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Cecelia Miller turns 107 & is being honored at Rice Festival

Posted at 6:07 PM, Oct 18, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-18 21:25:33-04

The International Rice Festival is now underway in Crowley.

It will feature the crowning of a new festival queen, but this year’s parade will also feature another special guest.

Kathryn Shea Duncan has had a great year as the International Rice Festival Queen.

She’s travelled all over the state and across the country promoting the festival and rice industry.

“My mom works at the Crowley Post Signal which is just north of the main stage so I grew up here parking at the post signal and walking to the festival and hearing the music every night. My dad, he passed away last January, but he did own a construction company and trucking company which is right by the farris wheel,” said Duncan.

Her great aunt was even the junior rice queen in 1951.

On Saturday, Duncan will pass the crown onto a new queen, and both the outgoing and incoming queen will be riding in floats in the grand parade at 3pm on Saturday.

But, at this year’s parade there will be an addition; Cecelia Miller who was born 107 years ago on the eighteenth of October, 1911.

“She will be riding in the grand parade on Saturday, and she’ll be one of the first cars because she’s a little bit older, so we need to make sure that she is safe throughout the entire parade,” explained Duncan.

Miller spent her life in Iota.

She loves reminiscing about her family memories growing up in a traditional Cajun French lifestyle.

She tells funny stories about her jokester brothers.

“Give him a sweet potato in a bag for him to go to school with and when he stopped at the trash pilem he’d sit there all day while school was out.” He played hookie,” said Miller.

And, she enjoys telling how they prepared meals.

“And, when we were hungry for chicken, we kill it and clean it, and cook it and we eat it,” said Miller.

If you see Miller riding in her horse and buggy in the grand parade, make sure to throw her favorite flower, a pink rose.