A Real Family Love: The Roy Rogers Story

This is an American stories to show where America is the star and the American people to search for the All-American stories podcast the iHeartRadio app or Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast up next. The story of a name you all know, Roy Rogers told by Roy Dusty Rogers June Dusty's been acting and performing almost since birth. The only natural born son of Roy. He was raised by Roy and his wife Dale Evans along with it. Children Randel were known to millions of Americans to TV, radio, and thousands of beloved Western movie as a small child dusty appeared, his parents TV show Roy Rogers is dusty to share the behind-the-scenes story what it was like growing up in the home. The King of the cowboys and the Queen of the West that will when you know your dad was famous as well. I really didn't know he was famous at all till I was probably five Matt wanted movie set within hours to spice up, and every birthday at the I can think of from 2 to 5 on the movie set with that then all of a sudden a reality came in that this man does something other than just movies.

He's very popular with the populace with the people in a course when we would go out on the road with them. All of a sudden we are surrounded by thousands of people specially on kids who love them.

It was a little difficult to swallow. Sometimes you know you want you want your mom, dad, yourself, you don't want to share with anybody when you're young like that I'm in there a way to vent.

That's my mom and I work what are you doing you know was it was difficult in that way and I think all of us grew up under that under that veil of constantly being photographed constantly being on the road constantly being Roy and Dale, son and daughter didn't matter if he were adopted or not you are Roy and Dale son or or Roy and Dale's daughter Dale is my my mother I may have my biological mother passed away when I was just a few days old.

Never got to know my natural mother. She got an I was born by cesarean section and she got an embolism, enter system, which at the time in the 40s. This was 1946 and they didn't have any way of detecting blood clots and this is a blood clot informed her in the cesarean operation and they just kind of sit dormant during her system because there was no way of detecting emanating at the ladies up and walk around like they do today after childbirth to help dissolve these clots away. So this we just said dormant and mom system for about four days five days and she became more active, so the clotted began to move through her system, and unbeknownst to anybody and actually I was on the bed ready to come home. Dad was on his way to get us in and mom just this embolism hit her heart and just she just theorized that rolled back in her head. She just fell back on the bed was gone. That quick no indication at all that there was a problem so you know course for my dad. It was devastating. He has three kids and King of the cowboys in 1946 was the height of the man's career and all of a sudden over 90 find himself a widower with three islands and actually nobody in his life. At that point to take care of us kids, so he had to really jump on it at a bad time of his life and and try to get somebody and take care of us in the hire nannies to watch out over but never got to know my real mom and then when I was about a year and 1/2 old. He married Dale and she just kinda stepped in and really took over with us kids and we just love her death of me.

All of us did. I think Cheryl had a little bit of a problem with her early on because Cheryl was kind of. She was the first one in the family. Dad adopted her first and because they didn't think that my mom and Roy could have children. So they adopted Cheryl and she was kind of the Queen bee. She was the one that the oldest one she want to be the mom and she did she want take care of me and Linda Lou and she just thought should step into that role. After moment that what you call her mommy passed away and course it didn't happen.

Dad needed some adults to do it. So in and but when she married when dad married Dale because it's kind of funny because Cheryl would always get between Dale and Roy at at events and stuff to try to keep them separated via diet. I was just the good Lord. It was meant to be and it didn't work out, but Dale was my mother grandma.

She came in and when I was a year and 1/2 old and we all of us kids just love her to death and I I never knew any other mother so she knew she was in all mother means a lot of things to different people. There's your birth mother and then of course that you don't know much about your mother to get older well elsewhere within Dale was my mom. By that time so I can ask a better one good master.

Dad was get at old country boy in and things didn't really matter to him and he just he just loved to hunt and fish and do anyone do Dale and westerns he dad fit into the Western just like appeared in like a pair good boots.

Mom didn't she could care less about the Western she was. She was in ingénue.

She wanted to be she want to be the big band singer. She came out to California to work in Buzzy Berkeley's musical and that's what you want to bring Mensing and they center out to audition with dad and on. They were looking for Fox was actually Republic was looking for new leading lady for that someone who could sing do I do everything and so they call over to Fox and I said to you. Do you have anybody that might we needed a young leading lady for Roy Rogers and a symbol sure we do. Her name is Dale Athens and they said well that the thing is, what she has to be beautiful. She has to sing like a bird and she has to be able to set a horse she needs to learn groups needs to be able to ride only ideal fit sheets of Texas should fit the book, not been on a horse and she was three or four years old Armand farm dramatist farm so but they and again the good Lord stepped in nice mom went out the location you're dressed to the nines, think, and she was going try out for this music thing and she showed up in a long dress and thinking she was going to play in annexing the goal, the director said Dale we want to get up on the source want to ride it into the street and sit there with Roy and Gabby and big boy Williams and want to throw my hat down much older ride to the camera and when you get close. Just pull up on your horse cellular phone horseback so she did. She got on horse MMI movement.

Mom was a trooper like this you can tell a Texan, but not much.

You cannot tell Dale she can't do something because you just proved wrong. Every time you're listening to Dusty Rogers tell the story of his mother and father Roy and Dale Evans, my goodness, this happened so often American life. Women would die of complications from childbirth and so many children die when we returned more of the story of Roy Rogers as told by Roy Dusty Rogers June dear on our American story. Our American stories we bring you inspiring stories of history, sports, business, faith and love stories from a great and beautiful country need to be told we can't do it without you are stories are free to listen to with her not free to make you love are stories in America like we do. Please. Well American stories.com and click the donate button give a little give a lot help us keep the great American stories coming our American stories.com and we continue with our American stories and with Dusty Rogers telling the story of his mother and father Roy and Dale Evans want to be big band singer Dale first met Roy Rogers in 1944 on the set of a western movie where she was screen tested riding a horse. Let's pick up here with Roy Rogers, Junior again, also known as test to get on a horse and they took off running and it came to the camera and the guy drop his hat and they pulled up and when they did the horse just jammed mom into the saddle. To some he expounded her because she did know how to set it right and it broke not to her teeth and the boy Williams horse at dawn on her teeth. After that, and they were all jagged and had shed every done but the producers of a Dale that wasn't too bad Roy what you think contested a tidbit that I think it was Billy Whitney at the time Lisa Billy.

I swear I have never seen so much sky between a woman's rear end and a saddle in my but she learned to ride and and that's and I think she did something totally against what she really wanted to do because at that time you did what you needed to do to make money to survive and I but she fit in so well and did did it so I dad he just had to be himself, but mom was totally opposite, but she learned to adapt and go along with what the thing was that which was Western, Inc. and cowboy songs and that's way away from big Bannon and big orchestra music. Mom was a trooper and just always. Whatever the situation was. She stepped in and said I want to do it and ended well. She diming after the birth of Tom, I'm sure.

And then, of course, her husband left her when she was just just young and course and she was like a set starving and trying to make a career so she I think she should always long for child in the soul and she married Roy in an and they had it at a chance to to have a child of their own.

They jumped right on it and of course when Robin wasn't born an and found out that that she had a down syndrome again. It was a shock. Originally, not me. You never ready for that but then it settled and that this is a lovely young human being that's from both of us. There must be a reason why they didn't know.

Nobody knew at that time will cause now and they recommended that the they put her institution. The doctor said you need to put her institution dad so you kidding these were not put in her institution chooses. This is our child were to take her only lover. And so against the doctor's orders they did that took her home and made us dad built a special area for a protector from a skit note that she was very fragile and but even during the time that Robin was there and very ill. They did both of them just low-level girl to death coming.

It was just was part of them and and and and they wanted hurt the course will monitor survive with the doctor said the probably she wouldn't let you don't know that you know have had. We had the medications they have today for down syndrome children. Robin probably could've lived in her 40s or 50s. We don't know but it was a gift from God and in data we said you never give a gift W never throw away a gift is a gift to matter who gives it to you. Keep it and and and she was not a gift to to Roy and Dale.

What a gift.

All of us kids got a chance to know her I was four and five, you know at the time and I couldn't physically ill role wrestle with her like a really wanted to but she and I communicated that she couldn't speak a course that we communicated that she has certain giggles and lashing to and she would we would play hide and seek I get under the creative me know and I agree Chipman touch her arm and she giggling role try to see where I was in, and that this a kind of play we had what she was just a sweetheart, I still see her eyes and her looking through the bars of the crib today coming she just list and that's why those kids are so special to me today. My but my son Dustin and I we work with a group out of Texas called BRI which is development resources, Inc. and they they have group homes for kids that are that have down and we work with help raising money because a lot of them now. A lot of those I tell people that there you have people bring bring them to the show. The down syndrome kids and and I'll say you know how lucky you are that you have one of these special children are sick.

I don't give it to everybody and he picks and choose who he wants to have and that there his angels doesn't matter what color they are all have the same look and I all of music, and they love people. They have their ups and downs like a beta there there moments of angry and little fits and stuff but they love you unconditionally and only other person I know does that is either a dog or God that loves you unconditionally no matter what and and that's what's special about them.

And so they've always been special to me and always will be there just just wonderful, wonderful gift from God and of course mom and dad knew that from. From the beginning that it was a gift and that's why mom want to write about her she was she was puzzled for the longest time on how much how I need to tell Robin, sorry but I don't how would I where do I go and so she sat on a park bench in New York and said God I don't know give me some direction on on how to write this book is Angel aware book and she said it was just an amazing thing that the good Lord put on a heart will go don't you tell a story that Robin tells Angel aware book mom finished after Robin passed away had a huge impact on a lot of different people and I think the biggest impact.

It really had were on the families that were fortunate enough to have down syndrome children because it was always looked on as a stigma and I think people looked at down syndrome children as something that they did wrong was therefore not realizing that God made it possible for them to have one and that it was going to change their life in the future and and and I like to say only gets into a few, but I think having Robin story told by Robin herself that she was okay that yes I that she had passed on. She moved, but God sent her for short time to be a blessing to Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. That was her job God. God sent her there to do that and I think the reality for a lot of folks who have down syndrome children. They never thought of it that way because the public would let the public looked on down syndrome children as less-than-perfect or not you know it and and instead of coming up and say what a beautiful child. It will come up and say oh I'm so sorry I didn't know they don't they didn't know they don't and so the book aloud families to bring out those children with them in public. And when the public could actually see the beautiful smiles and love of music and excitement in their eyes and even though a lot of them couldn't talk. There was something there that that that he had not seen before and mom and dad and us to heaven when I was young I was only five, I didn't see any down some syndrome children at out at all.

But up until after the book, probably a year or so after the book was released. You started. Mom started looking and seeing them in the audience that were they were because they felt that one of Roy and Dale can be blessed with one of these children and take it home and love them. Why shouldn't we and why should not this child is special and their blessings away. Why should not take something that I'm proud of how and and let them experience the world which is cool.

Sometimes, but there are no different than anybody else. The date they need to have a chance at life like you and I and you been listening to Roy Rogers, Junior, who goes by the name Dusty telling the story of his mother and father and also his sister Robin and my goodness, what a story told about just his his mother's just can-do spirit and actors and actresses of the time they just always took the work. My goodness, a storytelling on Robin down syndrome child of Roy and Dale, I wanted to tell Robin story Dale prayed to God in a New York park bench, but I don't know how but later we learned that God had sent her to the earth for short time to be a blessing to Roy and Dale when we come back more of the story of Roy until Rogers is told by their son Dusty Rogers here on our American store and we continue with our American stories and with dusty Rogers telling the story of his parents, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Let's pick up where dusty glass left. I remember when Robin and me many times, I could see mom and dad: each other and crying because she had good days and had really bad days and and I think for them. It was a challenge to do there every day in front of a camera be smile and be in doing this when they know part of them is at home, slowly dying. I think in the back of their mind. They were hoping that she would come through it all, but she was so frail and had an us kids. Sometimes he couldn't play with her because of we had a cold or whatever you know so was it was a challenge. That way, and they had a nurse that took care of her all the time some way with her all the time so I think it was some questioning of God. You know what what what what purposes you know what we know that you've given this child to us what what why what what is it that you want us to do what is it that in and that's what mom could she said. For the longest time I can put the book together because I didn't know I did know what my what the purpose was and after she had passed on, and I remember mom and dad the day she died. Mom and dad. I think they spent at least 11 tended 11 hours out in the carport is: each other. Crime would look out the window and they just solve: each other and I got to thinking in a while, you know, again five years old. No, couldn't understand why we could see Robin in a way to know what happened. They didn't know quite how to tell us. I guess it was rough.

It was a rough go and that the and how mom and dad did what they did and and stills still say Roy and Dale and still do the obligations that they had in life and still raise us kids and take care of us and let us know that Robin was special and you know it isn't going to happen all of you. You not can all pass away now and I don't know she had to try to explain that to your kids and and make it sound, not so bad but yet it was had devastating to them. It's a phenomenal thing and I think they question the grace of God but yet it was the grace of God through somebody asking one time this Roy was the first time you really realize that the kids of America really looked up to and he said in 1941 play in Madison Square Garden. He said I was walking back by the by that cattle shoots around the corner come this little guy about four years old, dressed exactly like me he's that's when I knew that I had to keep my life in line and that I owed these kids something because they're looking up to me. I can't say one thing and do another. And so he made it back then with himself than good Lord I'm sure that he would do everything he could to keep his image. What so that kids could look up to him and and mean something and course then that's and he was hitting hospital.

Even then, and then on and then one of the polio thing was so bad in the 40s and 50s.

He would go to the hospital and he was fighting all the time. Be in his mind, because I know he believed in God, but he was he was angry at God somewhat. I think because he couldn't understand why we have such a trusting and Justin and merciful God why he would allow children of all things is youngest creationist to come into this life and in the attack by some terrible disease or born with deformities are born, entry shutdowns, kids, and at that time to and so was hard for him for a long time. He could understand why couldn't he couldn't reconcile. Reconcile why and so he was almost driven to the fact that he wanted to go and see those kids and entertain them in many many stories I could tell you the one that gets the most is is and I and a lot of the kids who had polio in the 40s were put an iron lungs make their lungs were undeveloped and they needed help and so these machines iron lungs would help him breathe a little better course they were in this big iron tube with her head sticking out and laying flat course and looking up through a mirror that goes that direction so they can at least see and dad would would go there and he would he would go up to the ward and he bring the pioneers with them and they'd sing a couple songs and then he would dad would actually go to each iron lung and get around beside the child instead of looking at into mere she can get eye contact with them and he leaned down and talk to everyone. I'm a little bit and he say you know Billy I know you're having trouble and no, but in all good cowboys are tested that you got a buck up a little bit to get it in on the Callaway is not the later. Worry, fret about it. It's the fight, get out of here and he said when help you and he would he would bring these gun belts with kids gun belts with them in boxes and he would he would hang the gun belt upon the mere and of course people follow that's cruelest portal kitties K Ghazni in his head is always got out and Roy's given him, gun belt, what is it but then dad would say when you get out of this Ireland. If you fight hard enough and and and pray hard enough you get out. You'll eventually get out and what I want to do that what you wear this gumbo and I want you to play cowboy like all Orissa boys and girls doing country and someday I want to come to Hollywood scene and do something that we had a lot of over the last, and I've had a band for 40 years and I have seen so many people that have come that were an iron lung in the 40s. The dead come to the hospital put up that gun belt and they got out and some didn't. But most of them got out and they still have Lundell so in his in his somewhat little childish way and I think that's what kids love them so much. He was as big a kid my heart that they were if he thought if he gave just a little of encouragement on the level that they would understand. And if Roy tells you to do it, especially in the 40s. You did it and it worked really well yet many of the kids come to the show.

Even today, in the last this last couple years I've had had three in Alaska.

Try to keep track. They still have the gun belt and and it is her most prized possession. They say if it wasn't for this gun belt and its most the time it's in shattered plumbing is just patterns in the where the letters worn off all the spots of, say, I wore it everywhere and work to bed. My mom used to get so mad at me because I want to wear to Nebraska if they stop me from doing it. But but it was her most prized possession in the and still is today. Mom knew the chick they didn't want to have another child. I did want because at that time I didn't know what caused them. They thought it might be in Rh blood factor problem one -1 positive in her blood type, but they were sure when the last Roman just before second birthday had to be different amino I know is very difficult as I saw it, but they got back up on their feet and made the good Lord granted in Grayson and and they were able to get back up and go, but there still was a void, and they just decided well if we can't have any more of her own children because we don't know if it will have another down syndrome child or not, then, will adopt and you're listening to the sun of Roy and Dale Evans, Dusty Rogers, Roy Rogers, Junior telling the story of his parents are particularly after the loss of his sister, Robin, at the age of two he was five he remembers looking outside his home and seeing his parents often just hugging and crying. What a thing to watch is a five-year-old watching your own parents cope with grief and having to come right back in the house, and raise those kids and hit the line is professionals as actors as superstars and just sort of put that grief behind and move on.

In the stories of him visiting these kids with iron lung machines and parking by their sides, making eye contact and saying all good cowboys are tested, finding words of encouragement for these kids, this big international superstar.

Having this part for kids and questioning God, as Dusty said my parents question the grace of God the grace of God also got them room your due when we come back more of Roy Rogers story and his bride Dale as told by their son Dusty Rogers dear our American stories and we continue with our American stories and the story of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans is told by their son, Roy Rogers, Junior, a.k.a. Dustin let's pick up where he last left off.

That felt bad for me because I had my sisters and I had no brother unbeknownst to me, the one on a trip to Ohio and then went down from Ohio down to Kentucky down to Louisville and they had heard about orphanage.

Deborah always invite orphanages to bring the kids over for the show in a bed at a chance to visit one of them and then in Covington, Kentucky, and he ran across a little boy that was going around shaking hands to all the boys and Sandy just got his hands and Howdy partner dad this gun fell in love with you know he was just a little. It was stunted in his growth and he had all kinds of problems. He slept in a chair since he was born crackling in the waterbed was treated him pretty badly, so that you know they said this is the guy we gotta get for four for Dusty and then they stop by Hope cottage on the way back home and ate and drop little American Indian girl chocolate in merry little dull colored loading so I'm coming to the airport thinking I'm going to meet mom and dad and down off the airplane comes dad. He's carrying this little kid in mom's caring little girl little baby girl I got to thinking, hey was gone you know and then I got pictures of our first meetings and I first met, I did not like him. I thought, oh, wait a minute just a minute, I would. I was the prince here.

Now all of a sudden I cut somebody horn in on my spot in mom's mom explain this is your new brother is getting away. His name is John David Harry Hardy but were in a calm Sandy and Mrs. Doty will govern a low merry little she's going to be your sister will know you fell in love with right away by hard time with Sandy for a while, but we grew to be really good buds and I protected him a lot because he was smaller than me and he was guys are picking on them all the time and had a lot of physical problems in but there was a there was.

And then of course the I wasn't enough. You know they little later on they adopted the will to got little Marion from a guy 1954 they went to England and Scotland and Ireland and filling a little girl named Marion. Her name was Marion Fleming and wanted to doctor and couldn't because she international adoptions were allowed so they become a foster parent and then they adopt little girl they wanted to adopt little girl. There was a wanted man on international adoptions are listed and lifted in the 60s they adopted a girl from Seoul Korea. Her name was and Eileen called her Debbie Lee and so just kept going on and on until into that with nine children coal and and boy was a bunch. It was a lunch and in 066 months old 6 1/2 months old in 19 you know Tom was 19, 20 years old the time and tell you we were. It was wild and crazy. It really was, but that pulls all the gutters today.

You're all the same in God's eyes. You're the same in your mother surmise you all be our kids and you can all be treated equal matter for male-female black, brown, blue, you know you're in the Rogers family. Now you did asked me for your and so deal with it in and we did.

We moved Apple Valley in about 1965 I think it was a year we moved up there and the reason we moved was that little Debbie, the Korean orphan. The year before 64 was on her way back from Mexico on the church had done a goodwill mission down in Connecticut at a sister church and the bus blew a left front tire and it came across the highway on down there. Oceanside was hit head on by station wagon a course Debbie and her friend were sitting right in the front seat right side and that's exactly where it hit course Debbie was killed again. My dad was in the hospital at the time he had a snack fused to third vertebrae. Vertebrae fused together. He had staph infection was in bad shape in the hospital and Debbie was killed while he was there mom or mom was just coming. She was a basket case and they try to keep all the news away from dad art went to the hospital and try to keep him from seeing anything or reading anything until everybody could be told.

And so, long story short, the Chatsworth place for my dad. I loved it there but for my dad became a sad place.

It was where Debbie was in and you know he passed her bedroom every day and Debbie was cutting his favorite Debbie was very outgoing and and would call the sit and comb his hair and on for hours and just to know put colored in it. Stuff and she just she was kinda his favorite and she just sing and he just she displayed it to the hilt with Amon at a very close bond so was very difficult.

You know to come home at night and see her room and see your things and so dad just decided we could. We gotta move we gotta get outta here. I this isn't the same place that I remember. And so we moved Apple Valley 1965 I was already there. I moved up early. I was there to three weeks laxity. The longer that before mom came up, pick him up around Christmas time I started there in September at Lincoln School senior year in high school. Mom and dad moved to is not a whole lot of fun for me but I again learned that adapt okay.

Then mom and dad came up and and got little house on the highway. There was beautiful. Apple Valley was very quiet about 8000 people and everybody knew Roy deli, left him alone, which was nice and everything was going really great and then on October 31 my mom's birthday 1965 got a call from the dev Defense Department of my brother Sandy a choke to death while serving with Army in Germany. Well here we go again. You know, and dad especially took a really bad big. I think both of them amounted to dad was especially upset. All written again questioning you know how much how much more God, do you have to lay on us before you know it well. God doesn't give you choices. He doesn't tell you why know you and you may not know the reason for years, but out of those deaths came beautiful books, written the cowboy said it's cold but every cowboy had their own tentacles that is different than hobbies hobbies was different and Jean as was based on the Bible and it was based on the 10 Commandments but it was in child and child words but that they could understand it that you need to go to Sunday school every Sunday and you needed what way your parents and you and you need all your food, no waste any in their work and I'm just basically just basic things that kids could they want wanted to aspire to, because they love the man that told him that they needed to was the same one as care by Longview cowboy even little girls want to be cowboy, they would buy Roy Rogers stuff they would buy the Dale Evans outfits. They wanted Roy will have that today there is nobody out there today to tell our children that that's wrong what you're doing is wrong. You need to put that and you need to do this is where you need to go and make him believe it.

There is no reality anymore so I just wish that the producers and directors and and and people, and in the media today would take in account that there still young. They may be in the may have spendable income on their 13 maybe I don't know, but the target audience for most all of them almost everything today's 17 to 27, 30, maybe 40 if you're lucky.

Most of its younger because we've gotten away we've gotten away from what's important and that's the family unit. My mom used to say dusty when the family unit fails in this country we are in big trouble and you can see it every day. It is the way this country was founded. It wasn't something that our forefathers fought for is what the Constitution was written for, but yet we've gotten so far away from it and so far out away from it. I don't we come back we can if if as Americans we say our children are not junk God doesn't make junk they deserve better. What can we show them what can we give them that's better terrific job in the storytelling and editing by Greg Kegler and a special thanks to Roy Rogers, Junior, a.k.a. Dusty assuring the story of his mother and father and sibling in my goodness what he said about his father. Dad felt bad for me because I didn't have sisters or brothers and of course the response by Roy and Dale to that grief, the loss of his Down syndrome system was adoption response to grief was love the response to loss was addition, the response to loss was a top and not one, not two, but many more will join the Roy Rogers family and of course then came those two losses and more questioning of God, how much more you going to wait on us. Bill and Roy said, and how many of us have been there and then of course the final lament by Roy Rogers, Junior which is the family is all we have family will save the country, family and love is what saves everything makes life worth living. The story of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, their family is told by Justin Rogers here on our American story