Homer Richardson and Marian Celeste “Marcee” Carty were crownedking and queen of the Krewe of Ceres’ 2005 Charity Ball on Saturdaynight.

Guests entered the ball, held at the Lincoln County Multi-UseFacility, through a marquee covered with twinkling lights andflanked by flaming torches. The foyer was transformed into asecluded Asian forest that guests walked through to enter theballroom, which carried out the theme of this year’s event – TheVermilion Ball.

The ceiling was a tent of vermilion gossamer draped over bannerswith the three Chinese symbols for faith, hope and love printed inblack. The gossamer continued over the throne, where the king andqueen were seated on a Chinese Chippendale bench.

Overhanging the throne were massive bamboo stalks supportingsilk vermilion lanterns. The food tables were adorned with toweringChinese lanterns in black and white, while the walls were lit byred lighting.

Homer Richardson

Homer Richardson was born in Philadelphia in 1940 and grew up inJena, La. He married his wife, Lynn Sullivan, while in college.They have two sons, Tony, who lives in New Hampshire and Mark, wholives in Louisiana.

Richardson graduated from Louisiana State University in 1962 andstarted work as a safety engineer with Allied Signal Corp. He andLynn lived in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and New Jerseybefore he retired in 1988 as corporate director of safety withresponsibility for 600 plant operations in the United States andoverseas.

Richardson moved to Brookhaven in 1989 after an exhaustivesearch for the perfect place to retire. He found plenty to do inthe Brookhaven community and has been active with a number of localorganizations. He has served as president or chairman of theBreakfast Kiwanis, the Brookhaven Trust, Brookhaven Arts Council,Lincoln County Forestry Association, Big Brothers Big Sisters,Lincoln County Master Gardeners, Brookhaven Camellia Society,Southwest Mississippi Amateur Radio Club, Keep Lincoln CountyBeautiful, Co-Lin’s Institute for Learning in Retirement (ILR) andthe Chamber of Commerce Retirement Committee.

One of his most satisfying experiences since coming toBrookhaven has been that of seeing the community effort in thetransition of Whitworth College from a collection of derelictbuildings into the beautiful Mississippi School of the Arts.

He is looking forward to many more years of watching Brookhavenand Lincoln County continue to grow and truly be a “Homeseeker’sParadise.”

Marcee Carty

Marian Celeste “Marcee” Carty is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs.Harold Owen Carty, of Brookhaven. She is the granddaughter of Mrs.Hugh Vernon Pierce and the late Mr. Pierce, of Jackson and the lateMr. and Mrs. Harold Edward Carty, of Grenada. She is the sister ofCatherine Carty, who was an aide to the queen in the 1999 CharityBall.

She graduated with special honors from Brookhaven High School,where she was a member of the Vo-Tech National Honor Society and anofficer for the National Honor Society, varsity tennis team,captain of the varsity cheerleaders, Fellowship of ChristianAthletes, officer for Future Business Leaders of America, BigBrothers Big Sisters mentor, president of the junior class, vicepresident of the senior class and page at the MississippiCapitol.

As a Girl Scout, she received the Girl Scout Leadership Awardand Girl Scout Silver Award after touring Europe with her troop.She was active in both Les Belles for the Chamber of Commerce andin the youth group of First United Methodist Church.

As a participant in Lincoln County Junior Miss, she won the “BeYour Best Self Award.” She also received the State Bank LeadershipAward, Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in Math, Who’s Who inCheerleading, Most School Spirit, Academic Hall of Fame, BrookhavenHigh School Citizenship Award and the Will Valentine MemorialScholarship.

Miss Carty is a junior at Mississippi State University, whereshe is an accounting major. She is a member of Beta Alpha Psi(Accounting Honor Society), Sigma Alpha Lambda Honor Society, PhiSigma Pi National Honor Society, National Dean’s List and Phi Deltachapter of Chi Omega social sorority, where she was recentlyelected as Sisterhood Cardinal Cabinet Committee Chair.

She is a member of the Debutante Club of Mississippi, was aideto the queen in the 1995 Charity Ball and a maid in the 2004Charity Ball. She was a Bulldog Belle, vice president ofMatch-mate, and Student Association for Athletic Support; mentor inStarkville Public Schools and active member in Reformed UniversityFellowship. She attends First United Methodist Church inStarkville. This summer, she plans to travel to Australia, whereshe will intern. Following her travels overseas, she plans tograduate and proceed to graduate school at Mississippi State.