MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) She has a fiery mouth and a reputation to match. And she's been the pride of the Mystics of Time float fleet since 1949.
She is the mother of dragon floats Verna and Dean. She is Vernadean! Tuesday she was admired in her lair by an elderly lady using a brightly decorated walker.
"She's still a knockout!!" said the lady, a smile spreading across her face.
So who is this lady who knows this dragon so well she feels like she could be on a first name basis? She is the real Verna of Vernadean.
Verna Allen is 92-years-old, but still an avid supporter of the Mystics of Time and her namesake dragon.
Her husband helped come up with the original idea of a dragon float in 1949. He'd already used Verna's name on his boat, the VernaClyde.
But Verna's daughter says the name Vernadean didn't come about until 1958, when the two smaller dragon were added.
"We think possibly, that Daddy, knowing Verna went well with other names," she said. "And his friend had a friend named Deanie. He knew that Vernadean was a natural pair up, and they needed a double name to run two more dragons."
The name stuck, and Verna spent the next 55 years watching Vernadean and the MOT's evolve
"...and then remembering the changes and the break downs and the break ups!" said Verna, laughing.
After a couple of years being off the parade route, Verna plans to be there Saturday night at the MOT parade, to once again celebrate her namesake.
