Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Happy Trails Our Life Story by Happy Trails: Our Life Story by Roy Rogers. Roy Rogers, , and . Today’s stories will be about Roy and Dale’s children – or rather, their two boys. The Rogers family consisted of 8 kids, 5 of which were adopted, and Roy and Dale. Cheryl was an orphan from Texas; Marion was a Scottish orphan that Roy and Dale fostered until she became their ward; Linda Lou was by Roy’s first wife, Arlene Wilkins, as was Roy “Dusty” Jr.; Sandy was a child-abuse victim from Kentucky; Debbie was a Korean orphan; Dodie was a Choctaw Indian orphan (Roy was part Choctaw, making this adoption possible); and Elizabeth Robin was by Dale. Robin was a Downs Syndrome child. Roy and Dale’s experience with her led Dale to write the well-known book “Angel Unaware”. Dale also had a son from a previous marriage name Tom. While every child had qualities and faults, Dusty and Sandy probably go into the most trouble. Seeing how they were only a year apart in age, this really makes sense. The following is a story Dale shares in Happy Trails: Our Life Story. Dusty and Sandy were waiting for the school bus to arrive one morning and they saw the mailman making his rounds. One of them decided that it would be fun if the neighbors got each other’s mail that day. So they followed the mailman, removing mail and replacing it with dirt and other people’s mail. Dale was headed out for work so she was in her full cowgirl outfit: boots, hat, belt, and all. The nanny looked out the window and saw the boys, so she called Dale. Dale leaped into the car and sped down the driveway and into the road. Stopping a few yards behind the boys, she jumped out and chased after them, pulling off her belt as she ran. When she finally caught up to the culprits, she made them put all the mail back where it belonged and then paddled them all the way back to the house. The boys didn’t do that again, but that doesn’t mean that they quit their mischief. Another tale about the boys is the time when they really made Roy mad. Roy had a beautiful new speed boat out in the boat house and Dale knew that something was drastically wrong when she heard a roar from there. Someone had picked all the rubber off the dashboard of the brand-new boat! Both parents knew it was one of the boys, but they wanted the boys to admit it, not be told what they did wrong. So court was held – for three days running! Neither of the two prime suspects cracked until Roy finally said that he’d have to spank both of them. The boys actually ran away from home once. Roy used his acting skills to teach them how wrong that was. Dusty convinced Sandy that they were being cheated, always having to wash their hands and be nice to the girls and do chores. So they piled some toys in a little wagon and headed over the hill behind the house. Roy and the nanny saw this and came up with a plan to get the boys back. Roy sent Ginny (the nanny) out in the car to pick the boys up while he went to enlist a friend’s help. When Ginny caught up with the boys, she threw open the door and told them they were in big trouble. Roy had called the sheriff! The only way the boys could escape the law was to get in the back of the car under a blanket and try to sneak back into the house. The boys scrambled to do as she said. When they got to the house, they both hid under Sandy’s bed. Roy walked into the room with his friend and said, “Well gosh Sheriff, I wish I knew where those to outlaws have gone.” The “sheriff” then told Roy that if they were ever caught running away from home again he’d lock them up for the rest of their natural days. The boys never ran away from home again! Have you ever heard a kid misunderstand their Sunday-school teacher and come up with a really strange (but funny) conclusion? Dusty and Sandy did that once. The Sunday school passage had been about the Creation and how God made man from dust. The teacher had used the verse “From dust you were made and to dust you will return.” Well, Sandy and Dusty went home that afternoon and went to their room to play. A few minutes later they came running out all in a dither. Their explanation? “There’s dust under Sandy’s bed and we don’t know whether he’s comin’ or goin’!” In the end, Dusty and Sandy turned out to be good kids. Sandy enlisted in the army during the Korean War and ended up in Germany. He made it to First Class Private, but during the wetting of the stripes party a “friend” egged Sandy into drinking. Sandy died from alcohol overdose that night. Dale wrote Salute to Sandy because of this incident. Dusty is still alive and well. He formed a band called the High Riders, and he is still performing with them. He has a son named Dustin who also performs with the High Riders. They do shows five days a week in Branson, Missouri at the RFD-TV Theater. This year is their last season at the Theater before they go on the road. Check out their website at: http://royrogersjrshow.com/ L to R: Roy Rogers, Roy “Dusty” Rogers Jr., and Dustin Rogers. Happy Trails: Our Life Story by Roy Rogers. Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, and Trigger. Have you ever wondered how Pat Brady ended up driving a jeep in ? Well, it was actually Roy’s idea. You see, he noticed back when he worked for Republic that the kids liked it when he drove his jeep to and from work. In fact, kids all over the country seemed to be fascinated with jeeps. While putting together the Roy Rogers Show, the question of what horse Pat would ride came up. Roy suggested that rather than ride a horse, Pat should drive a jeep. The idea was accepted and inserted into the plan. Roy and Pat cleaned up one of Roy’s jeeps and painted the name “Nellybelle” on the doors. I’m not sure who came up with giving Nellybelle a personality, but Pat seems the most likely candidate. No matter who it was, Nellybelle became Pat’s sidekick. She was always acting up when he needed her, and then failing to act up when he needed to fool somebody. Nellybelle was put on display in the Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum after the show closed. Pat also rode a horse occasionally, though it generally got him in trouble. In Pat Brady, Outlaw Pat rides a dark horse named Phineas. Generally Phineas was Pat’s mount when a horse was needed, although in Ride of the Ranchers Pat rides a stubborn old mule. Bullet and Pat in Nellybelle, with Roy on Trigger. Snapshot from the Roy Rogers Show. So now you know how Pat got Nellybelle, but how did Dale get Buttermilk? The story is that Roy and Glenn Randall started searching for a horse for Dale before they quit Republic – probably around the late 1940s-early 1950s. Originally they found a beautiful chocolate-brown stallion with a creamy white mane and tail. This horse was later known as Koko, Rex Allan’s mount. Roy and Glenn determined that Koko would be too much for Dale to handle. It was also said later that Roy didn’t want Dale riding a horse prettier than Trigger. So the search continued until Glenn stumbled across Buttermilk. Buttermilk was headed for slaughter when Glenn found him, and promptly bought him. Buttermilk was vicious at first simply because he had a rough start in life. However, with Glenn’s training Buttermilk was soon ready to be introduced to the movie set. Buttermilk first appears as Penny Edwards’ mount in North of the Great Divide (1950). Penny also rides him in , Spoilers of the Plains (1951) , Heart of the Rockies, and . From there, Dale took the reins. She rides him in Pals of the Golden West (1951) and then all 100 episodes of the Roy Rogers Show. Buttermilk was chosen because of his quieter temperament and his coloring. The small gelding’s buckskin coloring beautifully complemented Trigger’s dark golden coat. In the past Dale had ridden a dark or paint horse, neither colorings complemented Trigger. Interestingly enough, Buttermilk could actually outrun Trigger for short distances. This was because he could break into a run faster than Trigger – a noted attribute among Quarter Horses. Thus, Roy often had to ask Dale to hold Buttermilk in when they dashed off somewhere together. Buttermilk was also a handful at times. Pat had to ride Buttermilk in one of the show’s episodes and he later told Dale that he didn’t see how she stayed on him. You must understand that for all his acting as a poor rider, Pat was actually almost as good as Roy. Dale wrote in Happy Trails: Our Life Story that Buttermilk quickly learned the sound of the buzzer at the beginning of each take. Every time the buzzer went off, he was ready to go and go in a hurry. If you watch him during the episodes, you can see how much Dale had to hold him in. He really enjoyed running! Buttermilk and Dale Evans. Roy on Trigger, with Dale on Buttermilk. You can get the entire Roy Rogers Show series in my Roy Rogers Store, along with the other films mentioned throughout the post. If you haven’t read it already, I highly recommend Happy Trails: Our Life Story by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. You can get it here. Roy Rogers (Rogers, Roy) More editions of Happy Trails: The Story of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans: More editions of A Happy Trails Christmas: More editions of A Happy Trails Christmas: More editions of HAPPY TRAILS: Our Life Story: More editions of Happy Trails: Our Life Story: More editions of Roy Rogers and the Deadly Treasure: Roy Rogers and the Deadly Treasure: ISBN 9781258039264 (978-1-258-03926-4) Hardcover, Literary Licensing, LLC, 2011 Roy Rogers And The Deadly Treasure: ISBN 9781258144142 (978-1-258-14414-2) Softcover, Literary Licensing, LLC, 2011. More editions of Roy Rogers and the Mystery of the Howling Mesa: More editions of Roy Rogers and the Mystery of the Lazy M: More editions of Roy Rogers Favorite Cowboy Songs: More editions of Roy Rogers: King of the Cowboys: Founded in 1997, BookFinder.com has become a leading book price comparison site: Find and compare hundreds of millions of new books, used books, rare books and out of print books from over 100,000 booksellers and 60+ websites worldwide. Category Archives: Happy Trails: Their Life Story. Stories, snippets, and trivia from Roy and Dale’s lives. Salute to Sandy. A few weeks ago we celebrated Veterans’ Day. Well, I’m doing a follow-up post. You see, Roy and Dale had a son in the Army. He died in Germany in 1965 at the age of 18. John David “Sandy” … Continue reading → Happy Trails: Their Life Story. If ya’ll have not read Growing Up with Roy and Dale by Roy “Dusty” Rogers, Jr. you need to. It’s a great book. Although Dusty shares some of the sad times in the Rogers’ family, he focuses more on the … Continue reading → Happy Trails: Their Life Story. Have you read The Touch of Roy and Dale by Tricia Spencer? If you haven’t, you need to get a copy. The Touch of Roy and Dale is a selection of letters and stories from Roy and Dale’s fans. Never … Continue reading → Happy Trails: Their Life Story. Have you ever wondered how Pat Brady ended up driving a jeep in the Roy Rogers Show? Well, it was actually Roy’s idea. You see, he noticed back when he worked for Republic that the kids liked it when he … Continue reading → Happy Trails: Their Life Story. Today’s Happy Trails post is about George Hayes, better known as Gabby. Roy and Dale were both close friends with Gabby starting with their years at Republic until his death in 1969. Gabby was a former Shakespearian actor who developed his … Continue reading → Happy Trails: Their Life Story. Today I have a couple stories about Trigger and a few about the Rogers family. The first demonstrates how naughty “Trigger” could be at times. Roy was at the Idaho State Fair and he went to mount Trigger (either Little Trigger or Trigger, … Continue reading → Happy Trails: Their Life Story. Today’s stories will be about Roy and Dale’s children – or rather, their two boys. The Rogers family consisted of 8 kids, 5 of which were adopted, and Roy and Dale. Cheryl was an orphan from Texas; Marion was a Scottish orphan … Continue reading → Happy Trails: Their Life Story. Seeing how yesterday I posted an extra about Trigger, the stories today will be centered around Trigger. First of all, I will specify which “Trigger” the story is about before I start, but for the sake of simplicity, I will … Continue reading → Happy Trails: Their Life Story. Roy and Dale had many stories to share with their family, friends, and fans. Many of these were happy, some were sad, and some were a mix of both. Whatever the feeling, Roy and Dale loved to share their life … Continue reading → ROY ROGERS-DALE EVANS BIOGRAPHY IS RESPECTFUL, GOOD-NATURED. By Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, wih Jane and Michael Stern, Simon & Schuster, $23.50, 252 pp. Most kids today know Roy Rogers only as a fast-food option, or maybe as Bruce Willis' nickname in "Die Hard." But for several generations of Americans -- first at the movie matinees of the '40s and then the TV generations of the '50s and early '60s -- Rogers was undisputed "King of the Cowboys," a role model, hero, singing cowboy and lucrative merchandising object. He and his wife, Dale Evans, "Queen of the West," were the best-known couple in Westerns, and much appreciated by their cowboy fans for not being excessively mushy on screen. Equally popular was Trigger, "Smartest Horse in the Movies." The two did a lot to raise whole generations in the cowboy way. But a big part of their story is how they struggled to raise a huge family, some natural, some adopted; nine children in all, three of whom died young. Evans has written of these losses in spiritual books that have sold millions of copies; indeed, the two have written their life story before, also using the title of their most familiar song, "Happy Trails" (which Evans wrote). The current retelling is done with the help of Jane and Michael Stern, the esteemed Western writers (uh, Western Connecticut, that is) with a yen for pop culture. The Sterns first crossed trails with Rogers and Evans as kids, when they were star-struck fans, and then last year when they wrote an Atlantic Monthly profile and included Rogers and Evans in their lavish "Way Out West" coffeetable book. The Sterns' love for kitsch can turn to condescension, but here there is nothing but respect for Rogers and Evans, both now in their early 80s. In this book, you never really feel the Sterns' influence, other than a couple of times when you get the idea they were probing into some areas Rogers might not have otherwise volunteered. How Trigger never relieved himself those times he accompanied Roy indoors, for example. Or how exactly they maintain the late Trigger, who has been mounted since his death in 1965: "We call in the exterminator from time to time to make sure bugs don't get in his hide, and we spray his glass eyes with Windex," Roy writes. Mostly, the Sterns are good at keeping the narrative line taut and the writing pure and simple. And there are a lot of things casual fans might not know, such as the fact that both Rogers and Evans were married before they tied the knot -- twice in Evans' case. The first brush of show biz for Leonard Slye, as Rogers was originally named, came as part of a series of cowboy singing groups, one of which turned out to be the Sons of the Pioneers. Evans, born Frances Octavia Smith in Texas, was tracking a singing career from radio to Hollywood, where she hoped she would return to the Broadway musical. The division of the book -- Rogers and Evans take turns telling chapters, with the Sterns briefly setting the scene -- allows the reader to know individually the genuine Rogers and slightly more citified but equally plain-spoken Evans. But the device is misleading later in the book, as Rogers tends to talk about professional highs, and Evans is left to discuss children, and their tragedies. It gives the mistaken impression that in the movies, Evans was a minor sidekick somewhere below Gabby Hayes and Nellybelle, and that Rogers was unconcerned about the family's ups and downs. Generally, though, the division of labor here exemplifies the good-natured give-and-take that have made Rogers and Evans the most enduring royalty from the golden age of the Western. Their story is worth telling once more, whether for purely nostalgic reasons or to introduce young people to heroes a bit more substantial than the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.