Hall of Famer Junior Meek Passes Away

By: Gail Hughbanks-Woerner

 I am sorry to report that our friend, Junior Meek, passed away Tuesday morning, January 3rd after suffering from several heart attacks.  He was moved to Hospice in the Hospital in Fort Worth on Thursday and the doctor told Ann he would not make it through the night.  He had a heart attack and went in to a coma Thursday morning.  The tough 'ole' bird that we knew he was, lasted until this morning.  There will be a gathering at the funeral home tomorrow night and the funeral will be in Godley on Thursday.  Ann is not sure of any of the times however if you are planning on attending just remember what George Doak told me this morning, "Cowboys just show up and stay 'til it's over.

Our prayers and love go to Ann and their family. Junior Meek was born April 4th, 1936 in Cleburne , Texas .  He began his rodeo clown and bullfight career  for Virgil Stafford in Walker ,

Louisiana , when his regular clown didn't show up.  Meek was good enough that Jim Dyer, owner of the auction barn at Amite, Louisiana, paid for an R.C.A. card for him the following Monday.  His first professional rodeo was at Frankleton , LA , in 1954.  In addition to working at his bullfighting and clowning Meek also rode bulls, entered the steer wrestling and on occasion roped calves.  He was encouraged by Wes Curtis, an older bullfighter and rodeo clown, and traveled with the Curtis' family for several years.  During his twenty year career he  worked with many including Kajun Kidd, Bobby & Gene Clark, Buck LeGrand, Wilbur Plaugher and Slim Pickens, but his long-time partnership with George Doak is well known.

Junior was an outstanding bullfighter.  From the beginning he knew he had to be different.  Because he was athletic he began jumping the bull from head to toe, instead of across the bull's back like others had done.  He was an instant success and was busy all season.

Junior was one of the top fifteen Steer Wrestlers in 1966 and went to the National Finals.  He finished 10th that year.

In addition to rodeoing all across the U. S. he went to Canada , Cuba and Australia .  He worked the Madison Square Garden Rodeo; Cowtown, New Jersey; Kissimmee, Florida; Fort Worth, TX; Phoenix, AZ; San Francisco, CA; Pendleton, OR,  Walla Walla, WA; Cheyenne, WY and Denver, CO; just to name a few.

He officially retired from his career in 1974, but continued to don his familiar rodeo clown 'duds' and make-up for any event that worked with children, including Celebrity Rodeos, Special Olympics, Rodeo Clown Reunions, and more.

He was inducted in to the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame, in Belton , TX , in 1999; the Rodeo Cowboy's Hall of Fame, in Colorado Springs , CO , in 2000, and the Rodeo Historical Society's Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum , in Oklahoma City , in

2001.  In 2002 the Johnson County Sheriff's Posse rodeo arena honored

Junior with a sign signifying "Home of Junior Meek, ProRodeo Hall of Fame, National Cowboy Hall of Fame, Texas Rodeo Hall of Fame", which will hang there.  To a cowboy there is no greater honor than to be recognized by his fans, friends and neighbors.