Queen Shirley Bingham

1956's Queen of the May, Shirley Bingham was crowned by her consort, L. R. Earl.

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Mendon May Day— 1956Crowning of the 1956 Mendon May Day Queen, Shirley Bingham

Mendon Lists Program For May Fete— Plans are being completed for the big Centennial May Day celebration on Saturday, May 5th. Shirley Bingham, May Queen, has selected L. R. Earl to be her Consort. Her maids of honor and their consorts are Linda Bird, Norma Baker, Sandra Kidman, Judy [Ann] Yonk, Zan Longstroth, Sidney Larsen, Dennis Earl and Stephen Kidman. The little flower girl is Deborah Bartlett and the crown bearer is Scott Hiibner. The parade will begin at 9:30 a.m. Lee Larsen will be Marshall of the Day. Planning floats for the parade are the Relief Society, MIA, Sunday school, DUP Mendon Camp, and the following clubs, Optimists, Just-A-Mere-Club and the Happy Hour Club. Following the procession will be the crowning of queen Shirley by her consort, L. R. Earl, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lemuel Earl. T. Kay Sorensen will lead in the singing of May Day songs accompanied by Ellen Ladle. Twenty-two little girls dressed in pioneer costumes will dance the traditional maypole dance directed by Mozelle Sorensen, Delpha Longstroth and Hazel Buist. Following this an interesting program will be presented in the ward chapel under the direction of the Sunday school superintendency. William Longstroth, Jr., Zeno Andersen and Edwin Olsen. Professor Ivan J. Barrett, former Mendon resident, now of the Brigham Young University, will give the May Day talk. Sports, a children’s dance, races, a ball game and demonstrations by the riding clubs of Clarkston and Mendon will take up the afternoon. Concluding the celebration will be the dance at 9:00 p.m. in the recreation hall.

Mendon Fete, She Was Queen of May for ’92— City officials of Mendon are preparing a centennial float to carry the oldest living May Queen— Mrs. Hannah Sorensen Whitney, queen in 1892. It will appear in the Mendon May Day parade Saturday this week, when the community stages its traditional and colorful May celebration. Mrs. Whitney, daughter of original pioneers, Isaac and Mary Poulsen [Jacobsen] Sorensen, will have three descendants of original Mendon pioneers as her attendants. They are; Constance Sorensen, a granddaughter of Isaac Sorensen; Eleanor Larsen, a granddaughter of Peter and Eleanor Shelton Larsen, and DeVon Richards, whose grandparents were Hyrum T. and Agnes Muir Richards. “Aunt Nan” went to the church for crowning ceremonies in May of 1892. Her consort was Alexander Baker, son of pioneers Mr. and Mrs. Amenzo Baker. The old Sweeten Band serenaded them at her home [96 South Main Street, Mendon] and marched up the street for the coronation. In part, Alexander said as he crowned Hannah: “Reign thou over thy flowery domain, in the principality of Mendon.” The first Sunday school was organized in 1863. James G. Willie was first superintendent, followed by Ralph Forster in 1866. When spring came, the young girls —glad to get out of their log houses— went to the hills gathering flowers, and making a crown for one of the maidens. Ralph Forester thought it would be an excellent idea to have a public celebration, select a queen and consort and present a program. So, Mendon’s May Day celebration was born. Isaac Sorensen assisted with the songs and music, and the Sunday school since then has sponsored May Day fete. On Saturday this week, the parade will begin at 9:30 a.m. Sons of Pioneers will enter a marching unit. Other entries included Cache Centennial Queen, Leatha Lundahl; Logan High School Band, South Cache High Band, and floats from various communities in the Valley. Picture Caption: Gracing Mendon City’s Centennial float will be the oldest living May Queen. Mrs. Hannah Sorensen Whitney who held the honor in 1892. Her attendants are granddaughters of original settlers— Constance Sorensen, Eleanor Larsen and DeVon Richards.1956 Mendon May Day Dancers

Mendon Outlines May Day Fete— Traditional May Day celebration in Mendon will launch community celebrations in observance of Cache Valley’s Centennial. The ward Sunday school superintendency is supervising the event on May 5th, in cooperation with the town board of trustees. Included in the superintendency are William Longstroth, Jr., Zeno Andersen and Edwin Olsen. Queen of the May is pretty Shirley Bingham, fourteen year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Angus H. Bingham and a member of the ninth grade at Wellsville Junior High. Her maids of honor are Linda Bird, Norma Baker, Sandra Kidman and Judy [Ann] Yonk, while their consorts are Zan Longstroth, Sidney Larsen, Dennis Earl and Stephen Kidman. Little flower girl is Deborah Bartlett, and crown bearer, Scott Hiibner. A Centennial parade, supervised by Mayor Wayne Hiibner and municipal officials, with Leland Larsen as chairman, will begin march at 9:30 a.m. Several Mendon groups are sponsoring entries in the parade, and numerous other communities in the Valley will send floats. Following the procession, Queen Shirley will be crowned in ceremonies on the church lawn. The maypole dance by twenty-two little girls in pioneer dresses will be directed by Mozelle Sorensen, Hazel Buist and Delpha Longstroth. Singing of May songs will be led by T. Kay Sorensen, accompanied by Ellen Ladle. Next activity will be a program in the ward chapel when Professor Ivan J. Barrett, formerly of Mendon and now of the Brigham Young University staff, will be principal speaker. Afternoon sports consist of a children’s dance, races, ball game and demonstrations by riding clubs of Clarkston and Mendon. A May Day dance in the evening will conclude the celebration.

Picture Caption: Among Mendon citizens preparing for the traditional May Day celebration Saturday, are Zeno Andersen, assistant superintendent of the Sunday school; Mrs. Oscar J. Barrett, publicity representative, and Martin Anderson, city councilman and member of parade committee.

In Mendon, Traditional May Festival Saturday— Two Queens will rule over Mendon’s Centennial May Day celebration this Saturday, May 5th. Miss Shirley Bingham, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Angus Bingham will be crowned in the traditional manner by her consort, L. R. Earl, and sharing the honors of the day with her will be Mrs. Hannah Sorensen Whitney who was first crowned Queen of May in 1892. Miss Bingham’s attendants will be Norma Baker, Sandra Kidman, Linda Bird and Judy Ann Yonk. Attending Mrs. Whitney will be Constance Sorensen, Eleanor Larsen and DeVon Richards, all granddaughters of original settlers in the community. At 9:30 a.m. the parade will begin and will include approximately thirty-seven floats from local organizations and surrounding communities. The crowning of the queen will take place immediately after the parade on the town square. Here twenty-two young girls will dance the maypole. A program will follow in the ward chapel with Professor Ivan J. Barrett, Brigham Young University, as the speaker. The Mendon Riding club will present a demonstration at 1:30 p.m. At 2:00 p.m. there will be a children’s dance and races and a baseball game at 3:00 p.m. The events of the day will conclude with a dance at 9:00 p.m. The Sunday school superintendency, William Longstroth, Jr., Edwin Olsen and Zeno Andersen and Mayor Wayne Hiibner are in charge of the celebration. Picture Caption: A welcome to citizens of Cache Valley to attend Mendon May Day Festival, Saturday is extended by officers and committee members: Mayor Wayne Hiibner and Bishop John O. Hughes, top; Leland Larsen, Merlin Yonk, T. Kay Sorensen, Edwin Olsen and William Longstroth, Jr. Traditional celebration will this year launch centennial celebrations in the Valley.L. K. Wood's entry in the 1956 Mendon May Day Parade.

News Paper Advertisement: Celebrate With Mendon, Tomorrow, Saturday, May 5th. First Centennial Parade in the Valley. At 9:30 a.m., Other May Day Events For the Day and Evening.

Picture Caption: Mendon Queen of May— Miss Shirley Bingham, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Angus Bingham, will reign over Mendon’s May Day celebration this Saturday. L. R. Earl is her consort. The parade will begin at 9:30 a.m. and the coronation and the traditional maypole dance will follow.

Printed May Day Program: Mendon May Day, May 5th, 1956, 10:30 a.m. Queen’s Court: May Queen, Shirley Bingham; Consort, L. R. Earl; Flower Girl, Deborah Bartlett; Crown Bearer, Scott Hiibner. Attendants with their Partners: Linda Bird with Zan Longstroth, Sandra Kidman with Steven Kidman, Norma Baker with Sydney Larsen, Judy Yonk with Dennis Earl. Morning Activities: Crowning of the Queen and the maypole dance, 10:30 a.m. Program in the Yellow Brick Church: Entrance of queen and attendants. Song by congregation, “Come to the Woodland;” prayer, Gilbert Wood; song, Linda Bird; reading, Sydney Larsen; song, Devon Dahn; musical number, Bill Erickson; speaker, Professor Ivan Barrett; solo, Colleen Hardman; solo, Dee Clayton Bassett; song, Carlyle Norman; remarks, Bishop John O. Hughes; closing prayer, Gilbert Wood. Exit of queen and attendants. Afternoon Activities: 1:30 p.m., Skyline Riders frolic; 2:00 p.m., children’s dance; 3:00 p.m., races and games, ball game; 9:00 p.m., dance— Clarkston Orchestra.Robert Ladle & Rodney Sorensen in their first May Day Parade.

Mendon Events, Proudly Salute May Day— After a blessed Friday night rainstorm, the sun came out Saturday to smile upon Mendon’s Centennial May Day Festival. And a gay time it was, with a record-breaking parade, the traditional crowning of the May Queen, dance of the maypole, and public program. In the parade were several floats from neighboring communities— their centennial floats, bearing, in many cases, centennial royalty. Mendon church and civic organizations sponsored several representations, and then there was L. K. Wood’s steam calliope. Queen of the May and her attendants graced the Mendon Sunday school float, while Logan City and Cache chamber of commerce sponsored the beautiful float carrying the Valley’s Centennial Queen, Mrs. Leatha Lundahl. Other outstanding entries were the Mendon City vehicle with the oldest living queen; Wellsville City, Clarkston City (commemorating Martin Harris); Smithfield City (“City of Roses”), Providence galley ship, Richmond’s Black and White Days, Newton’s beautiful painting, River Heights’s decorated buggy with youngsters, Hyde Park first home, and Cache Mayors’ Association auxiliary. There were bands— from South Cache and Logan Junior High; Just-A-Mere-Club, Primary of Mendon, Relief Society, DUP, the ward Mutual, Optimist Club, Happy Hour Club, Mendon Wildlife Federation, Mendon Farm Bureau— and two riding clubs. Mendon and Clarkston. Miss Shirley Bingham was crowned Queen of May by her consort L. R. Earl. Her attendants were Norma Baker, Sandra Kidman, Linda Bird and Judy Ann Yonk. Mrs. Hannah Sorensen Whitney, who was crowned queen in 1892, had a place of honor. Her attendants were Constance Sorensen, Eleanor Larsen and DeVon Richards. Principal speaker for the public meeting was Professor Ivan J. Barrett of Brigham Young University, Provo. Picture Caption: Such a scene as this, perhaps more than any other, identifies Mendon in the minds of Cache Valley citizens. It is the traditional maypole dance, performed yesterday during the community’s Centennial celebration. An excellent parade was another feature.

Picture Caption: Another crowning of a queen occurred in Mendon. Queen of the May Shirley Bingham receives the crown from her consort L. R. Earl. Others are attendants, Norma Baker, Sandra Kidman, Linda Bird and Judy Ann Yonk, consorts, crown bearer, flower girl.

Picture Caption: Oldest living Queen of the May at Mendon is Aunt Nan [Hannah] Whitney, who was crowned in 1892. She is shown upon a float of honor in Mendon’s parade, with her attendants.

Picture Caption: Among the beautiful floats in Mendon’s May Day parade Saturday were the ones above— Logan City-Cache County float carrying the Centennial Queen Leatha Lundahl, and Mendon Sunday schools entry, with the Queen of May, her attendants and crown bearer.