Claudia & Maurice

Just happened to stroll by and see your site called The McCain Ranch and wanted you to know a bit about me and my lady Claudia G. Cotner. I am from Brooklyn, N.Y., now living in Clovis, home of the late great Ken Curtis. Every day in the 50's and 60's I would come home from school and turn on Bat Masterson and The Rifleman. Recently, Claudia and I noticed The Rifleman on Encore Westerns, so we never miss it. About 2 years ago we visited Mission Hills Cemetery to pay respects to Mr. Connors and others we like like William Bendix. Claudia and I want to make another visit to put another rose on Mr. Connor's grave. I understand through Claudia that living out here all her life she told me Mr. Connors did a lot for relations between Christians and Jews. I am not surprised, as the credits list many Jewish people as part of the production and music. Herschel Gilbert) She tells me he donated much to Christian and Jewish schools. What a great human being he was! He left us too soon. I dropped a line to Mr. Crawford via S.A.G. recently.

We can be reached at this email Cotnermsbabbles@aol.com , and you may leave it for anyone to write, including of course yourself. As I said, I grew up in Brooklyn but not Flatbush which Mr. Bendix made famous in Guadalcanal Diary back in 43. He was from the East Coast.

You may print our pic and story for anyone to write us via our email. I was born and raised in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn them moved to Clovis in 2003. I am retired living now. I only found out about Ken Curtis being from here when Claudia my girlfriend told me he was from here and visited town quite often. I am sorry I couldn't talk to him about being in so many John Ford movies. I understand he like Mr. Connors was quite a nice person. My old neighborhood was Coney Island where they make the best hot dogs in the world, Nathan's. Coming home from my religious school called a Yeshiva I would run to the tv to turn on The Rifleman and am enjoying it so much these days on Encore Westerns. It wasn't on tonight, only in the morning, so I hope they didn't take it off at night. S.A.G. stands for Screen Actors Guild where I wrote Mr. Crawford hoping they would pass my letter on to him. Did you notice he tried to kill John Wayne in El Dorado? Please keep in touch about the ranch and anything else about Mr. Connors. I salute you for taking time out to visit Mr. Bendix's grave, who I heard was a lovely person. We also laid a rose on Mr. Brennan's grave. Richard Loo is there to, as is a fine old actor named Henry O'Neill. By the way, Rhys Williams who played Dr Burrage in 1959 on the show was in How Green Was My Valley, Blood On The Sun, and Sons of Katie Elder. I hope I don't bore you with my knowledge of Hollywood, so just tell me to be quiet if I overkill it. Keep us in mind if there ever is a Rifleman reunion....Maurice

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