Surrounded by fellow Quiet Oaks residents, Rachel Lowry’s hands covered her mouth in excitement when she heard her name announced.
The room filled with cheers and applause as she was presented with flowers and a tiara, crowning her Ms. Quiet Oaks 2026.
“It was wonderful,” Lowry said.
Lowry, who is 85, said she did not expect to win. She noted her favorite part of the pageant was preparing her look.
“Just getting dressed up,” Lowry said. “I had a lot of fun.”’
Following an increase in willing participants, the Ms. Quiet Oaks pageant returned this year after a long break. It’s a precursor to the Georgia Health Care Association (GHCA) Pageant, which honors female residents from skilled nursing and assisted living facilities across the state. This reintroduction was aided by owner Terry Cook, who serves on the board of directors for Georgia Health Care Association.
Lowry will now advance to the state-level pageant in Atlanta on Aug. 22.
“The main purpose of this evening (is) to take these eight ladies, dress them up, put makeup on them and let them feel special,” said Quiet Oaks administrator Chris Wrenn.
Eight female residents, whose ages ranged from the mid-30s to the mid-80s, volunteered to compete in the pageant on June 4. Each was presented by an escort and then asked a question about Quiet Oaks, like their favorite activity or favorite aspect of living there.
All contestants came out of the pageant with a title.
Jean Pierce won Best Personality, Barbara Lowe won Best Outfit, Shirley Barnes won Best Hair and Makeup, Shirley Owensby won Prettiest Smile and Autumn Arnold won Prettiest Eyes. Residents Mary Ellen Smith and Frankie Brooks won Second Place Runner-up and First Place Runner-up, respectively.
All contestants had their hair and makeup done in-house, and volunteers helped dress them for their presentations.
Volunteer Cindy Miller played a key role in organizing the event. She found escorts to walk with contestants and assembled gift bags for participants.
Miller became involved through her late mother, who lived at Quiet Oaks for around five years. After her mother’s death last year, Miller said she remained close with her mother’s former roommate, Frankie Brooks.
“She was all super excited about the pageant,” Miller said.
The facility's main recreation room was transformed for the evening. A pink and white balloon arch stood in the front, there were refreshments and desserts in the back, and plenty of seating set up for family and friends.
“I think the ladies have had a lot of fun,” Miller said.
Quiet Oaks Healthcare, which opened in 1988, puts on a variety of events for residents including a yearly fireworks display, donuts with dad, muffins with mom and a week's worth of activities to celebrate National Nursing Home week.
“Age is just a number. Not something that slows you down or tells you what you can and can’t do,” Wrenn said. “Our goal is to celebrate each and every day, whether there is a state holiday, national holiday, or just a day to celebrate life.”