Valley Voices: In memory of Mimi Rogers Swift, daughter of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans
On behalf of the countless people touched by the love and generosity of Mimi Rogers Swift, I pay humble tribute.
Born Marion Fleming in an air-raid shelter in Edinburgh, Scotland during World War II, the woman we know as Mimi spent her first 12 years in orphanages. She came to the United States in 1954 as a foster child of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.
Roy and Dale’s trip to the British Isles — and the grand welcome they received — were described in the January-February and March-April 1954 issues of "Double R Bar Ranch News." When Mimi saw the issues at my home, she declared, "Oh, that's the trip when they got me!"
Wow! So Mimi became a part of the Rogers' large, multi-cultural family, the third eldest after Tom and Cheryl, followed in age by Linda, Dusty, Sandy, Robin, Debbie, and Dodie.
Mimi’s younger sister, Dodie, adopted just a few months before Mimi, broke the news of her Jan. 25 passing at age 80.
“I consider her the very best of humankind,” Dodie said. “She was always fair and honest and never complained. She was a hard worker who didn't want to be waited on. … She may not have been tall, but her heart was gigantic. ... An excellent sister, mother, grandmother, and friend, but more important, a Christian that showed in her actions.”
My sentiments exactly, Dodie.
An active and generous Happy Trails Children's Foundation board member, Mimi served as president of the foundation her parents championed. After her brother, Dusty, moved to Branson, Mo., Mimi became the local family representative as a Wrightwood resident.
She attended numerous meetings and every banquet, always sponsoring Table No. 1 and drawing the raffle ticket for the lucky winner of the hand-crafted parade saddle.
Mimi quietly appeared at an untold number of community events. She never called attention to herself. She could be spotted at the Dale Evans Chapel dedication; Cowboy Church at the Roy Rogers Ranch; the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Centennial weekend celebrations; promos for at the Apple Valley Chamber luncheon, the Ambassador Hotel, and the Lucerne Valley Lions Club breakfast; at Herb Jeffries’ 100th birthday weekend celebration at the Apple Valley Inn; and Dusty's local concerts at the Church of the Valley, Civic Center Park and Victor Valley College, among others.
Mimi was not just an observer either. She wanted to know what her job was: Selling tickets? Serving refreshments? One of her favorites was her job at the Dale Evans Centennial, which involved loading tourists on the bus at Sunset Hills to travel to her parents' first Apple Valley home for a tour.
In fact, when she accompanied the second tour, I heard one wide-eyed fan ask in disbelief, “Is that really Roy and Dale's daughter?” (Actually, three daughters and one granddaughter assisted.)
When I opened the Apple Valley Legacy Museum in March 2015, Mimi was right beside me. She provided family photos, a Roy and Dale cookie jar, and a large collage of Roy Rogers Apple Valley Inn memorabilia.
She and her husband attended our first four steakfries, always taking out a sponsorship to help us pay the rent. She spoke at the 70th anniversary of the Apple Valley Inn and told tales of how her mom and dad loved being out of the spotlight in Apple Valley, where they could freely shop, attend church, go out to eat and play cards with neighbors.
She remembered how she and her family would fly into the old Apple Valley Airport and walk the several blocks to the family home on Highway 18.
In October 2012, in honor of Dale's centennial, Mimi spoke at the Mohahve Historical Society's monthly meeting. Attendees were thrilled with the large displays of family photos and listened intently as she described her unfortunate childhood, as well as her amazing journey to the United States to join a real family — a famous family. It was something a child might only dream of. After the meeting, she patiently spoke to guests and posed for photos, always insisting she was no one special.
Naturally, most of us thought otherwise. My granddaughters and I have fond memories of our visits to Wrightwood, where Bill and Mimi treated us to mountain activities in all four seasons: We swung on a rope and landed in a pile of leaves in the fall. We played in the snow in winter. Hiked with the dogs in the spring. And swam in the “country club” lake in the summer.
We enjoyed meals at quaint Village restaurants, and in the upstairs dining room of the Swift home as we sat at the replica family table with that spinning lazy Susan in the middle.
Where else could you see a sign in the driveway that indicated Roy Rogers Drive crossing Dale Evans Parkway? Where else could you see all of the large Roy Rogers and Dale Evans limited edition prints high on the wall in the upstairs living room? Or one guest bedroom decorated in traditional Scottish decor?
Encounters with Mimi were never forgotten. One of our museum volunteers said Mimi had been her Bible study partner at a church in Wrightwood. I received thank you notes from tourists who Mimi had arranged to bring to my home. They were amazed that she would take the time to show them around. Some of these "tourists" became Mimi's personal life-long friends, like her best buddy, Elizabeth, from “Jolly old England,” who attended many many events with her.
Mimi, in both my home and museum, I'm surrounded by photos and memories of you. I appreciate the candid family photos you gave me, taken when your family resided here. To say we all miss you is an understatement.
My sympathy to your two sons, your daughter, your three sisters, your brother and your huge extended family — both in the United States and abroad. You and Bill, Roy and Dale, and the siblings you lost are all together again.
Blessings, sweet lady. Rest in peace.
Marcy Taylor is the founder of the Apple Valley and Victor Valley legacy museums.