Really?'"

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127

 

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