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By Tim Wood

Originally published in The Columbia Daily Herald on July 12, 1998

Roy Rogers hit the final happy trail last week. His death is a reminder of a different time - when the good guys were really good guys.

I was on the tail end of the generation that had a chance to enjoy Roy Rogers. His heyday was in the late 1940s and the1950s, when he made 87 movies and starred on television for six years. I never got to see a Roy Rogers movie in a theater, but I did get to see re-runs of his television show as a kid.

My Uncle Lloyd, who also has gone on to his reward, reminded me a lot of Roy Rogers. The legendary movie cowboy had a way of squinting, perhaps to see that evil rascal he was chasing far away. Uncle Lloyd had the same kind of squint, and since he was a farmer, he probably knew a little bit about cows.

The many stories that were written about Roy Rogers' death told of how, in his shows, he always fought fair (no hitting below the waist) and about the lack of violence. Roy Rogers never blew away the bad guy - he just shot the gun out of his hand.

Another interesting aspect of Roy Rogers was his family life and post-film career. It's hard to say Roy Rogers without also mentioning Dale Evans, his wife and partner in most of his films and television shows.

They formed what is now described as a blended family. The family included children from both of their first marriages, as well as from their own marriage through natural means and adoption. They also had to deal with the tragic deaths of two of their children.

Their family life was not one to make the headlines of the scandal sheets. It's not uncommon to read about today's movie stars going through break-ups and divorces. To be fair, popular performers deal with pressures on their marriages that are not a factor for the rest of the world.

But Roy Rogers and Dale Evans stayed together and set an example for family life.

Early in my newspaper career I had the opportunity to meet Dale Evans. She was passing through town and I was assigned to cover a press session she had scheduled.

The assignment was memorable for several reasons. Of course, I had watched her on television and knew she was a celebrity. But on a personal level, the timing of her visit was interesting.

My adolescent rebellion stage had been partially postponed until college. During my college years, I had wandered away from the Christian faith, which I had professed as a child and followed through my first year of college. Although I had felt drawn back to the faith during my last year of college, my direction was uncertain.

So, at the time Dale Evans came through town, I was still at a crossroads. I had been through some difficult times in the previous year and was struggling with issues of faith.

At the news conference, Dale Evans spoke of her faith and other items of interest. She did not try to push her beliefs on anyone there, but instead spoke of it in a calm, confident way. She wasn't preachy; her sincerity was evident, and it was clear there was more to her faith than just talk.

After that conference, some other things happened and I ended up going back to church. My wandering stopped and I recommitted myself to the Christian faith.

I've had some spiritual ups and downs since then. I've dealt with some major disappointments and tragedies. Through those experiences I've learned a lot.

In one of the wire stories about Rogers death, one of his quotes about his faith was reprinted. It sums up very well what I've found faith to be:

"In the Bible, it doesn't say you're going to get by without having troubles. I'm not a fanatic about religion. I think it's a practical way of life."

Roy Rogers entertained countless people on the silver screen. It's good to know that not only was he the "good guy" on the screen, but also in the much more demanding role of life.

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