Rodeo time in Phillipsburg, Kansas, has always been a special time for me. I remember at least six of us getting into the car and going to the rodeo with my Grandpa Keesee on a hot Sunday afternoon in about 1960 or 1961. He always liked to sit up on the top row of the east grandstand. The town is always more alive during the week of rodeo. There used to be a sidewalk sale on the Saturday of rodeo week. Businesses encouraged their employees to dress "western" during rodeo week. There used to be two parades during rodeo week. For our town the rodeo has been a very special time of the year.
When the rodeo used to have special entertainers come to perform, several of them stayed at my Mom and Dad's motel. That was extra special for us. I often tell people that I sold Lynn Anderson a horse. I really did! It was a plastic souvenir horse, but it was a horse. Festus and Sam the Bartender from Gunsmoke stayed with us, as well as the Haggar twins from Hee Haw. I know that will really impress some of you!
Our family usually sets on the North side of the building that we own along the parade route. It is usually hot but there is a little shade there. The parade is fun. We wave at our friends that ride in the parade on horseback, on a float or some other mode of movement. The kids gather in candy thrown to the crowd by people in the parade. The parade is a time of family and community gathering. For many it is a time of reunion. There is also ice cream being sold on the corner, which is also very important.
Bill Clarke was the Grand Marshall of the parade this year. That designation seems to go to someone in the community who through age, admiration, and or just plain hard work has a special spot in the hearts of many of the community. Lee Matteson was Grand Marshall in recent years. He rode in his last parade last year at the age of 108, I think.
As I began, the rodeo is a special time for our family. Since that Sunday afternoon in about 1960, I only remember missing going to the rodeo only 5 or 6 years. When we owned the motel, our family took turns watching the office so that everyone in the family would get to go to at least one performance. My Mom even usually goes, just to be with the family.
This year things were different. First, Saturday afternoon at parade time it was only about 80 degrees. Usually the temperature is hovering in the high 90's or low 100's. Most years we go to the rodeo on Thursday night because there is a free meal consisting of hamburgers and beans that is served. This year we went on Saturday because Jacqueline and Jordan (and Chloe) were coming but not until Saturday.
This year was also different because some things were missing. First the parade did not have Lee Matteson. Lee rode his horse for many years after he reached 100 and only the last couple of years did he ride in a vehicle. It was different because my Mom did not go to the rodeo. It was also different because my Dad was not there. He enjoyed the parade. Many of the horses reminded him of working with horses when he grew up on the farm. We talked about the horses. We talked about the old wagons. We enjoyed the old cars that would drive by. He would sometimes have a story to tell about what was passing by. We would also have to sample the ice cream. Dad enjoyed the rodeo. He would see many friends, business acquaintances and just anyone who liked to visit. Usually someone from our family would come home so that they could go to the rodeo with Mom and Dad. The rodeo had horses that he loved. He loved the silly jokes the clowns told. The bucking horses, bulls and barrel racers all were part of the thrill. He just loved the rodeo and the time. It was a time for my Dad to relax and enjoy, which was something he did not always get to do. This was a time when you would always see a smile on his face. I can't think of the rodeo without thinking about how special of a time it was for him and how much he is missed.
