Lucille Wood (Smith) Rogers (1912 - 2001)

Born 31 Oct 1912 in Uvalde, Uvalde, Texas, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Thomas Frederick Fox — married 8 Apr 1927 (to 1929) in Crittenden County, Arkansas

Wife of August Wayne Johns — married 30 Nov 1930 (to 1935) in Shelby County, Tennessee

Wife of Leonard Franklin (Slye) Rogers — married 31 Dec 1947 in Flying L Ranch, Davis, Murray, Oklahoma, United States

Died 7 Feb 2001 at age 88 in Apple Valley, San Bernardino, California, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Deena Cross [send private message], Ron Ragland [send private message], Jo Ross [send private message], and Shelby Smith [send private message]

Biography

Frances Octavia (Smith) Rogers is Notable.

Lucille Wood Smith was born on 31 October 1912 in Uvalde, Uvalde County, Texas, the daughter of Walter Hillman Smith and Bettie Sue Wood. While she was still an infant, her given name was changed to "Frances Octavia".

She had a tumultuous early life and spent a lot of time living with her uncle, Dr. L. D. Massey, a general-practice physician, in Osceola, Arkansas

At age 14, she eloped with and first married on 8 April 1927 in Crittenden County, Arkansas to Thomas Frederick Fox ^[1] (1927-1929). When she was 15, they had 1 child, Thomas F. Fox, Jr. Her husband soon abandoned the family and they divorced in 1929.

As a single parent, she landed a secretarial job at a radio station in Memphis, Tennessee. She pursued a music career with local radio stations (WMC and WREC), singing and playing piano.

She married secondly on 30 November 1930 in Shelby County, Tennessee to August Wayne Johns ^[2] (1929–1935). They had no children and divorced about 1935.

To promote her singing career, in the early 1930's, she took the stage name "Dale Evans". She had a productive career as a jazz, swing and big band singer that led to a screen test and contract with 20th Century Fox studios. She gained exposure on radio as the featured singer for a time on the Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy show.

She married thirdly about 1937 to accompanist and arranger, Robert Dale Butts (1937–1946). They had no children and divorced about 1946.

During her time at 20th Century Fox, the studio promoted her as the unmarried supporter of her teenage "brother" Tommy (actually her son Tom Fox, Jr.), a deception that continued through her divorce from Butts. and her development as a cowgirl co-star to Roy Rogers at Republic Studios.

She was an American singer, songwriter, actress, and the third wife of singing cowboy, Roy Rogers. Together they appeared in the "Roy Rogers Show" on television.

She next married Leonard Franklin Slye, better known as "Roy Rogers" (1947-1998) on New Year's Eve, 31 December 1947 at the Flying L. Ranch in Davis, Murray County, Oklahoma, where they had earlier filmed the movie "Home in Oklahoma". Shortly after the wedding, she ended the deception regarding her son Tommy. It was Rogers' third marriage and her fourth, but their union was successful. The two were a team on- and off-screen from 1946 until Rogers' death in 1998. Roy had an adopted daughter, Cheryl, and two biological children from his second marriage, Linda and Roy "Dusty" Jr. The couple had 1 child together, Robin Elizabeth Rogers, who died of complications of Down syndrome shortly before her second birthday. Her life inspired Dale to write her bestseller "Angel Unaware".

They adopted four other children ...

1. Mimi Rogers
2. Dodie Rogers
3. John "Sandy" Rogers
4. Deborah "Debbie" Rogers.

She was very influential in changing public perceptions of children with developmental disabilities and served as a role model for many parents. After she wrote the book, a group then known as the “Oklahoma County Council for Mentally Retarded Children” adopted its better-known name Dale Rogers Training Center in her honor. She went on to write a number of religious and inspirational books. She and Roy appeared many times with Billy Graham in Crusades all over the country, singing gospel songs and giving their testimony.

From 1951-57, Evans and Rogers starred in the highly-successful television series "The Roy Rogers Show", in which they continued their cowboy and cowgirl roles, with her riding her trusty buckskin horse, Buttermilk. Alice Van-Springsteen served as a double for both Dale and Gail Davis, the actress who starred in the syndicated series Annie Oakley, often performing such tasks as tipping over wagons and jumping railroad tracks. In addition to her successful TV shows, more than 30 films and some 200 songs, Dale wrote the well-known song "Happy Trails". In later episodes of the program, she was outspoken in her Christianity, telling people that God would assist them with their troubles and imploring adults and children to turn to Him for guidance.

In late 1962, the couple co-hosted a comedy-western-variety program, "The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show", which aired on ABC. It was canceled after three months, losing in the ratings to the first season of "The Jackie Gleason Show".

In 1964 she spoke at a "Project Prayer" rally attended by 2,500 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, USA. The gathering, which was hosted by actor Anthony Eisley, star of ABC's "Hawaiian Eye" series, sought to flood the United States Congress with letters in support of mandatory school prayer, following two decisions in 1962 and 1963 of the United States Supreme Court which struck down mandatory prayer as conflicting with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. They were joined at the rally by Walter Brennan, Lloyd Nolan, Rhonda Fleming, Pat Boone and Gloria Swanson. Evans declared, "It's high time that all America stood up to be counted. Let our children learn of the Lord and be free." Eisely and Fleming added that Rogers, John Wayne, Ronald Reagan, Mary Pickford, Jane Russell, Ginger Rogers and Pat Buttram would have attended the rally had their schedules permitted.

In the 1970's she recorded several solo albums of religious music. During the 1980s, the couple introduced their films weekly on the former The Nashville Network. In the 1990s, she hosted her own religious television program.

She passed away at age 88 of congestive heart failure on 7 February 2001 at her residence in Apple Valley, San Bernardino County, California. A memorial service was held at the Church of the Valley and she was interred at nearby Sunset Hills Memorial Park, ^[3] next to her husband, Roy Rogers. Their original birth names are inscribed on the two slabs located in a special landscaped garden enclosure at a pond with the Cowboy's Prayer in the brick wall and a sculpted eagle rising from the water.

Legacy

Dale Evans received many honors before her own death: California Mother of the Year (1967), The Texas Press Association's Texan of the Year (1970), inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame (1995), Cardinal Terrence Cook Humanities Award (1995), and her three stars on The Hollywood Walk of Fame. In the few years that she outlived her husband Roy a marriage that lasted 50 years, she suffered bouts with illness which included a stroke, heart attack and a pacemaker implant all of which contributed to her death at the age of 88 in the company of her remaining family at her residence in Happy Valley". From Bio by: Donald Greyfield

For her contribution to radio, Dale Evans has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6638 Hollywood Blvd. She received a second star at 1737 Vine Street for her contribution to the television industry. In 1976, she was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In 1995, she was inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1997, she was inducted into the Texas Trail of Fame. She ranked No. 34 on CMT's 40 Greatest Women in Country Music in 2002.

Cheryl Rogers-Barnett, a daughter of Roy Rogers and step-daughter of Dale, co-authored "Cowboy Princess: Life with My Parents, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans" with Frank Thompson.

In her exhibit at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, Dale Evans is quoted as follows ...

"'Cowgirl' is an attitude really. A pioneer spirit, a special American brand of courage. The cowgirl faces life head-on, lives by her own lights, and makes no excuses. Cowgirls take stands; they speak up. They defend things they hold dear."

In 2001 a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to her and Roy Rogers.

Find A Grave: Memorial #4218

Frances was born in 1912. She was the daughter of Walter Smith and Betty WOODS. She passed away in 2001.

Sources

1. ↑ Arkansas, County Marriages 1837-1957; m: 8 April 1927 Crittenden, Arkansas for Thomas F. Fox & Francis O Smith (both res: Blytheville, Arkansas)
2. ↑ Tennessee, County Marriages 1790-1950; m: 30 November 1930 Shelby County, Tennessee for A. W. Johns; age 22 years, born circa 1908 & Frances (Smith) Fox age 18 years, born circa 1912
3. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #4218

2 January 1920: Ulvade, Ulvade County, Texas; Smith Bettie Head of Household 30 Texas/Texas/Texas; Smith Francis Daughter 7 Texas/Mississippi/ Texas; Smith Hilliman Son 4 Texas/Mississippi/ Texas; [https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHBD-Y9P

3 April 1930: Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee; Fox Tommy Head of Household; Fox Frances Wife; Record image shows just the names of Tommy and his wife, Frances, with lines drawn through their names; no age & no place of birth; Their son, Thomas, b: circa 1927, is not recorded); [https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SP74-2LD

1940: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois; Butts Robert C. Head of Household 56 Kentucky; Butts Hattie Wife 51 Kentucky; Butts R. Dale Son 30 Kentucky; Butts Frances Daughter-in-law 27 Arkansas; [https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4M6-JC9

The Woman at the Well - Dale Evans Rogers (1970)

wikipedia: Dale_Evans

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davis,_Oklahoma

https://familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LW15-L3C

• SHELBY BACON SMITH, JR.

See Also

• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LW15-L3C
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Evans
• Dale Evans Drive, Italy, Texas
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/4218/dale-evans