By Brian Gray
bgray@ themonroetimes.com
MONROE - The sights and sounds of Cheese Days stay in the minds of people who attend and participate in the biennial festival in Monroe.
People remember the Swiss music, the costumes, the cheese and food and gathering downtown to see friends and neighbors.
For some people, the memories are even more special.
Martha Bernet, Monroe, has been involved with Cheese Days since 1965. She sang on the "Cheese Days in Monroe" record in 1967 and served as entertainment chairman. In 1980, the first year there was a Cheese Days King and Queen, the festival became even more special.
"When I went to the (Cheese Days Committee) meeting I had some names of people that I thought should be king and queen, but they didn't want to listen," she said. "I asked them why and they told me all they wanted to hear from me was a 'yes.'"
Unknown to her, she and her husband, Werner, were selected by the committee to be the first king and queen of Cheese Days.
"That was quite an honor," she said. "It was probably my fondest memory."
Melva Tschanz, Monroe, also knows what it's like to be queen of the festival. In 2006, she was selected by the Cheese Days Committee to serve as queen. Her husband, Henry, was king.
"We were royalty for the weekend," she said. "We really had a good time."
The couple took part in the parade and helped promote the event at other parades.
"We went to schools and other towns to tell people about Cheese Days," she said.
They got involved with Cheese Days in 1992, when their daughter, Heidi, was named queen. At the time, the festival named more than one queen. Over time, the title of queen was changed to "ambassador," she said.
Those memories were special to the Tschanzs because they got to see how much their daughter enjoyed being a part of Cheese Days.
Bernet said the work of so many volunteers makes each Cheese Days festival something to remember.
"There are so many people working together," she said.
The 2010 Cheese Days festival takes place Sept. 17 through 19.
More information about Cheese Days is available at the festival's website, cheesedays.com.
bgray@ themonroetimes.com
MONROE - The sights and sounds of Cheese Days stay in the minds of people who attend and participate in the biennial festival in Monroe.
People remember the Swiss music, the costumes, the cheese and food and gathering downtown to see friends and neighbors.
For some people, the memories are even more special.
Martha Bernet, Monroe, has been involved with Cheese Days since 1965. She sang on the "Cheese Days in Monroe" record in 1967 and served as entertainment chairman. In 1980, the first year there was a Cheese Days King and Queen, the festival became even more special.
"When I went to the (Cheese Days Committee) meeting I had some names of people that I thought should be king and queen, but they didn't want to listen," she said. "I asked them why and they told me all they wanted to hear from me was a 'yes.'"
Unknown to her, she and her husband, Werner, were selected by the committee to be the first king and queen of Cheese Days.
"That was quite an honor," she said. "It was probably my fondest memory."
Melva Tschanz, Monroe, also knows what it's like to be queen of the festival. In 2006, she was selected by the Cheese Days Committee to serve as queen. Her husband, Henry, was king.
"We were royalty for the weekend," she said. "We really had a good time."
The couple took part in the parade and helped promote the event at other parades.
"We went to schools and other towns to tell people about Cheese Days," she said.
They got involved with Cheese Days in 1992, when their daughter, Heidi, was named queen. At the time, the festival named more than one queen. Over time, the title of queen was changed to "ambassador," she said.
Those memories were special to the Tschanzs because they got to see how much their daughter enjoyed being a part of Cheese Days.
Bernet said the work of so many volunteers makes each Cheese Days festival something to remember.
"There are so many people working together," she said.
The 2010 Cheese Days festival takes place Sept. 17 through 19.
More information about Cheese Days is available at the festival's website, cheesedays.com.