Barbara Ellen Dubois, 23, was born to Gerard and Susan Dubois in Oxford, Mississippi. People often stopped Barbara's proud parents to comment on their gorgeous child with the independent, loving spirit.
Sadly, Gerard died unexpectedly a month before Barbara's second birthday. Fortunately, he had made excellent financial arrangements for his family, allowing Susan to focus on raising their child.
At school, Barbara's outgoing and cheerful personality made her popular with both peers and teachers. Her classroom participation and excellent grades kept her near the top of her class academically, but Barbara also had a stubborn, reckless—even rebellious—streak.
When Barbara was five, a friend of Susan's suggested Barbara enter a child beauty pageant. Initially, Susan scoffed at the idea but decided to try it to help channel Barbara's rambunctious energy. Surprisingly, Barbara was a runner-up on her very first try, and Susan was hooked. She enrolled Barbara in dance, piano, and singing lessons.
Although Barbara enjoyed the competition and excitement of the pageants, she eventually grew resentful of the countless hours pageant life required. She loved her jazz, ballet, and tap lessons, but when she was 10, she refused to go to any more piano and singing lessons. She convinced her mother that concentrating on dance would pay off in the long run.
All the serious pageant participants had coaches who were experts in winning strategies, and Barbara spent endless hours with hers, Marty "Slim" Rutgers, one of the best and most expensive coaches on the pageant circuit. He advised Barbara on stage presence and wardrobe, hired makeup and hair specialists, and decided which talent routine would garner the most judging points.
Susan felt fortunate to have Slim on their team, but when Barbara was 14, she told her mother that Slim had taught her everything she needed to know. She said she was tired of spending so much time with him and didn't want him around anymore. Susan was puzzled by this abrupt change of heart but attributed it to teenage Barbara asserting her independence.
Susan also knew Barbara had recently developed an interest in young Bill Lamar and figured the two wanted more time together. A few years older than Barbara, Bill was the son of Allie Lamar of Lamar Cosmetics, a frequent and valued pageant sponsor.
The teens, discovering they had much in common, became inseparable until March of the following year, when Susan withdrew Barbara from the Miss Junior Mississippi pageant, and they moved to Atlanta. Soon after Barbara's departure, Bill went to Europe to finish his schooling.
Barbara's friends were heartbroken when she left, even though they were pleased she had the opportunity to spend a year at a specialized school to refine her pageant skills. They were disappointed that Barbara didn't stay in touch during that year, but they assumed her schoolwork consumed all her time.
When Barbara returned, she immediately reimmersed herself in pageant life. Her closest friend, Rachel Webb, noticed a new seriousness and maturity, though Barbara spoke little of her year away.
Always willing to share her pageant know-how with younger girls, Barbara spent even more time mentoring them now that Bill wasn't around. She used her pageant prize money and scholarships to attend the University of Mississippi. Although Susan dreamed of a show business career for her daughter, Barbara had other plans.
Her love of children led her to earn a B.A. in Education. She planned to teach at the elementary level after competing in her final pageant at the Yoknapatawpha County Literature Festival.
