Mary Wangen, the 2009 Freeborn County Dairy Princess, crowned her sister Elizabeth the 2010 Dairy Princess on Saturday night at the annual dairy princess and milk maid banquet and coronation at Trinity Lutheran Church.

Both sisters also re-crowned 2009 Freeborn County Milk Maid Rachel Wangen as the 2010 Milk Maid.

All are the daughters of Matt and Sharon Wangen of rural Albert Lea.

“They make it easy to ask them to be dairy princesses,” Matt said of his daughters. “For them, it’s not, do you want to be Dairy Princess? It’s when.”

Elizabeth, who is a junior at Albert Lea High School, said she served as the milk maid, a position that is unique to Freeborn County, five years ago.

“I love living on a farm,” she said. “I think pretty much anything to do with cows is fun.”

The family has 43 Holstein cows.

She said her goal as Dairy Princess is to let people know that not all farmers abuse their cows.

She said there is a misconception that all farmers inject their cows with bovine growth hormone. She cited a letter to the editor from a woman from New York who criticized the Milk Maid for reading the “Daisy the Calf” book to preschoolers and falsely implied all calves are raised for veal.

“I want to educate people about what really happens on a dairy farm,” Elizabeth said.

Rachel and Mary said the highlights of their year as county dairy royalty included riding in the July 3 parade in Albert Lea and the July 4 parade in Blooming Prairie, meeting Princess Kay of the Milky Way, working at the ice cream stand and handing out ribbons at the Freeborn County Fair, giving out dairy samples at Hy-Vee and the KATE home and recreation show and cutting commercials for KATE Radio.

Rachel also cited reading the “Daisy the Calf” book to preschoolers at The Children’s Center as a highlight.

“I’m glad I could do this with my sister Mary, and now I’m happy to be milk maid with my sister Elizabeth,” Rachel said.

Mary, who is a freshman at the University of Minnesota, said the whole dairy princess experience was good. “It’s good to be home again,” the Spanish and clinical lab sciences major said.

All three were presented with gifts from the Freeborn County American Dairy Association Board. Mary also receives a portrait in her crown and a butter knife.

Elizabeth was presented with a scholarship from proceeds from the ice cream stand at the Freeborn County Fair.