What's With the Fess Parker Connection?

In the past eight months a series of seemingly random events/things have presented themselves to me in a peculiar manner regarding Fess Parker. 

Last October after travelling the roads of northern Virginia all day we stopped for the night in Winchester before winding back to 42N country in Iowa. In a town filled with George Washington, French Indian War, Revolutionary War and Civil War monuments we found a seafood restaurant to try one more east coast dinner before heading back to the plains. Along with the lobster and crab dinner we ordered a wine from the Fess Parker Winery. That was our first time to see the vineyard product offered anywhere so we just had to try it. Very good. Months later I learned that Winchester, VA was the birthplace for Rebecca Bryan, the wife of Daniel Boone. Fess Parker played the Daniel Boone character on TV during the early 1960s.

In February 2010 while at a local thrift store I found a 78 rpm record of Fess Parker singing the Davy Crockett theme song from the Disney movie series. I posted the record being played as a video on March 20th following the death of Fess Parker.

And so on Monday (Memorial Day 2010) while visiting the Keokuk National Cemetery, we also stopped at a local antique store. Somewhere in the 40-some dealer booth complex I found an official program from the 1966 Tri-State Rodeo in nearby Fort Madison, Iowa. The Tri-State Rodeo, part of the Rodeo Cowboys Association, regularly brought in big star names and entertainment acts for the three day event. While flipping through the program booklet that featured Fess Parker as Daniel Boone on its cover, I found a slip of paper tucked inside. The paper contained Fess Parker's autograph - yes, the real McCoy. He appeared at the rodeo along with the Boonesvilles, a New Christy Minstrels-like singing group.  

I don't know why these Fess-centered coincidences continue to happen but I'll be on the lookout for a coonskip cap or a meeting with Ed "Mingo" Ames.