*Dustin, Larkin, Callaway, Britt, and Carlyle Earnest pose for 2020 family photos in front of the Perot Theatre. (Photo by Images by April Photography)*

*Terri in the Perot Theatre after being crowned Miss Texarkana 1982.*

*Always sharing special mother-daughter time, Terri and Britt took advantage of the beautiful fall scenery during Thanksgiving 2012. (Photo by Kendall Dockery Photography)*

As times change, and our small town continues to grow, some traditions endure. As the only mother-daughter duo to hold the titles of Miss Texarkana and Miss Teen Texarkana, respectively, Terri Landes Forrester and Brittany (Britt) Forrester Earnest agree that it has been an honor to represent and serve the community through these roles. A tight-knit family, Terri and Britt both feel blessed to call Texarkana home - where they can foster a legacy of faith, family, and paying it forward.

Both Terri and Britt are born and raised locals, but to simply say their Texarkana roots run deep would not do their family history justice. “I know that my family history goes back to at least my great-great-grandmother,” Terri said. “She had a twin sister, my great-great-great aunt, and they were part of the founding of Trinity Church - under an oak tree way back when.” Since returning home with her own family, Britt appreciates even more the pace of life that Texarkana affords, the way the past and future blend together, and Terri agrees. “It is a really cool thing to be able to take our grandchildren to Spring Lake Park and remember when we took Britt there, and then to think about being a child playing out there (when there was a zoo!) with my own grandparents,” Terri said. “We love the generational aspect of this community. It just feels very special.”

Terri’s journey to becoming Miss Texarkana 1982 happened almost on a whim. “I saw a flyer,” she laughed. “I grew up watching Miss America and always loved it, and I thought this would be a fun experience and a great opportunity.” While there was a little more preparation than that – Terri was a dancer and had been a Lieutenant for the Texas Highsteppers at Texas High, and was crowned Miss Arkansas High when she transferred her senior year – her pageant career happened very organically. “Miss AHS was the first pageant I ever participated in and loved it, so I thought maybe I would just try a bigger one. Terri was crowned Miss Texarkana, also winning the swimsuit and interview portions of the competition, and earned a spot at the Miss Texas pageant. “Through the whole process, it was really the most amazing experience I had ever encountered.”

As she prepared for the Miss Texas competition, Terri remembers how blessed and humbled and excited she felt getting everything organized and prepared. “I was 18, working at Dillard’s, and when I got the courage to ask about a sponsorship, they went above and beyond and donated my entire week’s wardrobe. The community really rallied around me and helped me get there, which is something I will never forget.” Also impossible to forget is the exhilaration of stepping onto the big stage to dance to “Fame,” and how much she always loved interviewing with the judges. “I loved performing, the fanfare, how glamorous it all felt,” Terri said, “and really I felt so blessed to be in this group with so many unique women with big dreams and big hearts, and I loved being part of something bigger than myself.”

*Britt after being crowned Miss Teen Texarkana Texas 2004 holding the Overall Swimsuit and Interview awards she received during the pageant.*

The sense of confidence and the value of service stayed with Terri when she returned home. She used her scholarship money to take computer classes at Texarkana College, married her high school sweetheart, Bill Forrester, and they happily made their home in Texarkana. When they welcomed a baby girl into their lives, you may assume that Terri already had tiny pageant gowns picked out. “Oh, no!” Terri laughed. “We never tried to steer Britt in that direction, we put her in all kinds of sports and activities, but she was always the one on the soccer field dancing around and picking flowers.”

Britt remembers from a pretty young age wanting to compete. “I grew up seeing my mom’s competition photos and pictures of our cousin, Larkin Parker, who was Miss Teen Texarkana and Miss Teen Texas in 1996, and I wanted to do that.” Following Terri’s guidance, Britt didn’t begin competing right away. “My mom always told me that when I had a talent I could compete. I would sing along with ‘Blue’ by LeAnn Rimes on a cassette player in my room as a child and tell her I was ready! I was a terrible singer!” Britt laughed. “My talent ended up being ballet en pointe – thankfully!”

Britt was 15 when she was crowned Miss Teen Texarkana Texas in 2004. Over the next several years, she earned many titles – Miss Teen Metrocrest 2005, Miss Texarkana Teen USA 2006, Miss North Texas 2008, and Miss Texarkana USA 2010 and was 2nd runner-up for Miss Arkansas – and consistently won swimsuit and interview and community service awards. “One of my favorite memories is from my first Teen Texas state competition; a group of my close friends and their moms came to support me, surprised me with signs on my hotel door, and I probably had the loudest cheering section of all! They really made it extra fun!” Britt also enjoyed presenting her platform “Dare to Care - Preventing Bullying” at the different elementary schools. “I will never forget all the little kiddos that would come talk to me after I spoke and tell me their stories with their sweet eyes and hugs. They blessed me.”

Terri and Britt will each tell you that beyond any sash or crown or title, they are most grateful for the opportunities to serve and the confidence they gained through their pageant careers, and they both find great joy in paying it forward. “I really love helping other young women that are interested in competing, and I know Britt does as well,” Terri said. For some time the mother-daughter duo worked together on their own business, “Sash Prep and Consulting.” “We both found the competition experience to be very empowering and fulfilling, and we love to help other young women in developing their individual gifts and to work toward becoming the best version of themselves.”

Britt, married to her own high school sweetheart, Dustin Earnest, is grateful to be back home and to be involved in the community that helped shape them. “Dustin and I met as seniors in high school. I invited the Texas High guy to the Pleasant Grove Sadie Hawkins,” Britt said. “We both attended The University of Texas at Austin, and then moved to Dallas and then Fort Worth for work. As soon as we were pregnant with our first child, we decided to jump out of the hundred hour work weeks.” Now they have more time for their most important work: their three children, Callaway (5), Carlyle (3), and Larkin (1). While the pace is slower, there is plenty to keep the Earnest family busy. Dustin is the CFO for Tri-State Iron and Metal Company and an associate professor of finance at TAMU-T, and Britt stays involved in many local organizations including CASA, Watersprings Ranch, the local Texas Exes Chapter, Grace House Ministry, and others. “We spend a lot of time playing outside, feeding the chickens, fishing in the pond, and we love to sit down to dinner together while swapping stories and everybody telling about ‘the best part of the day.’”

As the Forrester and Earnest families instill the value of community in the next generation, they feel blessed to “do life” here, together. Whether that is having a conversation over lunch at a local restaurant, or enjoying a performance at the Perot Theatre, or taking the whole family camping at their favorite nearby nature spots, they love having a connection to the past while looking ahead to the future. For Terri and Brittany, the shared experiences of being Miss Texarkana and Miss Teen Texarkana have been incredibly rewarding. “It is a lifelong sisterhood that we get to share with fellow titleholders,” Britt said. “It is truly a bond, and I am so fortunate that I get to share that with my mom.”

Feature Stories

A Legacy of Faith, Family, Paying it Forward