When six-year-old Lucy McMillian was chosen Magee’s Little Miss Hospitality 2025 on February 23, she became the sixth young lady in her extended Earles family to win a title in that program. Serving as Miss Hospitality has become a tradition for the “Earles Girls.”
The Earles family of Magee was heavily weighted on the female side with five sisters and only two brothers, Thomas Earles and Billy Earles. The sisters — Shirley Earles Maddox, Jerri Earles Puckett, Pam Earles, Janet Earles Dennington and Angela Earles Van Cleave — were all attractive and personable, and their daughters and granddaughters would inherit those qualities from them.
The family’s tradition of Miss Hospitality crowns began when April Maddox Williams, daughter of Shirley Earles Maddox, was crowned Miss Hospitality in the Magee program in 1987. The next year, April passed the 1988 crown to her cousin, Kim Puckett Easterling, daughter of Jerri Earles Puckett. Both cousins still live in Magee.
Not to be outdone, brother Thomas Earles was the father of the next winner, Kristy Earles Ashmore, in 1996. Like her cousins before her, Kristy participated in the state Miss Hospitality program, which wa held in Starkville at that time. There she was crowned Mississippi’s Miss Hospitality.
For the next year Kristy traveled the state and the country with the Department of Tourism, promoting and serving as a goodwill ambassador for Mississippi. When she returned to marry, settle and teach in Simpson County, Kristy also contributed her time for over 20 years as director of Magee’s Miss Hospitality program.
No other “Earles Girls” were old enough to compete (the age range is 18-24) until Maggie Williams McMillian, daughter of April Maddox Williams, was named Magee’s Miss Hospitality in 2013.
Now married and living in Magee again, Maggie works on the Magee Hospitality Committee each year, helping to plan and conduct the orientation for girls entering the program and prepare them for the state-wide competition.
Ten years later, Hattie Grace Ashmore, daughter of state winner Kristy Earles Ashmore, took the title of Magee Miss Hospitality in 2023.
In addition to their Hospitality wins, all of the “Earles Girls’” descendants also won places in their high school and/or college beauty pageants. Beauty is another tradition in the Earles family.
The youngest Earles sister, Angela Earles Van Cleave, won the title of Simpson County’s Junior Miss in high school. After that program was renamed America’s Distinguished Women, Shirley Maddox’s granddaughter, Meagan Maddox, daughter of Keith and Joanna Maddox, won the title also, and Meagan’s cousin Maggie McMillian won first runner-up as a high school junior.
This year, Natalie Styron, daughter of Jon and Jessica Styron of Magee, was crowned Magee’s Miss Hospitality 2025 by her predecessor, Carson Carter. The newest Miss Hospitality’s duties consist of participating in parades and the annual Magee Chamber of Commerce banquet, ribbon cuttings for new businesses and other opportunities to promote the city. As other winners will do for the Little Miss Hospitality in their programs, Natalie will also serve as a mentor to Magee’s “Little Miss” Lucy McMillian.
This summer Natalie will compete in the 76th Mississippi Miss Hospitality program at the Saenger Theater in Hattiesburg, July14-19, with the final competition and announcement of the winner on July 19. Lucy will accompany her for public appearances.
In addition to a chance to develop poise, leadership and networking skills, the contestants are eligible for a total of over $100,000 in scholarships, with $25,000 going to the young woman named Mississippi’s Miss Hospitality.
Is there another “Earles Girl” out there awaiting her turn to take the stage in Hattiesburg? With the family’s history, the odds of another family winner are pretty good.
