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1956 celebration royalty look back on festivities

By Patty Yauger 3 min read

CONNELLSVILLE – When the first unit steps off Saturday and the Connellsville Bicentennial Parade gets under way, two local women who reigned over the sesquicentennial event, will be among the honorees. Judy Swan Nardone and Virginia “Ginny” Miller Habina, both graduates of Connellsville Area High School, were teenagers in the summer of 1956, but for the 10 days the city celebrated its 150th anniversary, they were considered the city’s royalty.

Similar to the selection of the 2006 queen and her court, the contestants were to sell tickets with the top sellers to be named as the sesquicentennial queen and Miss Connellsville.

Habina said that several neighbors along with her family spearheaded her campaign.

“They really worked hard for me,” she said.

At the start of the contest, 125 young women secured tickets to sell. For each ticket sold, the seller received 1,000 votes. When the ticket book was returned, bonus points were awarded for each book of tickets sold.

In addition to being named as queen and Miss Connellsville, the two top sellers would receive a trip to Hollywood for the first place winner and a trip to New York City for the runner-up in the contest.

While friends and family aided her by selling tickets, Nardone said she went door-to-door asking for support.

Her routine would be to visit a neighborhood each day.

“I wasn’t intimidated at all,” said Nardone. “I would just go knock on doors and tell them what I was doing.”

Through her father, businessman William Swan, she learned of the paydays for the various manufacturers and visited the sites on those particular days.

“I just stood outside the gates and waited for them to finish their shift,” said Nardone.

Four days before the sesquicentennial, Nardone was named queen for the event and Miller, Miss Connellsville.

The two received numerous congratulatory messages and telephone calls from friends, teachers, officials and neighbors.

Nardone was crowned by 1956 Miss Pennsylvania, Serena Kifer, during a coronation ceremony at the Connellsville football stadium.

The girls received gowns and jewelry to wear to accent their attire and flowers. Along with their court, the two presided over all the events tied to the 150th celebration.

“We had a wonderful time,” she said. “It was like a fairy tale.”

While Nardone had secured the trip to Hollywood, she instead decided to join Habina and travel to New York.

Their fathers escorted the pair on the trip.

Habina said an uncle and a cousin also joined the group in the Big Apple.

“It was a very special time,” she said.

The 2006 event has renewed their interest with both rummaging through their Connellsville homes to locate photographs and newspaper clippings from the event. Habina said while her immediate family was aware of her being named Miss Connellsville, other relatives are only learning of her previous title.

“Some of my family members have received telephone calls about the bicentennial and my role and were a little surprised,” she said. “It has been fun talking about it again.”

While another young lady will be wearing the crown and holding the title of queen on Saturday, Nardone and Habina will be honored for their roles in the 150th celebration by the bicentennial committee.

“We’re very happy to have Judy (Nardone) and Ginny (Habina) joining us,” said Judy Keller, parade chairwoman. “We’re rekindling many wonderful memories, especially for those who remember the 1956 sesquicentennial celebration.”

The parade will get under way at 11 a.m.

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