Richard Stracener

Lisa, my name is Richard Stracener and currently live in "South Texas" and I too grew up with the show. I was on the show five times from 1960 to 1967.

On August 23,1960 was the first for it was my birthday I was 5 yrs old. That year I got a black cowboy outfit and a gun and holster just like the one your father wore, of course I had to wear them to the show. My whole party was there.
Latter on I was on the show with our class and cub scouts. My uncle, Bill Brace owned all the rides and concessions at the Lincoln Park Zoo and had a lot of affiliation with your father and the cast.

I can remember several parties at his house which he had the cast of the show were they would discuss promotions for the Zoo. We later moved into the same neighborhood that Wilson Hurst and Don Wallace(Peterson) lived in and I was in elementary school with Kimi Hurst and Donna Peterson. The cast of the show several times came to our school at North Highland before going to the station.

I like so many other people have such fond memories of this period. There almost needs to be an annual reunion and maybe gather memorabilia to be put on display for others to enjoy and keep the memory going. It is almost like it should be a part of the "Cowboy Hall of Fame."

Please  keep this going and God Bless you and your family. I also knew your Mom as a student teacher in 1963 she taught our class at North Highland, I thought she was  very pretty, at the time they were fiances and were planing there marriage. Thank you for all that you are doing to keep your fathers memory alive,

Richard