Sweet Sixteen

Parents: Mike and Sara Borders

Megan is active in volleyball and shooting trap for the Mt. Pleasant Panthers. She enjoys hanging out with family and friends. Megan enjoys volunteering in the community like the Daddy Daughter Dance and Thrashers House of Terror.

Megan has volunteered many hours throughout the years at Old Threshers. She has worked the front gates, ground trains, information booths, helped with office work and helped stock souvenirs.

Ever since Megan was a little girl, she has wanted to be a part of this great experience. She is looking forward to meeting new friends and being a bigger part of Old Threshers and the Old Threshers’ family.

Miranda Ridinger — Mt. Pleasant, Iowa

Parents: Duston and Sarah Ridinger

Miranda plays softball and enjoys hanging out with friends and going to school sports games.

Miranda brings volunteer experience from working the ground trains during the reunion.

Miranda has older friends that have done Sweet 16 before and all of them said it was fun and it seems like an overall fun experience.

Kaylin Heims — Anamosa, Iowa

Parents: Dustin and Kayla Heims

Kaylin is involved with archery, 4H, FFA, deer hunting, working on tractors, showing cattle, church youth group, camping and fishing.

Kaylin has been involved with Midwest Old Threshers by being a part of the Cavalcade of Power, the Harvest Day Parade, the kiddie tractor pulls and has helped run the exhibitor booths. She also camps with her family in the campground.

Kaylin would like to be a part of the Miss Sweet 16 program because she has enjoyed Old Threshers for as long as she can remember. Kaylin thinks being a part of Miss Sweet would be fun and she could learn from the experience.

Josephine Goebel — New Vienna, Iowa

Parents: Danny and Penny Goebel

Josephine is involved in 4-H, FFA, Girls Scouts and Band. Some of her hobbies are farming, baking and sewing. She also enjoys country line dancing. Josephine helps with 2 Christian kids camp. During the summer she is a lifeguard at the local swimming pool.

Josephine has been to Old Threshers every year since she was born. The year that Old Threshers canceled due to COVID, she still came back and took her photo by the Old Engine in the Downtown Square.

Every year, she rides the carousel, train trolley and ground train. She visits the log village, sees the Old Threshers exhibits and visits with her family at the gas engines (her cousin is helping her restore a gas engine). At the log village, she learned to spin and card wool.

Josephine loves volunteering and being a role model to little kids. She wants to inspire kids to get involved in their community and come to Old Threshers. She wants them to know that they can be anything that they wanted to be. She always wanted my picture taken with the Miss Sweet 16 candidates as she grew up because she looked up to them Josephine’s mother was a candidate and said it was a lot of fun.

Hailey Parrott — Middletown, Iowa

Parents: Luke and Jennifer Parrott

Hailey is involved with cross-country, basketball, soccer, and softball. As a freshman she was the only female who played for the Mt. Pleasant Panther Football team (tight end and linebacker). Besides sports, Hailey also is in choir, show choir speech and 4-H. Hailey enjoys being a referee for Youth Soccer games in the spring and fall at the Rec Plex in Burlington.

Currently, Hailey is enrolled in the 4-H Share a Heifer Program with her Sweet Jersey Cow named Kirby.

Hailey has been involved at Old Threshers as a 5th generation exhibitor in the Gas Engines. She works the ground trains, and in the train gift shop. Hailey has helped with the spring School Tours also. Hailey is a 2019 Trolley School graduate and has been a Thrashers House of Terror volunteer since 2018.

Hailey wants to be the Miss Sweet 16 program because she believes that it will increase her confidence and give her opportunities to learn more about Midwest Old Threshers. She believes that she will build friendships with other girls her age that love reunion as much as she does.

Addison Bentler — Salem, Iowa

Parents: Don and Tonya Bentler

Addison is involved with symphonic and, choir, jazz band, show choir and color guard. Outside of school she spends her time babysitting, running, reading, and spending time with family. Over the years, Addison and her family have spent time collecting and delivering donations to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.

Over the years, Addison and her family has made a tradition of driving her great-grandfather’s tractor through the Cavalcade of Power. She has also performed with the Mt. Pleasant High School Marching Band in front of the grandstand.

Miss Sweet 16 gives a person the opportunity to meet and communicate with new people. It would be rewarding and a great honor to represent the community. Since going to Old Threshers at a very young age, Addison has always looked up to the girls that have participated in the event. Now it would be fulfilling and rewarding to be the same inspiration to the younger girls.

Tyi-Alicyn Alter — Mt. Pleasant, Iowa

Parents: Angie and Linc Alter

Tyi is involved in FFA, 4-H, softball, high school track and band. She also enjoys showing cattle and kayaking.

Tyi performs in the Mt. Pleasant Panther Marching Band. She also helps serve food at the Pork Producers tent for the FFA.

Tyi would like to help people and feels that the Sweet 16 experience will help her break out of her shell and be the best person she can be. She also wants to give back to her community.

Josie Gilmore — Mt. Pleasant, Iowa

Parents: Julie and Jeff Gilmore

Josie is involved with football cheerleading, competition cheer, dance team, color guard, basketball cheer, show choir and track.

Josie volunteers at the First United Methodist Church tent and performs for the Mt. Pleasant Marching band on Thursdays and Mondays in front of the grandstand at noon.

Josie would like to be the Miss Sweet 16 because she thinks its cool to see everyone volunteering. Josie grew up watching all the girls be crowned and I thought it was so cool to experience.

Natalie McCormick — Mt. Pleasant, Iowa

Parents: Lea and Colin McCormick

Natalie enjoys creating music (playing instruments and singing) and performing in theater productions, as well as reading and writing.

Natalie volunteers at the St Al’s Food Tent by serving food every reunion as well as at the Log Village doing various tasks.

Natalie would like to be the next Miss Sweet 16 because she thinks it’d be an amazing opportunity to meet new people while gaining more experience with volunteering. Not only that, but it also just seems like a lot of fun and she would love to be a positive representation for the community.

Makenzie Blackford — Norwalk, Iowa

Parents: Andrew and April Blackford

Makenzie is involved with volleyball, Indianola Show Choir, tennis, and she loves to bake. She works at a cute bakery in town and loves it there.

Makenzie has been involved in the Cavalcade of Power with her family.

The real reason Makenzie want to be the next Miss Sweet 16 is because she wants to be a great role model to all the little kids that go to the reunion and to show them that there are good people in the world.

Chevelle Mills — New London, Iowa

Parents: Shelly Detrick

Chevy is involved with sports, volunteering, National Honor Society, and Student Council

Chevy hasn’t not been involved at Midwest Old Threshers and is excited to start volunteering.

Chevy wants to get more involved with the community and help others out. Chevy loves being around people and helping those in need with anything.

Bailey DeHart — Mt. Pleasant, Iowa

Parents: Amy DeHart and Doug DeHart

Bailey enjoys reading, camping, and walking around town. She is a member of the E3 Youth Center and has been a wrestling cheerleader for 2 years.

Bailey has come to Old Threshers every year but has not had the opportunity to volunteer. She is looking forward to this year so she can actively participant in it.

Bailey would like to be the next Miss Sweet 16 because it is a tradition in Mt. Pleasant. Her mother was also a participant.