I just got the greatest photo of Mom (Dale Evans) and Dad (Roy Rogers) standing around a backyard barbecue. Our friend, Larry Z. is the one (of course) who sent me the photo. He also asked if, “…since your Mom wasn’t a great cook, did Roy do any cooking?”
Dad wasn’t much of a cook and that is over stating things! Dad could cook eggs (his favorite food on earth) and make toast, and he could turn over hamburgers and steaks on a grill. Other than that, he ate ice cream right out of the carton, sardines right out of their can and his idea of making hot dogs was to take a dog out of the fridge, take it out of the package, and dip it end-first into a jar of mustard before consuming it. As you can tell, he wasn’t a fussy eater.
Dad loved showing that he could, and would, eat anything that would turn most people’s stomachs. When he came back from a trip to Africa, he brought with him exotic food, chocolate covered ants and other icky things. He liked rattlesnake (or said he did) and insisted that it TASTED JUST LIKE CHICKEN!! He loved steak tartare and the stinkier the cheese the better! He loved to eat limburger cheese in the car on a rainy day when we had to have the windows rolled up!! Mom would wrinkle up her nose but Linda, Dusty and I would turn green and Dad would giggle!
This photo was taken under the carport at our ranch in Chatsworth. Mom and Dad are in their Roy Rogers Show outfits. Cheryl
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I love those Roy stories! Every time we see Dairy Queen, he comes up, and whenever we have pancakes!
What is weird though is WHY are there no Roy Rogers restaurants in Texas? Someone could get rich!
Author
The Plamondon Family now owns the Roy Rogers Restaurants and, although the restaurants are currently just on the East Coast, they are expanding the chain.
I agree, they should put them in Texas! Cheryl
I guess those who grew up during the depression learned to like a lot of things most of us would never consider today. My dad was not picky either.lol
Cheryl lovely story and picture. Yuck, chocolate covered ants! But to some, that was a delicacy. Supposedly from old western movies rattlesnake does tastes like chicken but I wouldn’t want to prove it by trying unless I was in a desert and very, very hungry. But who would catch and kill it?
I’ve had rattlesnake and it does taste a little like frogs legs or chicken but there is not nearly the amount of meat on it as there is on either frogs legs or chicken. Thus, rattlesnake fries up a lot more quickly and crispy. It wasn’t bad though. Kinda tasty as a matter of fact.
David Wells – Fresno, Calif.
Maybe we could start a food blending and packaging plant and be like “Newman’s Own” but instead of salad dressing, we could have Roy Rogers Rattle Snake Barbecue Sauce! LOL! Just think-in a thought! 🙂
David Wells – Fresno, Calif.
Your dad was right, rattlesnake does taste like chicken!
Cheryl I am loving your stories. I am a great fan since I was 7 years old. Will be 78 this year.
Cheryl,
I have been a fan of your Mom and Dad since I was a kid.
I saw them at a rodeo in Detroit, Michigan in the fifties.
I finally got to meet them in 1992 at the museum in Victorville, I will never forget how nice they were and spent the time to talk to me and I had my picture taken with them. I’m 78 and still have quite a collection of memorabilia and books.
I really enjoy your website, keep it coming.
Thank You.
Marty Kozicki
Hi Cheryl,
Just found this site and thought I would write you a note. My father owned restaurants in the San Fernando Valley (the Valley) during the ’40s and ’50s and built the Munch Box in 1954 which still stands today on Devonshire in Chatsworth. He had met your Mom and Dad in Sherman Oaks were they had a bigger coffee shop also named the Munch Box on the corner of Ventura Blvd. and Van Nuys Blvd. Through their acquaintance, they hired my uncle Al Venacro to work at the RR Bar Ranch as a maintenance man and mechanic for your Dad’s vehicles. My aunt Jean also got a job working for your Mom as domestic help. To this day I still remember when my family got invited to the RR ranch for a BBQ. It was a fun day as your Dad sang with the Sons of the Pioneers at the party. Even though I was only like 9 years old at the time, I am sure I met you. I am 74 now and still live in the Valley in Woodland Hills and felt I should share this story with you. Thank you for your website. All my best,
John Kantz
Author
hi John, So glad you remember a good time. With our age difference, I believe that was the year that I was in Wisconsin for school and I don’t remember either your uncle nor your aunt. We moved out to Chatsworth shortly after I came home and none of the people who worked for the family in Encino moved with us.
Cheryl
I love Roy Rogers and Dale. My Dad , a San Bernardino police officer, back in the 70s, was called to a motel that had a gun under a mattress. It was stolen from Roy Roger’s house. My dad stayed out side the motel in the summer heat in his squad car hoping the thief wound return so he could get him. He didn’t . And when he went back to the police department, everyone was really excited. Roy Rogers had picked up his gun! My dad missed meeting him! Oh well
I am just finding Roy Rogers and I can’t get enough! His voice is so beautiful!!! He was so beautiful, Trigger so beautiful, Dale so beautiful, Sons of the Pioneers so beautiful!! His guitar playing so beautiful! And those clothes!!! Hooo weee! Really beautiful. And only he could wear them like he did! Wow! He was so fit! It just goes on and on! I think, in all that really beautiful people and all that surrounded him, I think the unmatched gifted ness of his voice got a little lost in all that beautiful stuff around him. His singing and his voice are like no one else, ever. Really (can I sat it again?) GORGEOUS! I say, “is” because it can still be heard in his recordings and movies. And I thank God for that.
So, even though I’m am Easterner, we did grow up on a farm and had ponies. But I missed The Roy Rogers Show and their movies completely. And for that, I am very sad about today, as I’m SURE I would have been a huge fan AND would have benefitted so much had I had such role models and hero’s to steer my way.
But I’ve got them now! If only on the silver screen, somehow his sweet personality and pure ness still comes right through the screen and fills my heart.
I’ve lost my parents now, and the farm is being sold off. I think the loss I’ve had makes Roy and Dale fill a big void in my life. A miracle, I say. I wish Roy would come riding up and convince my family to not sell the farm! Just like he did in his movies. Always saving the family ranch. I sure need him to rescue our long line of families hard work and contributions to this land! My heart is breaking in a million pieces!
But, (did I mention this yet?) Roy Rogers is really beautiful. Lol.
God bless you and I hope you are keeping things going in websites and the museum. I’d go anywhere to see the museum now!
Thank God for Roy Rogers and all he did for so many ppl. And is now doing for me, a 58 year old Eastern country girl, longing for the West and a farm again. And maybe even a cowboy, if the Good Lord takes a liken to that idea.