Miss Mae passed away on Monday, October 5, around 11 a.m. We believe she died from a stroke while in Wichita visiting a friend.
Miss Mae was involved with the Missouri Gay Rodeo Association since it's inception in 1986 and served on the board as Treasurer since MGRA's beginning. She was also a prominent member of the MGRA Royalty program and was on the IGRA Royalty Team in the early 1990s.
Funeral services are pending. We believe the services will be held near her home in Kansas on Friday afternoon.
Miss Mae was extremely proud of two things (not counting her vodka): that she had attended each and every IGRA Convention AND that she had never done drag for anything OTHER than a fundraiser.
Miss Mae's family did not know about her involvement in gay rodeo. In lieu of flowers, if you would like to make a donation, please send it to MGRA. We will be planning a huge fundraiser in her honor this winter. Any monies sent by her rodeo friends and family, as well as money raised at the fundraiser, will be donated Passages in Miss Mae's honor.
Passages is an organization in Kansas City that provides a safe place for gay and questioning teens. She always said, "I wish there had been a place like Passages for me when I was younger."
I know many of you knew and loved Miss Mae, but she would want the "show to go on". She was THRILLED with she heard the IGRA Archives were being shared with the Autry Museum. She only wanted the best for gay rodeo, and she was proud to see so many positive changes happen within the organization over the years.
Thank you for your calls and prayers.
Andrew Goodman
IGRA Vice President
(aka Mandy Barbarell)