This old Cowboy celebrated his 100th birthday on Wednesday, June 2. Pete Gearen was born June 2, 1921. He was the first child and they lived beside his grandfather, Rufus (Roof) Gearen and from a little boy until his grandfather died, he lived with him.
Mr. Gearen had the woods full of livestock — cattle, sheep, wild horses, as it was Open Range back then — no fences, and not many people — and the livestock roamed all over the woods.
Pete rode a horse, following his grandfather, beginning when he was too small to reach the stirrups, someone had to pick him up and put him in the saddle.
Many of his friends came to see him on his birthday. He sat on the front porch and they re-lived those days of long ago. Many remembered his cowboy days — they were much younger.
Pete recalled when he rode a horse 12 hours out of 24, and the next day, you went another direction or back to the same range you were at the day before.
There were no trucks or trailers, just horseback. No water, no lunch, from supper to supper and you drank mudhole water. He broke wild horses, trained them, and used them to work cattle and sheep. He roped wild bulls and other animals in his daily work as necessary.
Pete has one sister living, Rebecca Bass, the baby child and she is now 79. Pete married Evelyn Carlton and they have been married for 61 years. She celebrated her 96th birthday on Apr. 4th.
