Montie Montana

Birth place or City of origin:
State of origin:
Last known City:	Springville
Last known State:	CA
Start/Birth date:	1910
Death/End date:	1999

The Estate of Montie Montana
Born Owen H. Mickel in 1910 Montie traveled with his dad, E. O. Mickel and mother. Billed as the Montana Cowboys they did whip and rope acts and put on a slide show about the American West.
In 1929 while working the Buck Jones Wild West Show, the announcer could not remember his name, so he announced him at Montie from Montana, and as Montie tells us from his Autobiography, “the crowd loved it and so did I.” From then on he became known as Montie Montana.
As a star of silverscreen, stage and rodeo arena, Montie entertained audiences around the world for more than 70 years. He rode in 60 consecutive Rose Parades and is famous for roping President Eisenhower in the 1953 Inaugural Parade. From 1945 to 1965 Montie thrilled over 8 million school children with his stagecoach and Horse “ Rex”.
Montie was famous for riding his horses into equally famous places such as the top of the Empire State Building, The Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, The Brown Palace in Denver, The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs and the top level government offices across the country.
Though he received hundreds of awards and honors during his extraordinary lifetime, he remained a cowboy at heart. Montie was deeply grateful that he could make a living doing what he loved best and it showed. He had the most wonderful laugh and was always smiling.
An avid collector of western artifacts he kept treasures from early on his career and enjoyed them throughout his life. His legacy will live on with the stories captured in his autobiography where he tells us that he lived in a great era, from the horse and buggy to the space age.
Although he has ridden on ahead, I know that he’s in tall cotton with other great western heroes up there and that his horses are knee deep in green pastures and that he’s still a cowboy, because he always said, “ I must have been born a cowboy, because I’ve never thought of being anything else!”

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Star of stage, screen and rodeo, Montie rode in 60 consecutive Pasadena Rose Parades and roped President Eisenhower at the 1953 Inaugural in Washington. He rode his horse on top of the Empire State Building, and received hundreds of awards and honors during his extraordinary lifetime. Adults who came through the Los Angeles school system remember him demonstrating the art of trick roping and teaching cowboy values through his promotional tours sponsored by Wonder Bread.

Cowboy roping legend Montie Montana, who shared the screen with John Wayne and once lassoed President Eisenhower, died Wednesday in Los Angeles from complications following a series of strokes. He was 87.
Montana, born Owen Harlan Mickel in 1910, appeared in a number of John Wayne movies, including the 1962 classic "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence."

He also appeared in the Shirley Temple starrer "Stand Up and Cheer" (1934) and served as the technical director on "The Story of Will Rogers" (1952).

He made headlines in 1953 when he roped President Dwight D. Eisenhower as a gag during his inaugural parade. He asked the President's permission first, but Secret Service agents still weren't amused.

Inducted into several cowboy halls of fame, Montana was a fixture on the rodeo circuit in the United States and Canada.

TV viewers know him from more than 60 appearances in the annual Tournament of Roses in Pasadena, waving to the crowd from his silver saddle.

Montie is survived by his wife, Marilee, four children, six grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today at the Pioneer Church at Oakwood Cemetery in Chatsworth.
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Born Owen H Mickel in 1910, Montie traveled with his dad, E O Mickel and mother. Billed as The Montana Cowboys they did whip and rope acts and put on a slide show about the American West. In 1929 while working the Buck Jones Wild West Show, the announcer could not remember his name, so he announced him as Montie from Montana, and as Montie tells us from his Autobiography, the crowd loved it and so did I. From then on he became known as Montie Montana. As a star of the silver screen, stage and rodeo arena, Montie entertained audiences around the world for more than 70 years. He rode in 60 consecutive Rose Parades and is most famous for roping President Eisenhower in the 1953 Inaugural Parade. From 1945 to 1965 Montie thrilled over 8 million school children with his stagecoach and Horse Rex. Montie was also known for riding his horses into equally famous places such as the top of the Empire State Building, The Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, The Brown Palace in Denver, The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs and the top level government offices across the country. Though he received hundreds of awards and honors during his extraordinary lifetime, he remained a cowboy at heart. Montie was deeply grateful that he could make a living doing what he loved best and it showed. He had the most wonderful laugh and was always smiling. An avid collector of western artifacts he kept treasures from early on in his career and enjoyed them throughout his life. His legacy lives on with the stories captured in his autobiography where he tells us that he lived in a great era, from the horse and buggy to the space age. Although he has ridden on ahead, I know that he’s in tall cotton with other great western heroes up there and that his horses are knee deep in green pastures and that he’s still a cowboy, because he always said, “I must have been born a cowboy, because I’ve never thought of being anything else!”..........Marilee Montana

Montie Montana

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