OklahomaHorses Magazine Sept 2022

September / October 2022 • OklahomaHorses 29 reunion, but instead, he sent her a letter explaining that he was engaged to someone else. She responded by sending him a dozen black roses with her condolences. Logsdon didn’t hear from Black again until he was in Arizona for a meeting in early August. He called and told her his fiancée had decided to marry someone else. At the end of August, he returned to Arizona and asked Logsdon to marry him. He added, “But we can’t live together,” which was fine with her because she wasn’t sure she wanted to live with him anyway. The next day, she asked him if he was really serious, and they were married on September 3, 1982, in Mesa, Arizona. His career was young, so Black went back out on the road alone while his wife and her toddler daughter, Jennifer, moved to Brigh- ton, Colorado. Black adopted Jennifer, and 10 years later, the family welcomed the birth of their son, Guy. “We never looked back,” Mrs. Black explained. She was used to taking care of herself, so she went to work for Baxter’s Coy- ote Cowboy Company. “Things are more flexible when you’re married to the boss,” she added. “He had very strong business ethics and really didn’t need someone to advise or direct him with that part of his career.” Fun, Family, and Career The Blacks would have been married 40 years in September 2022. “He was always funny,” Mrs. Black said. “He probably wasn’t as animated at home, but he loved to pull pranks. He and Jennifer were always trying to ‘outscare’ each other when she was young.” She recalled one incident when he scared Jennifer while she was eating breakfast, and she blew her cereal all over the kitchen floor. The family spent more than 14 years on their small acreage in Colorado, then moved back to Arizona to be closer to Black’s mother. Jennifer’s horse, Coyote, was their only horse to make the move to Arizona, where they soon acquired more horses and ran cattle on leased property. Mrs. Black explained, “Coyote was a great gelding and was wonderful with kids. Baxter taught both of our kids to ride and helped them learn about horses. Baxter was always very good to his animals, and Jennifer and Baxter enjoyed riding, checking, and feeding cattle together.” Black’s 40-year career took him to speak- ing engagements throughout the United States, Canada, and Australia. His column was printed in more than 130 newspapers, his radio program was broadcast on 150 stations, and he sold more than two million copies of books, CD, and DVDs. He appeared several times on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson and was a 20-year commentator on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition . Black started to struggle in late 2014 and was diagnosed with dementia and leukemia. His wife said that up until then, he had never had to take notes to the stage for his performances. He started to carry a small notebook but quit booking speaking engagements in April 2015 at age 70. He continued to write his columns from his home office, kept track of his health, and didn’t worry about it too much. Mrs. Black explained, “Baxter always had a good attitude and was always funny — even when in hospice care. He couldn’t let go of wanting to make people smile and continued ’til the very end.” She continues to run Coyote Cowboy Company. She said, “When I think of Bax- ter, I’ll just laugh — because his goal was to make people laugh.” For more information on Baxter Black’s product line, visit baxter.black.com. (918) 260-4591 info@windrivermicrobes.com www.windrivermicrobes.com One Crop and One Animal at a Time