Roy Rogers and Dale Evans didn't just talk the talk. They walked the walk as well.
Even before he became a Christian, Roy valued people. He refused to do what other stars did - throw fan mail in the trash. If someone took the time to write to him, he felt obligated to send a response. Arline helped him and they paid for the postage themselves.
Roy met orphans when he performed for group homes and hospitals. When it seemed he and Arline were unable to have biological children, they adopted an orphan from Dallas, Texas. They did have two biological children later, although Arline passed away shortly after the birth of their son.
Together, Roy and Dale adopted three more children. They also became the guardians of a thirteen-year-old Scottish girl they met while in the United Kingdom on a European tour. "We're either going to have to stop visiting orphanages or buy us a hotel to live in," Dale once told Roy.
They were frequent guests at Billy Graham Crusades. They sang and shared what Jesus had done for them, how He'd seen them through the difficult times in their lives. Even when mourning the loss of their children, they still wanted to reach out and offer hope to those who needed it.
They took a strong stand in New York City when they were scheduled to perform during the course of a rodeo. Management was up in arms when they learned Roy was going to do a religious song as part of the performance. Roy refused to leave it out. He said if he couldn't do the song, he and Dale wouldn't be performing at all. Management gave in reluctantly. Roy and Trigger entered the arena, where spotlights formed a cross. The sold-out arena crowd gave Roy a standing ovation after his performance of "Peace in the Valley," followed by three full minutes of cheers.
Children were always important to Roy and Dale. Roy was never too busy to take time to visit sick children and sing for them. When a little boy wrote to him and told him he was being called a sissy for going to Sunday School, Roy addressed the issue head-on. At a Houston rodeo, he told all the young cowboys and cowgirls that going to church and Sunday School didn't make them sissies. He told them it was the best way to get started right in life.
To be continued. . .
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