Hope Carol Varner, a gracious cowgirl, hitched her wagon to the stars at age ninety-six on August 4, 2013 in Austin, Texas.

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on May 15, 1917, she became the seventh of eleven children raised in the lively household of architect George Augustus Kemnitz and his wife, opera singer Rosa Laura Friedrich Kemnitz, who trained Hope in both voice and piano. An early interest in horses led her to Joy Farm in Milwaukee where she became an expert horsewoman.

Hope met the love of her life, Victor “Tex” Varner at the Silver Spur Ranch in northern Wisconsin, where he trained horses and entertained guests while recovering from war wounds received in the Pacific theater of WWII. They married on December 7, 1946. Together the Varners delighted audiences in Wisconsin, Arizona, and Missouri with a wide variety of western entertainment. One of Hope’s fondest memories involved corralling mustangs in Colorado and herding them on horseback from the Chicago railhead through Wisconsin for training at a summer dude ranch.

Hope and Tex arrived as newlyweds at Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri when Bagnell Dam tourism was in its infancy. Initially they operated the entertainment concessions at Lake of the Ozarks State Park, refurbishing beaches and establishing a stable and arena for western-heritage activities. To preserve the romance of pioneer tradition, they settled into the park’s historic two-room dog-run log cabin built during Civil War days, pumping well water and living without electricity.

Their brand of western entertainment grew to include the park’s horseback rides through the scenic Ozark woods and moonlit hayrides on a thirty-six foot rack drawn by an eight-horse hitch. Hope sang songs of the Old West at rustic ranch parties, accompanying herself on the guitar and accordion. She delighted audiences with stories around the campfire then called square dances long into summer evenings.

Hope and Tex opened Western Fun Arena – later called the Ozark Stampede – at Osage Beach, Missouri, offering their signature horseback rides, overnight pack trips, and hayrides. They built an arena for rodeos and Wild West shows, co-producing historic early All-Girl Rodeos in 1955. Top-ranked national cowgirls competed in the same program of rodeo events that cowboys did, including steer wrestling and bull riding. Among many who entertained at their rodeos were Pat Henry and his trick horse, Gold Tony; trick roper Eddie Rosco; sharpshooter and whip artist Mary Padfield; Matej Triska’s high-wire act; singer Porter Wagoner; the trick-roping Varner children as The Roping Rodeo Rascals; and Tex with his own trick horse, Nugget. Gene Holter’s Wild Animal Show, Jonny River’s Golden Horse Ranch Troupe and High-Diving Mules, Al Szasz’s alligator and wrestling bears, Texas Tommy’s performing dogs, Will Ray Spurgeon’s sledding horse, and old-time cowboy Milt Hinkle (the South-American Kid) all made summer-long appearances.

Hope was among the most versatile of rodeo producers — raising rodeo bucking stock, singing the national anthem, energizing crowds as the rodeo announcer while simultaneously timing events, playing musical flourishes on the organ for bronc riders, bandaging cowboys, and balancing the books when the evening was done. In recognition of her achievements and her preservation of our western heritage, Hope was inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 1988, an honor she cherished.

Hope’s voice was extraordinary, with a repertoire to match. She entertained at the lake area’s large hotels and resorts, playing 1930s and 40s popular songs on the piano in the evenings or strolling with her guitar or accordion. On New Year's Eve she would play the piano and sing from early evening until six o'clock in the morning without repeating a song.

In Arizona, where Hope and Tex wintered, she was a featured entertainer for several of the guest ranches, and she sang live each week on Radio KVOA, the Voice of Arizona. Her popularity in Tucson resulted in her being crowned 1949 rodeo queen of La Fiesta de los Vaqueros

Notwithstanding her hectic schedule, Hope was a model mother and grandmother, leading Brownie troops, Girl Scout troops, Junior Achievement, and 4-H clubs. She taught thousands the rudiments of horsemanship and organized action-packed gymkhana events. Her specialty of creative children’s parties included hobo hikes with picnics, turtle races, sing-alongs, and extraordinary Halloween festivities for the entire community.

Within a few months of moving to Texas at the age of seventy-eight, Hope was elected president of Georgetown's Sharp Seniors and joined, as an active member, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Posse. Hope also held an abiding passion for the world’s cultures, particularly indigenous ones. She had an academic interest in cultural and physical anthropology and passed along her knowledge through elementary school programs.

This stout-hearted, dignified cowgirl is survived in Texas by her three children and their families: SGM (Ret) Jesus and Ms. Gay Chargualaf of Austin; Drs. Dickson and Tricia Varner of College Station; and Ms. Victoria Star Varner and Dr. Kenny Sheppard of Georgetown. Her grandchildren are Ms. Nicole Chargualaf with her husband Mr. Tom McCarty of Austin; Mr. Jay Chargualaf of Austin; Dr. Victor Varner, wife Ms. Monica Varner, and their daughters, Julia and Anna, of Princeton, New Jersey; and Mr. Zachary Varner, wife Dr. Jessica Varner, and their son, Beau, of College Station. Also surviving Hope are her sister, Ms. Dawn Lukitsch, of Milwaukee and her brother Grant’s wife, Ms. Dorothy Roeber Kemnitz, of Mill Creek, Washington, as well as dozens of loving nephews and nieces. Hope fondly remembered and greatly missed the brothers and sisters who left life ahead of her: Dell (wives Angeline Konkol and Loretta Kline), June (Bob Borgmann), Grant, Boyd (Margaret Poweleit), Fern, Enid (Raymond Koch), George (June Collard), Wynn (Frances Bartlein); Dawn’s husband, Carl Lukitsch; Blythe (William Gamble); and the stillborn Park Breeze; as well as Tex’s daughter, Patricia Varner McNutt.

A family ceremony will be held at Woodlawn Cemetery in Indianola, Illinois, where Hope will be buried next to her beloved husband among generations of Varners.