Madeline Elizabeth Godfrey will reign as the 53rd Queen of the St. Denis Art League Spring Festival Court as its Annual Presentation and Ball Saturday, April 17 at the Natchitoches Events Center.
She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Phillips Godfrey IV. She is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Steve Armster McCain Sr. of Natchitoches, Louisiana and Mr. and Mrs. John Peace Godfrey III of Many, Louisiana.
A senior at St. Mary’s High School, Miss Godfrey is active in both school and community activities. Madeline is a four-year member of the Tigerline where she served as Captain. She is a Universal Dance Association All-American and has retained that honor for two years. Additionally, she has held many leadership positions throughout her high school years. She currently serves as president of BETA club, class president of her senior class, and Vice-President of FBLA. She was inducted into the National Honor Society and is an active member in FCA and Pro-Life Club. Madeline was a member of the 2020 Homecoming Court. Her future plans at Louisiana State University include a double major of Pre-Law and Mass Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations.
Godfrey is an active member of Holy Cross Catholic Church. She was a Summer Dance Committee member, a Leo Club member, and served as a Calico Belle during the Natchitoches Tour of Homes. Also, Madeline is a member of the 2021 court for the Holiday and Dixie Plantation Ball.
Godfrey comes from a long lineage of Spring Festival membership and royalty. She served as a Herald to Queen Mallory McCain in 2011 and was an usher in 2019. Her grandfather, Steve Armster McCain Sr., was 2013 King of Spring Festival Court. Madeline’s sister, Caroline was his herald. Her mother, the former Susan McCain, was a Herald to the Queen Stephanie Cross in 1989 and a Lady of the Court in 1998.
Jared Ryan Dunahoe will reign as the 53rd King of the St. Denis Art League Spring Festival Court as its Annual Presentation and Ball Saturday, April 17, at the Natchitoches Events Center.
Dunahoe is a partner at Dunahoe Law Firm. A graduate of Natchitoches Central High School, he completed his bachelor’s degree in journalism at Northwestern State University in 2004. He was a president of the Theta-Mu Chapter of Kappa Sigma Fraternity and has served as an Alumnus Advisor for the Chapter and member of the Theta-Mu Building Corporation. In 2007 he earned the juris doctorate degree, Summa Cum Laude, from Southern University Law School, where he served on the Law Review.
He currently serves as President of the Natchitoches Parish Board of Election Supervisors. He has served on the board since 2009. In 2020 he was appointed to the Board of Directors for the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts by Governor John Bel Edwards. Dunahoe has also served as a Commissioner on the Natchitoches Historic District Commission since 2013. He is a life-long member of the First Baptist Church.
Dunahoe is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Otis Edwin Dunahoe, Jr. He and his wife, the former Danielle Black, have two children, Jefferson Walker and Ann-Marie Ryan Dunahoe.
His family has a long history of participation in the Spring Festival Court. His sister, the former Ashley Renee Dunahoe, reigned as the 25th Queen of the Spring Festival Court, and his father reigned as the 33rd King of Spring Festival. In 1999, as a senior in high school, His Majesty served as escort to the former Lesley DeBlieux, who reigned as the Queen of Spring Festival that year. His daughter will serve as one of his Heralds.
Dunahoe, his Queen, Madeline Elizabeth Godfrey, and the past Kings of Spring Festival were honored Saturday, March 14 at a party given by the 2020 Spring Festival King, Jerry Darrell Pierce and his wife, Regina.