1960 Iowa Cherry Blossom Princess
Marjorie Holmes was a popular author who was born in Storm Lake, Iowa and graduated from Cornell College in Iowa in 1931. She lived in McLean and Manassas, Virginia for many years and she wrote a column on family life for the Washington Evening Star and another column for Woman's Day magazine.
According to the archives of the Des Moines Register, Holmes wrote hundreds of articles for such magazines as McCall's, Ladies Home Journal, Reader's Digest, Better Homes & Gardens, Today's Health and Daily Guidepost. Holmes' first novel, "World By the Tail," was published in 1943. Her books often were geared to teenagers as well as women confronting modern issues. Today, Holmes is known best for her biblical trilogy that started with the novel "Two From Galilee" (1972), a love story about Mary and Joseph. That was followed by "Three From Galilee: The Young Man from Nazareth" (1985) and "The Messiah" (1987). In 1981, Holmes, who had been widowed after 47 years, married Dr. George Schmieler and moved to Pennsylvania, but returned to the Washington area after his death in 1992. Holmes died March 13, 2002, at a nursing home in Manassas after a series of strokes.
In the 1950s, she wrote many books for teen age girls called "Malt Shop novels." In 1960, Westminster Press published her book "Cherry Blossom Princess" about a young woman from Iowa who breaks up with her boyfriend and gets a boost to her fragile ego when she comes to Washington, DC to represent her state in the National Cherry Blossom Festival. For many years, this book popularized the cherry blossom princess program with many teens. The book was published a second time in 1982. Although the book is rare, it can sometimes be found on Amazon, Ebay, or other book sites.
