Obituaries

Bunky Boger

Photo of Bunky Boger
Bunky Boger died peacefully Sept. 19, 2018 at his home. He was 88 years old. He was born in Fort Smith, Ark., on May 28, 1930 to Charles A. and Nora Boger. He was raised in Arkansas and knew at six years old he wanted to be a cowboy. The family sent him to a Wyoming ranch each summer from the age of six until he reached high school. He worked harnessing and riding the horses on a 7,000 acre ranch. When he was old enough, he began riding bulls and bulldogging. Bunky realized early in his career that riding bulls only paid occasionally, while fighting bulls paid every time. Bunky made the switch to saving cowboys through bullfighting. His rodeo career started in 1946 and went through the late 1970s. This was when they were all called rodeo clowns and had to be a laugh-getter as well as a bullfighter. He studied well-known animal trainers like Glenn Randall and Bill Buschbom. His comedy acts were "Jip the Border Collie" (putting ducks in a sack), a comedy act with ‘Collie' the dog, and ‘Honest John' a miniature Brahma, ‘Kaliga' a blanket Appaloosa comedy horse act and a car act. One of his major accomplishments was training a buffalo named ‘Cody'. They traveled to numerous venues, starring on many television shows and commercials with this amazing animal that knew many tricks. He spanned the United States working rodeos, and then went to Canada to work for Reg Kesler Rodeo Company. When not at a rodeo he, Reg and Harry Olson loved chasing wild horses in the North Dakota Badlands and Canada. Bunky's reputation with his animal acts got so well known that Frank Curry, a circus producer, enticed Bunky to share his ‘western way of life' with circus fans. He traveled the U.S. and Canada with circuses until 1994. He was approached by a Fair representative who encouraged him to come to Fairs across the country and educate fair-goers about agriculture. He and wife, Connie, have an entourage of 225 animals that travel to fairs and bring the farm to the fair. Not only do the fair-goers get to see these farm animals, they get to watch chicks hatch, goats birthing kids, ride a pony, milk a cow, feed and pet the animals. They took this battery of animals to Puerto Rico four different times. Bunky originated his amazing ‘Tic Tac Toe Chicken' in 2000. It is a glass-enclosed tic-tac-toe board and casino patrons are given the opportunity to bet against a clever chicken at the game. The game moves from one casino to another from time to time. Many of his rodeo friends have assisted him with these hilarious feathered-gamblers. He is survived by his wife, Connie Boger of Lowell, Ark.; sons, Charles and wife Carol, Steven, Rick and wife Pam, Cody and wife Gabby, Kelly and wife Cindy, and Clay and wife Candace; a daughter, Tammy and Doug Boger Vaughn; a sister, Nancy Reynolds and husband Doss; grandchildren, Buck Bonni, Colt, Ryan, Hunter, Cade, Berrey, Chris, Casey, Katie, Whitney, Zach, Payton, Grace, Kenzie, Kelsie, Tabby, Tate, Aspen, Leah; and 20 great-grandchildren. A visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 23 at Westfield Chapel Funeral Home in Springdale. His funeral will be held at 1 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 24th, 2018 at the Springdale Rodeo Community Building. Bunky's final resting place will be at Friendship Cemetery in Springdale, Ark. Memorials can be made to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum or Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund. Please visit Bunky's online memorial at www.WestfieldChapel.com.

Published September 23, 2018

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