What better way to enhance your experience of Mardi Gras in Shreveport- Bossier than to get to know the Queens of Mardi Gras? Catering to more than 400,000 parade-goers each year, the krewes of Shreveport-Bossier have a storied history, and each are as unique as their queens.

Krewe of Gemini Queen: Karen Murphy Karen Murphy married her high school sweetheart, Jack, and they have two sons, one daughter-in-law and three grandchildren.

“We became involved in the krewe when a dear friend recruited us,” Murphy said. “We stayed involved because of all the friends we have made.” When her husband took a job transfer in 1999, the couple was gifted with a krewe membership as a going-away present, and they have maintained the membership ever since.

Even though her husband’s job assignments have taken them across the world and back, the couple has always returned to Shreveport to support the Krewe of Gemini, she said. “I’m honored to serve with my husband as Queen Gemini XXVIII and look forward to a great year.”

The Krewe of Gemini is the first parading Krewe in modern times in Shreveport and Bossier City. The Krewe of Gemini is a nonprofit volunteer organization including folks from all walks of life who enjoy promoting the Mardi Gras spirit in the area. The den is located at 2101 East Texas St. in Bossier City.

Krewe of Centaur Queen: Jennifer Hammons Jennifer Hammons, a graduate of Bossier High School, attended both Bossier Parish Community College and Louisiana State University, Shreveport. She is married to King Centaur XXII Brian Hammons, and they are the parents of two dachshunds, Bailey and Lucy.

Hammons is a real estate broker with James M. Brown Builder and Real Estate. Active in both the Northwest Louisiana Board of Realtors and the Northwest Louisiana Home Builders Association, she is in line to serve in 2018 as the first female president of the Northwest Louisiana Home Builders Association.

Hammons has been an active member in the Krewe of Centaur for 14 years.

“I joined the mighty Krewe of Centaur mainly as a way to meet new friends and get involved with something fun,” she said. “But what I didn’t know then is that it would go so much beyond just friendship and fun. It is such a great way to give back to the community.”

The Krewe of Centaur, organized in 1991, is bound together by the common goals of building a better community and the pursuit of good, family fun. The Krewe of Centaur Mardi Gras Parade has grown over the years to become the largest parade in the Ark-La-Tex and one of the largest in the state, including New Orleans.

Krewe of Barkus and Meoux Queen: Laura Schlidt Laura Schlidt’s passion for animals began when as a teenager she received her first pet miniature schnauzer, Mr. Whiskers, as a gift. Since then, she has rescued several other schnauzers, including Vinnie, Schatzi and her beloved Alex. Currently, she has Moxie, a schnauzerdachshund mix who was also Queen of Hearts for the krewe in 2014.

“I joined Barkus as a way to get to know people in the community and participate in animal advocacy,” said Schlidt, who lives in Shreveport with her daughter, Mary Rachel.

Schlidt attended Texas A&M University and LSU in Baton Rouge and is the daughter of Dr. Gary and Marilyn Joiner. She works in marketing at Risk Services of Louisiana Inc. and serves as a diplomat for the Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce and on the executive committee of River Cities Business Network.

She is dedicating her reign to raising awareness of the rights of service animals in public. She also continues to support and promote the rescue community.

The mission of the Krewe of Barkus and Meoux is to develop, foster and promote programs to benefit abused, neglected and homeless animals, as well as promote responsible pet ownership with public education about a voluntary spay/neuter program.

Krewe of Justinian Queen: Melanie Johnson Baton Rouge native Melanie Johnson has been married to Krewe Captain XVII Marty Johnson for 30 years. They have two children, Jared and Mallory, who are both attending their mother’s alma mater, LSU.

“I’m a huge Tiger fan and bleed purple and gold,” Johnson said.

After working at Southfield School for 16 years, Johnson recently began a new position at Loyola College Prep as advancement director.

Johnson, an outdoor girl, loves to spend time with family and friends on the lake, she said. She also enjoys traveling, especially to the mountains, which satisfies her love of hiking. But she wouldn’t turn down a trip to put her toes in the sand.

“Marty and I joined Justinian with the encouragement of King XII Jim Gardner, Marty's former law partner and friend, with whom we had many fun memories,” she said.

The Krewe of Justinian was formed in 1994 for area attorneys, judges and other persons interested in the legal affairs of the community to participate in and promote the celebration of Mardi Gras in the Ark-La-Tex.

Krewe of Sobek Queen: René Davis René Whitaker Davis, of Shreveport, is married to Anthony Davis and is the mother of two, son André Johnson (Sobek Krewe member) and daughter Ashley Lewis. She has three granddaughters, Alexisia Charleston, Morgan Bedford and Ava Grace Lewis.

Davis has been a member of the Krewe of Sobek since 2004.

“I joined the krewe after attending their first bal in 2004,” she said. “The bal and tableaux was more than I could've imagined, and I wanted to be a part of this awesomeness.”

Davis has been employed with SWEPCO for 20 years as a customer operation supervisor. She is a board member of Reach Out and Touch Non Profit Inc. and is active in the feeding program, after-school tutoring and the summer camp program. She enjoys spending time with family, spoiling her grandchildren and shopping.

The Krewe of Sobek, dedicated to bringing the time-honored traditions and experience of Mardi Gras to the inner city, is a non-profit, social and charitable organization founded in April 2003. The krewe’s goals are to support organizations that provide a helpful hand to those in need within the community, to provide fellowship among the members and the community, take part in charitable and non-political civic causes and to participate in various parades and celebrations in the Louisiana area.

Krewe of Les Femme Mystique Queen: Jane Hudson Jane Hudson was born in Gilmer, Texas, and said she knows when she opens her mouth, East Texas drawl comes out. She married her prince charming, Gary Hudson, and moved to Bossier City, where she now works in the Foundation of CHRISTUS Health Shreveport-Bossier as a development specialist.

Hudson said she joined the krewe in 2014 as a way to meet other people and become involved in philanthropy. Her favorite way to help others is through the Renesting Organization, she said.

“The Renesting Organization, just one of our philanthropy projects that we work on through the year, helps families that have been homeless to get started again and back into a home,” she said.

Formed in 1999 as the first all-women Mardi Gras krewe in Northwest Louisiana, the Krewe of Les Femme Mystique has a simple mission: to support the Ark- La-Tex in its education of the history, social effects and heritage of Mardi Gras. As full participants in local Mardi Gras traditions, the krewe hosts a yearly coronation and bal, attends other krewes' events and rides in many area parades. In addition, they provide community service and support with an emphasis on helping women and children through cash donations as well as time spent supporting various nonprofit projects and programs.

Krewe of Atlas Queen: Tracy Mendels Chicago native and 15-year Army veteran Tracy Mendels has been married for 21 years and has two children, her son Derrick, 25, and daughter Baileigh, 12.

A member of the Shreveport Police Department since 2000, Mendels has served as a detective with the Crime Scene Investigation Unit for the last eight years.

“I liked the Krewe of Atlas because they are really big into giving back to the community. We do a lot of volunteer work and charity events. The Krewe of Atlas is very diverse. It encompasses everybody regardless of race or financial standing. We just love everybody and that’s the kind of people I like to be associated with.”

She has been an Atlas Krewe member for six years, having served as as a duchess, lieutenant of fund-raising and president of the board of directors.

The exclusive purpose of the Krewe of Atlas is to bring today’s modern cultural diversity to the time-honored traditions and festivities of Mardi Gras to the Shreveport and Bossier communities. The krewe encourages camaraderie and fellowship by providing an opportunity to support the work of local charities and nonprofit organizations. To that end they commit their time and talents to bringing Mardi Gras to the masses and to remaining a constant ally of the nonprofit community worldwide.

Krewe of Highland Queen: LeVette Fuller LeVette Fuller, the teen services associate for Shreve Memorial Library, works with local schools and community partners to provide access to resources that support the future success of Caddo Parish youth.

“I became involved with the Krewe of Highland in 2009 when Matthew Linn was king and asked me to be on his court,” she said. “I was the High Priestess of Highland. We rode on his crazy little homemade float,” she said. “Riding that first year was so much fun! Little kids in particular have so much joy on their faces, and the expression of satisfaction and accomplishment they get when they catch beads all by themselves is priceless.”

Fuller serves on the Leadership Council for Step Forward, an organization focused on cradle-tocareer success for North Louisiana; serves as board member for the Shreveport Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission, and she is a founding member of Re-Form Shreveport.

Fuller writes for Heliopolis Magazine and is an active member of the Junior League of Shreveport Bossier.

For more than 20 years, the mission of the Highland Krewe continues: to bring people from all over the community – residents and visitors – into Highland on a fun-filled day, and to bring neighbors out to meet each other.

Krewe of Harambee Queen: Terry Jackson Terry Jackson, a native of Shreveport, is the owner and director of Christian Dance Center, which has introduced ballet to more than a thousand children in 14 years.

In 2009, she started Make A Difference Dance Inc., a non-profit organization that assists aspiring dancers to learn ballet. Jackson also draws upon her extensive educational and practical experience in nursing as an assistant professor of nursing at Northwestern State University’s Shreveport campus. She was honorably discharged in 1998 from the U.S. Air Force Reserves after six years of service. She currently serves on the Louisiana Commission of Human Rights.

Jackson has been a member of the krewe for 14 years.

“They are my family, and I love our members very much,” she said. “The Krewe of Harambee contributes to the community through the Sickle Cell Foundation and MLK Hopes and Dreams Scholarship.”

She is married to retired Master Sergeant Ronald Jackson, and has a 14-year-old son, Isaiah.

In the fall of 2000, a group of African-Americans came together to discuss how minorities could become more involved in the celebration of Mardi Gras in the spirit of the African- American culture in the Shreveport area. The group formed the Krewe of Harambee, the first African-American krewe in Shreveport.

Krewe of Elders Queen: LaWanda Turner LaWanda Turner lives in Marshall, Texas, with her husband and best friend, Rick. She has two children, Tammy and Tim, and she has four grandchildren.

She and her husband joined the Krewe of Elders in 2010.

“The Krewe of Elders is readily known as ‘the dancing krewe,’” she said. “I joined this krewe because of the dances that they held, the love of the ‘old’ music of the ’50s and ’60s, the affordability of being a member of a krewe, and the fellowship of good people who are focused on the needs of the elderly and disabled.”

Turner graduated from Louisiana Tech in secretarial science and received a Bachelor of Science in 1990 from LSU- Shreveport in business administration with an accounting major. She retired in February 2013 from a career in purchasing and as a controller. She enjoys reading, puzzles and ballroom dancing.

The Krewe of Elders, formed in 1998, is a Mardi Gras non-profit incorporated organization for people 50 and older located in Shreveport. The Krewe provides a “budget friendly” way to be part of the fun and excitement that Mardi Gras brings to Shreveport- Bossier. During the Mardi Gras season, the krewe visits nursing homes, children’s hospitals and veterans’ hospitals.