Venus Ramey, 82, balancing herself on her walker, shot out the tires of a car in which the intruder on her farm intended to make his getaway. Recently, thieves had stolen old farm equipment out of a storage building, and Venus wasn’t about to let this intruder leave.

Venus Ramey has always been a self-starter. She left her home in Kentucky and moved to Washington, DC, where she entered the regional beauty pageant and become Miss Washington, DC. Her beauty and talent then won her the title of Miss America, 1944, the first redheaded Miss America.

In her position as Miss America, Venus continued her war efforts by selling war bonds all across the country as she toured. Her image adorned a B-17 fighter plane that made 68 sorties over Germany.

In 1947, Venus returned home to her tobacco farm in Kentucky, married and raised two sons. She continued to stay involved in political issues with her run for a seat in the Kentucky legislature, her radio show and her publication of a political newspaper. She has maintained her family farm for over fifty years.