Ron LaRue bore a striking resemblance to his handsome father, western star, Lash LaRue. Unlike his famous dad, Ron didn’t crave the limelight, yet he did have a zest for life.  

          I first met Ron LaRue and his wife Patti, in the summer of 2002, when Don and I went to work for McCulloch Realty. Like Don and me, Ron and Patti were a husband and wife, real estate team. It was after Ron invited us to join them on their annual Lake Powell houseboat trip, in 2005 that we became good friends, not just co-workers.
          Ron was diagnosed with skin cancer, shortly after we went to work for McCulloch Realty. What I recall most about Ron’s fight with cancer, he continued to live, throw himself into those things that interested him and never seemed to complain.
          During his final weeks, when confined at home, yet still cognitive and not yet restricted to his bed, I interviewed Ronnie. We met for the afternoon, me with tape recorder in hand, and a list of questions, and discussed Ronnie’s rich and rewarding life. Several weeks after the interview, Ronnie passed away.

          Ron LaRue was born Ronald Alfred Wilson on October 24, 1937, to parents Alfred Wilson and Wilda Cruthers Wilson, in San Francisco California. Ron’s parents were about 18 years old, in love, and Alfred, like Alfred’s mother, was a hairdresser. Alfred had not yet become an entertainer, and hadn’t yet changed his surname to LaRue.
          According to Wikipedia, Alfred “Lash” LaRue was born Alfred LaRue in Lousiana, yet notes that California death records cite Alfred’s father’s surname as Wilson, and that Alfred was born in Michigan. According to Ronnie, the LaRue was his father’s invention, a stage name he assumed as his legal name. Ron eventually legally changed his own surname from Wilson to LaRue.
          Another discrepancy on Wikipedia is Lash’s birthday. Wikipedia cites Lash LaRue’s birth year as 1921, while the California Death Index at Ancestry.com lists the birth year as 1917, which corresponds with the information given to me by Ronnie.

          By the time World War II broke out Ron’s parents separated, and Wilda moved to southern California with her young son. Wilda’s parents were long time residents of San Francisco, but Wilda thought Southern California of the 1940’s would be a healthier environment for her son.
          Shortly after Ron and his mother moved to Southern California, Alfred moved to the area. Yet, it was not for a reconciliation. After about eight years of marriage, Alfred and Wilda officially divorced. Alfred pursued his career as an entertainer, creating the western persona known as Lash LaRue, with his trademark whip. Click here for the rest of the article>>

(Photos: Top photo Ron LaRue, bottom photo Lash LaRue.)