By Julie Dockstader Heaps
SVI Media

Rowena Buehler has always wanted to be involved in community — to serve. But she wasn’t sure how. Now, as Mrs. Star Valley 2024, she has not only the footing, but also the foundation, to “do something.”

“This is kind of fulfilling a little girl’s dream of being able to do something that she did not think could ever be a possibility,” Buehler, known as “Row” to family and friends, told SVI Media. “I guess the long-term accomplishment is self-improvement — being able to take one step closer to being a better version of yourself — [but] for me, it’s the community thing. I’ve always wanted to be involved in my community.”

Buehler was named Mrs. Star Valley recently by Wyoming America Pageants, which sponsors the Mrs. Wyoming America pageant, scheduled for June 22 in Cody. After receiving the support of Mrs. Wyoming 2023 Rebecca Shanks, Buehler submitted her application and was accepted. Having her choice of “locals” from which to choose, the newest “Mrs.” could have chosen Mrs. Lincoln County or Mrs. Thayne or even Mrs. Afton.

“I chose Mrs. Star Valley because I want to represent all of Star Valley, not just one particular area,” Buehler related. “It means a lot [represent Star Valley]. I come from a pretty rough background, and I moved all over the place growing up. Star Valley has been my actual home for the most consecutive time, so to be able to represent all of Star Valley is such an honor.”

As Mrs. Star Valley 2024, Buehler will be approaching local businesses for sponsorships. She wants these business owners to know “it’s not just me they’re sponsoring. I’m also an ambassador for Libertas International, a nonprofit organization that helps in recovery from human trafficking.”

The 2020 graduate of Star Valley High School became interested in this human crisis after living for a short time in Thailand prior to moving to Star Valley as a teenager. She witnessed “a lot of things that shouldn’t be happening,” but unfortunately, she wasn’t aware of what she’d seen until she heard Libertas founder Tyler Schwab, also of Star Valley, speak at a high school assembly.

“That kind of opened my eyes to what I’d been seeing,” Buehler recalled, adding that once she realized the reality of human trafficking, she began getting involved with Libertas. She’s already planning her first trip to South America by the end of the year to get “boots on the ground and help at Libertas.”

“I’m hoping that when a small business sponsors me, they know they’re also supporting my mission to help bring awareness, to bring legislation where I can [to human trafficking.]”

If Buehler wins Mrs. Wyoming on June 22 in Cody, she will go on to compete in late August in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the title of Mrs. America. The wife of Brendan Buehler and daughter-in-law to Eve and Eric Buehler hopes to not only bring honor to the “incredible, hardworking and resilient” people of Star Valley, but also to remind wives, they “really are queens. Any wife and mother is fantastic. They’re superheroes.”