Keepin' the Memories Alive!
"Keepin' the Memories Alive!" is an informal program wherein certain folks who are passionate about the Gene Autry Oklahoma Museum and its events.
They are working hard to spread the word about these great efforts to keep the legacy of the singing cowboys alive.
They organize luncheons for folks who are interested in the various singing cowboys, the Gene Autry Oklahoma Museum ...or just things Western, in general. They speak to a variety of groups where folks may be interested in these subjects. They appear on radio shows to talk about these subjects. They attend other music and film events across the country and pass out flyers for the Museum's events, all in efforts to increase awareness of the Gene Autry Oklahoma Museum and its events. Maybe you'd like to become a Gene Autry Museum ambassador by starting a "Keepin' the Memories Alive" group in your area! It's up to you as to how involved you get, but why not put your passion to work?Jerry Baumann & the DFW Lunch Gang
The Dallas-Fort Worth Gene Autry Fans Group has been meeting for lunch four-to-five times yearly for the past six years. Attendance at the luncheons varies from 25 to 45 folks. Jerry Baumann of Lucas, Texas, organized the group and takes care of alerting everyone to the dates of the lunch-time get-togethers and special activities. (Jerry is shown here with some of the members of the Class Act Dance Troupe, regular entertainers at the Film & Music Festival.)
"It's such a pleasant surprise to me that there are so many people out there who are still interested in the B-movie cowboys," said Jerry. "The enthusiasm is definitely there! These get-togethers, whether they be luncheons or holiday parties, are our way of bringing these folks together and carrying out our mission of supporting the Gene Autry Oklahoma Museum."
Jerry and the DFW gang have worked on fundraising efforts related to the Museum, promotional efforts for the Film & Music Festival, organized performances at senior centers and worked with radio station KAAM to promote the events hosted by the Museum. The group's spring lunch get-together is scheduled for March 28th in Dallas.
For more information, see this group's website at www.roywtucker.com/ga/ or e-mail Jerry at jerrybaumann@sbcglobal.net .
Cowboy Ed & his Sidekick, Elizabeth
Cowboy Ed has spent a lot of days at the Museum greeting
people and giving them the history of B-Western Singing Cowboys and the
Museum in general as they first come in the door. Cowboy Ed is
always decked out in his western attire.
Joe Tom White, 1290 Talk Show Host, sponsors a Gene Autry Oklahoma
Museum table at each of the Gun and Knife Shows held in Wichita Falls.
The upcoming shows are August 14th and 15th, October 9th and 10th, and
December 4th and 5th. Cowboy Ed and Elizabeth put their "duds" on and talk to people about
the Museum and recall memories of growing up in the B-Western era.
Cowboy Ed is always happy to pose for a photograph with visitors as
they come into the museum with their cameras.
Posing in front of the large Gene Autry picture in the hallway makes a
wonderful picture to put in your scrapbook of memories.
Elizabeth, with her background in accounting, in taking care of the
accounting records for the museum.
Elizabeth is also attempting her first go at managing a web site.
Mary Schutz was the person who originated the web page and Elizabeth has
tried to follow her creative endeavor.
The Museum has provided a travel trailer for Cowboy Ed and Elizabeth
to use when they come up to the Museum to stay for more than a day
at a time. That makes it very convenient to come to the Museum on
a regular basis. In fact, there are times when Cowboy Ed is there
by himself for a week at a time, because he "likes being a 12 year old"
again. That's what he feels like when he is there.
Cowboy Ed and Elizabeth have been very fortunate to have sponsors
that provide them with Western Retro Shirts (The Browse Shop), hats
(Huskey Hat company), free advertising booths and opportunities to visit
1290 Talk Radio to promote the Museum (Joe Tom White 1290 Talk Radio)
and the custom made gun belt (Grassburr Leather Works, Inc.). They
also go up to Lawton, Oklahoma and visit on the air with Cynthia Sousa
and Ted Riley, at KCCU Radio. There are so many people
helping them to "keep the memories alive."
This is a photograph taken at the January 2010 Gun and Knife Show
where Joe Tom White had set up a booth for Don Reynolds, "Little Beaver"
to be able to autograph Red Ryder and Little Beaver Daisy BB guns that people
brought in for his signature, and guns and books that he had for sale.
Cowboy Ed and Elizabeth shared the booth with Don and promoted the Gene
Autry Oklahoma Museum.
Summer Jamboree 2008 taken in the auditorium before the show. | 
