More than a crown: Celebrating Lori Jansen’s 40-year Clinton County Fair Queen Legacy

Lori Jansen’s official photo in her state gown, when she represented Clinton County in 1987 at the Miss Illinois County Fair Queen Pageant.   Forty years after being crowned Miss Clinton County Fair Queen, Lori (Kuhl) Jansen’s dedication to the Clinton County Fair is stronger than ever.
    This summer marks a special milestone as Jansen, of Carlyle, celebrates the 40th anniversary of being crowned Miss Clinton County Fair Queen in 1986. While she was not the first Clinton County Fair Queen, she became the first queen crowned when the pageant was revived after a 14-year hiatus.
    The Clinton County Fair Queen Pageant was established in 1951 before being discontinued following the 1972 fair. When the tradition returned in 1986, Jansen became the first young woman to usher in a new era of the program, and it has been going since.
    The following year, in 1987, Jansen represented Clinton County at the Miss Illinois County Fair Queen Pageant, earning a place among the Top 10 contestants in the state.
    Looking back, Jansen said winning the crown opened doors she never imagined.
Lori (Kuhl) Jansen of Carlyle was crowned as the 1986 Miss Clinton County Fair. Kuhl was the first Miss Clinton County Fair Queen crowned, following a 14-year hiatus, from 1972-1986.    “The crown was never really the end of the journey — it was the beginning,” Jansen said. “The friendships, opportunities and lessons I gained through the fair have shaped so much of my life, and I feel incredibly blessed to have spent the last 40 years giving back to a program that gave so much to me.”
    That commitment has carried her through nearly every role imaginable within the pageant program. 
    Over the past four decades, Jansen has been a contestant, queen, coach, director, photographer, backstage volunteer, judge and, perhaps her favorite title of all, “Queen Mom.”
    Jansen has spent more than 20 years directing the Clinton County Fair Queen Pageant, mentoring young women as they built confidence, leadership skills and lifelong friendships. Although she stepped away from the director’s position from 1998 through 2012, she later returned to help continue the program’s growth.
    “Watching young women discover confidence in themselves has been every bit as rewarding as winning the crown myself,” Jansen said. “Seeing former contestants become successful women, mothers, business owners and community leaders is what makes all of those years worthwhile.”
Lori Jansen, 1986 Miss Clinton County Fair, and her daughter, Brittany Seiffert, 2010 Miss Clinton County Fair.    One of Jansen’s proudest moments came in 2010 when her daughter, Brittany Seiffert, was crowned Miss Clinton County Fair Queen, making them the first mother-daughter duo to earn the title in Clinton County history.
    Now, a third generation of the family is continuing the tradition as Jansen’s granddaughter, Blake, (Seiffert’s daughter), prepares to compete in this year’s Little Miss Clinton County Fair Pageant.
    Beyond the fairgrounds, Jansen has dedicated countless hours to her community through volunteer service. She has been active with the Carlyle Chamber of Commerce, Carlyle Rotary Club, the Carlyle Lake 50th Anniversary Committee, Friends of Carlyle Lake, the Illinois Pageant Directors Association, the Miss Illinois County Fair Queen Pageant organization and the Clinton County Fair Association.
    Professionally, Jansen has spent the past 21 years helping preserve family memories as owner of Traditions Portrait Design in Carlyle. Through her photography, she has captured weddings, graduations, newborns, family portraits and other milestones for generations of Clinton County families.
    Family remains at the center of Jansen’s life. She and her husband, Brian, are the parents of three children and grandparents of four grandchildren.
   As the Clinton County Fair celebrates another summer, Jansen’s story reflects how the impact of a fair queen extends far beyond a single reign. 
Lori Jansen today as she devotes countless hours to serving her community along with the Clinton County Fair.    Through decades of leadership, volunteerism and mentorship, she has helped shape not only the pageant program but also the lives of countless young women who have followed in her footsteps.
  “The fair has always been about more than a crown,” Jansen said. “It’s about serving your community, building lifelong friendships and leaving the program better than you found it. I hope I’ve been able to do that.”
    From fair queen to pageant director, volunteer, business owner, wife, mother and grandmother, Jansen has spent the past 40 years embodying the spirit of service that has long defined the Clinton County Fair, and her impact extends far beyond her own reign, as she continues strengthening the traditions and help generations to come.