TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
I n the heart of the Lone Star State, where the sun beats down, and the cattle ranches stretch on forever, there’s a spirit as vast and untamed as the land itself. It is the spirit embodied by Marilyn “Cattle Kate” Jones, a woman whose life story reads much like a chapter from a classic Louis L’Amour western novel. It has been said, “Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway,” and “saddling up” is exactly what Marilyn has done over and over throughout her life. Born July 4, 1939, in the small South Texas town of Raymondville, Marilyn’s story began. She was born to father, Alton Jeremiah Cox, known affectionately as AJ, and mother, Mary Emma. She also had one brother, Jerry, who was four years older. Her dad, who was always moving around and looking for a better life, decided his cattle ranching prospects would be better in East Texas. So, he purchased 800 acres 20 miles east of Texarkana, settling on a cattle ranch aptly named Fargo. “Dad always said that ‘the place was about as far as you could go down a dirt road,’” Marilyn recalled. The family eventually moved to Elizabeth Street, where Marilyn had a pasture to keep her horse. At 11, her mom would drive her to Spring Lake Park so she could hang out around the riding stables owned by Shorty Robinson. She would clean out stalls, and if riders were late bringing horses back in, Robinson would let her ride out to get them. A longtime friend saw Marilyn’s love for horses and suggested to AJ and Mary Emma that they join the Texarkana Quadrille. The Quadrille was a choreographed dressage ride for riders and their horses, often performed to music. Because they needed better horses for the Quadrille, Marilyn’s parents decided they would buy horses for Marilyn and Jerry. They bought two Palomino horses, Jerry’s named Headlight and Marilyn’s named Skylight. They put those two beautiful Palominos right in their backyard on Elizabeth Street. Marilyn loved competing on Skylight but eventually talked her brother out of Headlight as well, and she went on to win many barrel races with him. She still proudly displays the trophies. Every year, Texarkana buzzes with excitement as it hosts the well-loved annual Four States Fair and Rodeo. In 1956, organizers introduced the first Miss Four States Fair and Rodeo contest. Being the spirited, petite, 16-year-old tomboy she was, Marilyn entered the competition at the Spring Lake Park Arena. She proudly rode her beloved Skylight while several of her cowgirl friends entered as well. At the Saturday night rodeo, Marilyn was crowned, becoming the first ever to win the coveted title. “One of the most exciting parts,” she said, “was when they unsaddled my horse and re-saddled her with my new Four States Fair and Rodeo saddle, which I still proudly display in my home. I have always said once a queen, always a queen!” Marilyn jokingly doubled down on the sentiment with the addition of a sign at her ranch that says, “Queen of the whole damn thing.” After graduating from Texas High School in 1958, Marilyn enrolled at Texarkana College (TC), where she remained until 1959. During her inaugural year at college, she enthusiastically joined the Starletts, a spirited drill team dedicated to boosting morale at TC Bulldogs’ football games. Clad in cowboy boots, hats, and star-studded uniforms, Marilyn and her fellow Starletts entertained crowds with their high-energy performances. The following year,
Calf roping at the All Girls Rodeo in Oklahoma.
Marilyn Jones, Lecile Harris, and Sissy Smith King clowning at the 1967 All Girls Rodeo in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
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COMMUNITY & CULTURE
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