She's 100 years old, legally blind, a World War II vet — and now a reigning beauty queen.
Felma Schrimshire was named Ms. Alabama Nursing Home on Monday night, beating out nine other finalists from a pool of 76 candidates.
“She really waved at the audience, saluted all three sections of the audience. She had a very lively presence on stage, and I think that won over the judges and the crowd as well,” John Matson, director of communications for the Alabama Nursing Home Association, told the Opelika-Auburn News.
Schrimshire, who served for a year in the surgeon's office during World War II and taught Sunday school at a church for 78 years, told the Andalusia Star News before the pageant that she tries to greet all of her fellow residents every day with a smile.
"I love to be around the other residents and socialize with them," she said.
Her top-notch social skills may have given her the edge as the contestants each endured a 15-minute interview with a panel of judges and then answered a question on stage.
The judges include the commissioner of the state's Medicaid agency and Ms. Senior Alabama Frankie Cashion.
The AP contributed to this report.
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