Mrs. Doris Dewald is this year’s Grand Marshal and has been an important part of the Meridian community for 55 years.

In 1971, Mrs. Dewald began her teaching career at the Daykin School, where she taught first, second, and third grade. She later moved to the Tobias School before joining the new Meridian school. She also served as Pep Club Sponsor for 28 years and has continued to support Meridian students and the school community throughout the years. Even today, Mrs. Dewald remains a familiar face at Meridian, as she continues to substitute at the school.

But Mrs. Dewald’s connection to homecoming goes back even further. In 1956, she was crowned Homecoming Queen at Alexandria High School. Seventy years later, we have the honor of celebrating her once again—this time as Meridian’s Grand Marshal.

And there’s a special piece of history that makes this moment even more meaningful: the very chairs we still use for our Meridian Homecoming King and Queen came from Alexandria High School. They are the same chairs Mrs. Dewald sat in when she was crowned queen in 1956.

From Homecoming Queen to Grand Marshal, Mrs. Dewald’s story has truly come full circle. We are proud to honor her and celebrate the 70 years of history, service, and memories that connect her to this community.