Tulip queen makes two for Orange City family
By Duane Beeson, Journal correspondent | Posted: Wednesday, January 17, 2007
ORANGE CITY, Iowa -- If people start calling Rog and Rachael Brunsting king and queen, they'll understand why. When Tulip Festival is celebrated May 17-19, the Orange City couple will be parents of the tulip queen for the second time.
Their youngest daughter, Rebekah Kuiken, was named the 2007 tulip queen at the queen's pageant in November. Her sister Alicia served as queen in 2004.
The Kuikens are the second pair of sisters to reign over Orange City's annual festival. Sisters Marjorie and Freida Brower served as queen in 1941 and 1958, respectively.
Alicia Kuiken encouraged Rebekah to try out for queen based on the experiences she had three years ago.
"I really liked getting to know a lot of people and seeing how much work was involved in the festival. Hanging out with other members of the court was a lot of fun, too," says Alicia.
The former tulip queen, now a senior at Northwestern College, wasn't able to be at Rebekah's pageant because she was studying in Mexico for the fall semester. Her advice beforehand was simply to have fun so she'd have no regrets.
For Rebekah's presentation at the queen's pageant, she combined her love for family with her enjoyment of cooking in "The Family Table," which featured a Thanksgiving meal she prepared. She told the audience each dish represented a family member.
Tortilla rolls reminded Rebekah of Alicia because she likes to experience different cultures. The meat represented stepfather Rog, because "he's a beef kind of person." The party potatoes -- fun yet wholesome -- represented her mom.
A firefighting queen
Rebekah, a senior at MOC-Floyd Valley High School, has been a member of the golf and volleyball teams. She also plays flute in the Symphonic Band, participates in the color guard during marching band season and is a member of the National Honor Society.
Rebekah may be the only junior firefighter to wear the queen's crown.
She joined Orange City's volunteer firefighting squad two years ago, inspired by the heroic efforts of New York's firefighters on Sept. 11, 2001, and the movie "Ladder 49." She isn't allowed to do hands-on work at the scene of a call, but she has gotten a variety of experiences through training exercises.
"I've learned a lot of stuff I never thought I'd learn, like how to climb on roofs properly," she says with a smile. "I like the other firefighters; they are behind-the-scenes kind of people who show you how to be a volunteer for the community and don't ask for anything in return."
They've volunteered to take Queen Rebekah through the Tulip Festival's parade route on a fire engine if festival organizers say it's OK.
No matter how she rides in the parade, Rebekah needs to remember to savor the moments of the festival, according to her older sister.
"Take advantage of the opportunity to talk to everybody," Alicia advises. "You meet a lot of people -- they come up to you at the festival and at the road shows. Really enjoy it and get to know them."
Rebekah, who plans to attend Taylor University in Indiana next year and major in international business, says she's looking forward to the festival.
"I'm excited to represent Orange City. The best part is I don't have to do it alone; I get to do it with the court," she says, describing the "royalty" that includes Maggie Achterhof, Julynda Eekhoff, Emily Muilenburg and Anna Schiebout. "I look forward the most to spending time with my court. It includes some girls I'd never met before even though we'd lived in Orange City all of our lives, but we've become close friends already."
Their youngest daughter, Rebekah Kuiken, was named the 2007 tulip queen at the queen's pageant in November. Her sister Alicia served as queen in 2004.
The Kuikens are the second pair of sisters to reign over Orange City's annual festival. Sisters Marjorie and Freida Brower served as queen in 1941 and 1958, respectively.
Alicia Kuiken encouraged Rebekah to try out for queen based on the experiences she had three years ago.
"I really liked getting to know a lot of people and seeing how much work was involved in the festival. Hanging out with other members of the court was a lot of fun, too," says Alicia.
The former tulip queen, now a senior at Northwestern College, wasn't able to be at Rebekah's pageant because she was studying in Mexico for the fall semester. Her advice beforehand was simply to have fun so she'd have no regrets.
For Rebekah's presentation at the queen's pageant, she combined her love for family with her enjoyment of cooking in "The Family Table," which featured a Thanksgiving meal she prepared. She told the audience each dish represented a family member.
Tortilla rolls reminded Rebekah of Alicia because she likes to experience different cultures. The meat represented stepfather Rog, because "he's a beef kind of person." The party potatoes -- fun yet wholesome -- represented her mom.
A firefighting queen
Rebekah, a senior at MOC-Floyd Valley High School, has been a member of the golf and volleyball teams. She also plays flute in the Symphonic Band, participates in the color guard during marching band season and is a member of the National Honor Society.
Rebekah may be the only junior firefighter to wear the queen's crown.
She joined Orange City's volunteer firefighting squad two years ago, inspired by the heroic efforts of New York's firefighters on Sept. 11, 2001, and the movie "Ladder 49." She isn't allowed to do hands-on work at the scene of a call, but she has gotten a variety of experiences through training exercises.
"I've learned a lot of stuff I never thought I'd learn, like how to climb on roofs properly," she says with a smile. "I like the other firefighters; they are behind-the-scenes kind of people who show you how to be a volunteer for the community and don't ask for anything in return."
They've volunteered to take Queen Rebekah through the Tulip Festival's parade route on a fire engine if festival organizers say it's OK.
No matter how she rides in the parade, Rebekah needs to remember to savor the moments of the festival, according to her older sister.
"Take advantage of the opportunity to talk to everybody," Alicia advises. "You meet a lot of people -- they come up to you at the festival and at the road shows. Really enjoy it and get to know them."
Rebekah, who plans to attend Taylor University in Indiana next year and major in international business, says she's looking forward to the festival.
"I'm excited to represent Orange City. The best part is I don't have to do it alone; I get to do it with the court," she says, describing the "royalty" that includes Maggie Achterhof, Julynda Eekhoff, Emily Muilenburg and Anna Schiebout. "I look forward the most to spending time with my court. It includes some girls I'd never met before even though we'd lived in Orange City all of our lives, but we've become close friends already."
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