10 Most-Beautiful Finalist: Trish Tallon

Age: 49

Occupation: Homemaker, part-time dental hygenist

Background: Trish moved to 417-land from Kansas City 28 years ago. Now she lives in Branson. Her husband is Rick Tallon, and her children are Grant Tallon and Cassie Foreman. Her son-in-law is Doug Foreman, and her grandchildren are Jacob and Anna.

Tell us why you love 417-land.

I really love the lakes, trees, hills and the beauty of the Ozarks. I especially love the change of seasons, particularly the fall. I love being able to go for a walk or a run along Lake Taneycomo and hear birds and ducks or look out a window at work and see wild turkey or deer.

We have some great restaurants and places to shop in both Branson and Springfield. We are fortunate to have a good medical community with caring doctors in both Branson and Springfield. There are great schools and colleges in 417-land. I also believe the core values and traditions are strong in this area, and it is a good place for raising a family.

Tell us about your community involvement and volunteering. (Please tell us what organizations you’re involved in, what you do to participate and how long you’ve been doing it.)

My community involvement has changed throughout the years. When my husband and I first moved to Branson 28 years ago, we were volunteers for Young Life. Through the years, I volunteered to teach Sunday school, vacation Bible school and a women’s Bible study. My husband and I have been involved in couples small groups for marriage. I have volunteered in the schools and helped with the fluoride Swish program. I have helped to organize and give oral hygiene presentations to help raise dental health awareness. I volunteered as a hygienist for a time when the Taney County Health Department opened their dental clinic in Forsyth. I have helped conduct dental screenings in the schools.

As my son became active in sports, I volunteered in the Booster Clubs and usually helped in bringing food to the kids before their games. In 2006–2007, I was the football booster club president at the high school. This year has been my first year with children gone from home. (Our youngest is now in college.) I am currently looking for new ways to become involved in the 417-land community. I would love to be an advocate for women’s health and cancer awareness in some capacity.

What makes your community involvement worthwhile?

I think any involvement to help out kids is worthwhile. They are our future generation. The teachers and coaches in our schools have such a tremendous impact on the lives of our kids. They really deserve a lot of thanks and support the hours they put in. I always felt like any help given to the schools in Branson was appreciated in the way of volunteer efforts.

My most-memorable experience of volunteering was the year I was involved as president of Booster Club for football at the high school in Branson. I loved seeing the local business be supportive of the kids. A lot of these people have been doing that for years here. I felt like being supportive of the football team was a way of supporting community. When parents, fan, band members, cheerleaders and team all came together, it created a great sense of community. It is not always easy to stay connected with teenagers, especially in high school. I felt like Booster Club offered a way to come out and show support and love to our kids—letting them know we believed in them whether they won or lost and hopefully making memories along the way.

Hobbies (Go ahead; list them all! And tell us why you love them.)

Spending time with family. They are my best friends!

Spending time with grandkids. They keep life in perspective, finding joy in little things in life.

Reading

Calligraphy

Floral design

Jewelry-making

Cooking

Running
Kayaking

Gardening

I love working with my hands and being outside.

Are you involved in any professional organizations? (What are they, what’s your role, and how long have you been doing it?)

UMKC Dental Hygiene Alumni, 28 years. I graduated and moved to Branson in 1980. I helped my husband open our dental practice in Branson. I am currently working part-time in the office as a hygienist.

What’s something that might surprise us about you? (Or a story you love to tell.)

I would love to tell women to never take their health for granted and to never be busy or afraid to go for their check-ups with a doctor. I would not be enjoying the quality of life I have today if I had not had two different types of gynecological cancers diagnosed and treated at two different times in my life. We have so many resources and so much medical care available now that problems can be detected earlier and treated. Also, I would love to tell them to take good care of themselves because no one will come along and do it for you! Don’t wait to have a health scare to get motivated. I would encourage everyone who hasn’t had a routine mammogram or pap smear for a while to get one. I think these experiences have made me appreciate so much about life. I don’t take my health for granted, and I really value the relationships with those people in my life. My mom, also a two-time cancer survivor, has always encouraged me to look for something good in each day we are given. Every day is a gift!