An estimated crowd of 20,000 people from all parts of Oklahoma, Texas and many other states attended West Oklahoma’s biggest Old Settlers Reunion in history, Saturday, April 16. It was open house at every home in Cheyenne and mobile homes occupied practically every available space. So well organized was this big affair that all events went as scheduled. A gigantic parade, which started moving at 10:30, kicked off the events for the day. More than 1000 people participated in the 178 entries in this biggest and most colorful parade ever assembled in Western Oklahoma.
Over 4,000 plates of free barbecue topped off with an ice cream cup were served to the crowd prior to the RCA approved rodeo in the afternoon. Sell-out crowds at the rodeo and later at the dances concluded the day for this 85th year. Sixty pioneer women sat in the seats reserved for those over 80 years of age.
The pre-reunion activities included the following winners: Whistlers Neva Little; Whiskers John Reed; Pioneer Dress Erma Lea Burns, Ann Redden, Dean Krober and Ronnie Payne; Talent Show win-ners were Nancy Minor, Jo Beth Moad, and the Cheyenne Cowgirls. Nine former queens attended this Reunion.
Approximately 29 pioneer men and 2 pioneer women over 60 years of age rode horseback in the parade. At the end of the parade, C&A Queen Cathy Churchill was cro-wned to cap off a great cooperative effort by the citizens of RMC.
The Queen, descendant of Fred Churchill, had attendants: Flo Daniels, Gina Chappell, Kandy Harman, Amy Eakins and Becky Hensley. Indian Princess is Connie Hart of Clinton, OK.