Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
Marshall Cohen—researcher and producer, CNN
Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
HAT LADY OF DUBUQUE
HAT LADY OF DUBUQUE. Jill Rokusek began her enjoyment of hats as a child when she played dress-up in her mother's clothes. Later, she was always sewing, matching clothes and hats for herself and her children. She presented her first hat show at the Stonehill Care Center in 1983 and turned her hobby into a production. Soon she was presenting shows for organizations, clubs, churches, and national groups. In 2010 she performed about thirty to thirty-five shows per years and several shows on television. The proceeds from her shows went to charities in Dubuque.
Highlights from her hat shows included traveling across Iowa with "Miss Iowa," Jennifer Curry who reigned from 1995 to 1996. She was selected as "Celebrity of the Week" on a cruise ship. As a contestant in the "Ms. Iowa Senior" Classic Pageant she won an aware for "Stage Presentation. Rokusek received a hat from the the former "First Lady of Iowa" Christy Vilsack with an invitation to perform at a tea in the Governor's Mansion. Although she was unable to send a hat, the Queen of England sent Rokusek a letter thanking her for her charity work and wishing her continued success.