The "My Hero 'Rocky' Riedel Has Died" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in my favorite lounge chair, reading the morning newspaper.  Read all the local, national and international news and then turned to the obituary page to see whom I might know who has had their photo in the paper for the last time.  One name, with photo above it, struck a note with me, but I couldn't place his face or name.  As I began to read his obituary I finally figured out how I knew him.  He was my favorite Saturday Morning  sidekick as I watched my mom and dad's small black and white Philco TV with an antennae that had pieces of aluminum foil on it to help with the TV signal.  

Daily Test Pattern on WGAL-TV.

Lancaster, Pennsyl- vania's WGAL-TV had just began broad- casting in the early 1950s and all the kids in my neighbor- hood would tune in Saturday morning about 7:15 a.m and view the Test Pattern that was on probably all night.  At about 7:30 a.m. the National Anthem would be played followed by perhaps ten minutes of local news and then......"Rocky" Riedel, dressed in full cowboy gear, would introduce the "Covered Wagon Theatre".  

LDub dressed in full cowboy gear.

Every Saturday the feature presentation was an hour-long Western movie with "Rocky" Riedel talking to his TV audience during intermission.  I was always dressed in my blue jeans, cowboy shirt, chaps, neckerchief, holster and cowboy hat, just like my hero "Rocky."  The same "Rocky" Riedel who died Friday, March 9th at his Pequea Twp. home, close to where my wife grew up.  As I read his obituary I was amazed at his lifetime story.  Graduated from high school in 1945, but his parents had to accept his diploma, since he had already joined the Navy to serve as a hospital corpsman in WWII.  After returning home he worked for WGAL Channel 8 doing the evening "Pioneer Playhouse" as well as "Covered Wagon Theater."  

My hero "Rocky" Riedel.  I actually thought
he was a real cowboy.  Imagine that!

He also worked for RCA, General Cigar, drove a bakery truck and was a Fuller Brush salesman.  His music career included his band, "Rocky Riedel and his Raiders", as well as "101 Ranch Boys."  Then I read something really cool telling that he was a stunt rider for the "Cisco Kid" TV show.  Wow, no wonder he was my hero.  But what followed reminded me of another great TV legend, Mr. Rogers.  "Rocky" was called to the ministry where he graduated from Franklin & Marshall College in 1959, completed his masters degree at Lancaster Theological Seminary in 1963 and took night classes at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary.  

Reverend "Rocky" Riedel.  RIP

My hero "Rocky" Riedel was now Reverend "Rocky" Riedel who served churches until 1992 when he became a substitute for other pastors.  Rev. "Rocky" enjoyed traveling as well as reading about history, planting flowers, painting, and watching TV shows.  How much do you want to bet he loved Westerns.  He is survived by his wife, son and family, daughter and family, 3 grandkids, 6 great-grandkids, his dog Princess and thousands of admiring kids who woke up every Saturday morning, dressed in full cowboy or cowgirl gear, to hear what words of Western knowledge "Rocky" Riedel had to tell us.  His obituary ended telling, instead of sending flowers, to donate to the Salvation Army in Lancaster.  A true Hero!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.