Mrs. U.S. International Theresa Iliff and Mrs. International Elsa Engelbrecht.

race, elegance, and style of married women representing countries from all over the world came together in Tyler, Texas, on August 27 & 28, 1999, to have fun and compete for the prestigious titles of Mrs. U.S. International and Mrs. International '99.

Hosted by a state whose motto is "friendship," Texas was the perfect setting for a competition which stands for God, family, community service, and love. All involved exuded an air of camaraderie, compassion, and true friendship. A very unique part of this pageant system is that two pageants are held concurrently. The international pageant (Mrs. International) is held on one night; then the national pageant (Mrs. U.S. International) is held the following night. With two pageants occurring in one weekend, the degree of excitement is at an all-time high. Both competitions included Interview (involving personal platforms), Physical Fitness, and Evening Gown.

With an array of lighting effects and to the sound of Shania Twain's You're Still the One, the ladies performed their opening production number. After the introduction of all states for the preliminary phase of the Mrs. U.S. International, the presentation of the Mrs. International ladies began with the judging of the national costumes. The vast and colorful array of costumes placed the audience in awe of the cultural diversities and craftsmanship of the countries represented. Each lady brought forth her own unique style, grace, and beauty. As they made their way center-stage, the audience showed its approval with a roaring round of applause.

After all phases of the competition concluded, the audience waited in suspense. Who would be the next Mrs. International? The announcer began, "We present our 3rd Runner-up, Mrs. USA Lisa Moser. Second Runner-up, Mrs. Singapore Bridgitte Ow. First Runner-up, Mrs. South America Miriam Klein. And our new Mrs. International is Mrs. South Africa Elsa Engelbrecht!" With this announcement we had a new Mrs. International, but this left the audience and contestants in suspense for the following day's conclusion to find the new Mrs. U.S. International.

Theresa Iliff taking her first walk across the stage as Mrs. U.S. International 1999.

On Saturday the air was filled with excitement and anticipation, because the final competition day had arrived for the Mrs. U.S. International delegates. The competition began with all the contestants on stage for the announcement of the Top 10 Semi-finalists which were: California, Arkansas, Nevada, Louisiana, Tennessee, Ohio, Utah, Virginia, South Carolina, and New Jersey. Once all phases of competition were completed, all contestants appeared on stage with the Top 10 holding hands. The decisions had been made: 4th R/U Lisa Wright (TN), 3rd R/U Rae Brantley (LA), 2nd R/U Lynn Addy (SC), and 1st R/U Kimberly Beatty (UT). With the final contestants still clutching hands, the announcer said after a suspenseful pause, "The new Mrs. U.S. Int'l '99 is Mrs. New Jersey Theresa Iliff!" Also named Miss Congeniality in a vote by the contestants, the 31-year-old mother of two, and business owner, energetically sprang forth to receive her crown. The audience and contestants responded with a loud round of applause and standing ovation as Theresa took her first walk across the stage as Mrs. U.S. International 1999.

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