TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
she transitioned to become a cheerleader for the Bulldogs, where she soon crossed paths with Raymond Jones, a football player who would later become her husband. In 1960, Marilyn transferred to East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas, majoring in Physical Education with a minor in Agriculture. There, she became one of only two female students in the Agriculture Department. Embracing her love for the outdoors, Marilyn joined the college rodeo team, competing in barrel racing. However, her academic journey was soon interrupted when she and Raymond tied the knot in 1961 in Linden, Texas. In 1969, the couple, along with their son, Kelly, relocated six miles north of New Boston. Marilyn’s father owned approximately 600 acres near the Red River, situated close to the tri-state borders of Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma. It was there the family settled and built their home. Despite Raymond and Marilyn’s eventual divorce, she and Kelly stayed in the home, where she has continued to live for 45 years raising beef cattle. Kelly eventually married his wife, Cindy, and the two remained in New
Marilyn as a little girl riding Skylight at the Spring Lake Park Arena in Texarkana, Texas.
Boston. Marilyn also has two granddaughters, Chloe and Devan, who are graduates of the University of North Texas. They are both married and living in Dallas, Texas. In the late 60s and early 70s, Marilyn became involved in the International Rodeo Association (IRA), where in 1969, she was awarded IRA Woman of the Year. In 1970, she also received the Sportsmanship Award for the association. It was during this time that she was given her nickname. She and a friend were traveling in a camper without a bathroom. So, in her normal, fearless fashion, Marilyn went out searching for one in her nightgown and cowboy boots. As she came upon a couple of familiar cowboys feeding the rodeo stock in the early morning hours, one of them looked up at her and said, “Well, if it ain’t Cattle Kate!” The nickname stuck, and she proudly answers to it to this day! On August 20, 2023, Marilyn was thrilled to be asked by the New Boston Chamber of Commerce to be Grand Marshall of the New Boston Pioneer Days Parade. “It was exciting to see so many
Marilyn competing in the 1971 International Rodeo Association barrel race in Hampton, Virginia.
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COMMUNITY & CULTURE
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