TUSCON, ARIZ. -- Vicki Sarber of Homer won the Mrs. America contest held at Lowes Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Ariz., Wednesday night. The 40-year-old mother of three grew up in Anchorage and worked as an interior designer.

She recently moved to Homer with her husband of 12 years, Greg Sarber, a petroleum engineer, and children Jackson, Vianne and Pinky. In her biographical statement for the contest, she described herself as a "stay at home mom and home school teacher."

Sarber was crowned Mrs. Alaska America in Anchorage on March 31. The national pageant was carried by the Mrs. America Television Network.

The Mrs. America competition was started by Mrs. America, Inc. of Santa Monica, Calif., in 1977. The next year, the title was won by Cindy Roberts of Anchorage. No other Alaska contestant had won the pageant until Sarber.

Sarber competed against 50 other contestants. Other finalists included representatives of North Carolina, Hawaii, Iowa, Utah and Tennessee.