He stood for everything that was good

By William Manns

Roy Rogers passed away July 6th at his home in Apple Valley, California. Roy, who was 86 years old, had been in frail health for the past several months. His son Dusty (Roy Rogers Jr.) said he didn't want folks to mourn his father's passing, but rather to take joy in the wonderful life he had lived.

During the 1950s, there were no more beloved heroes than Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. They were role models for millions of children throughout the world. He stood for everything that was good.

The first time my wife Judy and I went to his office in the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum, I was surprised when we were able to simply walk in and sit down with the King of the Cowboys. All of a sudden, I was no longer a middle-aged man, but was transported back to my childhood. I remembered wanting to join Roy on the adventures I saw on television in the 1950s. Though more than 40 years had passed, Roy still looked much as he had when I was a kid. He was just as down to earth and real.

Roy was born Leonard Slye in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1911 and grew up on a farm outside Portsmouth, Ohio. At 18, he went to California to visit his sister. After a series of odd jobs, he began appearing on amateur radio shows. He launched a musical career with a group called the Sons of the Pioneers.

While he was in a hat shop one day, he overheard that Republic Studios was holding auditions for a singing cowboy. He won the role in Under Western Stars (1938), but he needed a new name. He had met Will Rogers a few months before Will was killed and decided on Rogers. Republic thought "Leroy Rogers" sounded good--but Roy didn't think so. Roy it became.

Roy went on to star in 87 movies and from 1951 on, he and Dale made 101 television shows. The Roy Rogers Show ran until 1957 and for many more years in re-runs. About 20 million of us grew up dreaming of riding alongside Roy and Trigger. The closing song of the show, Happy Trails to You, was written by Dale and has entered into the high pantheon of musical Americana. During the late 1940s and early 1950s, Roy had over 2,000 fan clubs in the United States and a chapter in London with 50,000 members. Most of his mail came from children 6 to 14 years old. In the mid-1950s, Roy and Dale had over 400 products on the market, such as lunch pails, cap guns and holster sets. These items are now very collectible.

At the end of our first interview, I asked Roy how he wanted to be remembered. He replied, "As a good father." There's no doubt that he was. Roy's first wife Arlene had died from a blood clot just days after their son Dusty was born. He met Dale on the set of The Cowboy and the Señorita in 1944. Roy and Dale raised nine children in all, including adopted and foster children. They endured plenty of hard trails, such as the death of their daughter Robin at age two from severe Downs Syndrome. More tragedy followed. An adopted daughter died at age 12 in a church bus accident. An adopted son, Sandy, died at age 18 in a military accident. Roy and Dale's Christian faith sustained them through their difficulties.

The Rogers family now includes 15 grandchildren and 33 great grandchildren. Roy and Dale were known for their acts of caring and philanthropy, especially to children.

In his last few years, Roy still made public appearances despite having had two heart attacks. He made an album with Country star Clint Black and other Nashville artists. He was still trim and fit. Until his health worsened, he still rode his horses and his Harley.

On Saturday, July 11th, about 2,500 family, friends, fans, celebrities, and media attended a public memorial service held for Roy at the Church of the Valley. It was requested that people not wear black. Members of the Sons of the Pioneers sang inspirational songs.

Later in the afternoon, family members and close friends accompanied Roy to Sunset Hills Memorial Park in Apple Valley. Roy was carried his last mile in a horse-drawn 1898 hearse. At the end of the service, Dale and the gathered company turned toward the West to see 50 white doves fly into the setting sun. Roy often recited this Cowboy Prayer:

Oh Lord, I reckon I am not much just by myself.
I failed to do a lot of things I ought to do.
But Lord, when trails are steep and passes high,
Help me to ride it straight the whole way through.
And when in the falling dusk I get the final call,
I do not care how many flowers they send--
Above all else the happiest trail would be
For you to say to me, "Let's ride, my friend."

Vaya con Díos, amigo! Happy trails to you...

Copyright ©1998 Cowboys & Indians

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Trails with Trigger If your travel to Los Angeles, be sure to leave time for the hour drive to Victorville, California, and visit the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum, 15650 Seneca Road. Open seven days a week (except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter), it is a treasure trove of Roy and Dale's momentos. Of course, there's Trigger, who died in 1965 at age 33. Roy could not stand to bury him, so he had him mounted. Together they made 86 feature films and 100 television shows, plus hundreds of personal appearances. For information: (619) 243-4547.