March 10, 2025 – Two well-known figures in the community are celebrating their 104th birthdays this spring. The families of Mary Rigsbee and Rusty Crow, two Clovis locals born in 1921, are sharing their legacies and impact on our town as they reach this milestone.
Clovis has seen significant changes since the birth of these two residents – the establishment of the Clovis Veterans Memorial District and Clovis Unified School District in 1946 and 1959, respectively, the inception of Big Hat Days, and other major milestones in Clovis’s history.
On Saturday, March 8, Mary Rigsbee celebrated her birthday at Magnolia Crossing, an assisted living facility. She is the oldest resident of the facility, where she has marked this special day each year since turning 100.
On her special day, the sun shone brightly as Rigsbee and her friends and family enjoyed ice cream from the Bigfoot ice cream truck, brought to commemorate the occasion.
Rigsbee comes from a prominent Clovis historical family. Her sons, Chuck and Dan Rigsbee, along with their father, have served on the board of directors for the Rodeo, establishing a rich legacy for the family in our beloved town. She also has a daughter, Pam, who visits her regularly.
Mary and her brothers lived on a plot of land on Locan Avenue and later moved to a ranch in Temperance until 2003, when the family moved closer to town. She has lived her entire life in Clovis, alongside many of her children and grandchildren.
Similarly, Rusty Crow and his family have a deep affection for our town that has grown over the years. Crow will mark his 104th year in a few weeks, on April 7th. A longtime member of the Clovis Rodeo Association, he has established a legacy that his daughter, Freddie Crow, is highlighting as his birthday approaches.
“He loves Clovis,” she shared, recalling her childhood in the Clovis countryside with her brothers. “He rode in the Clovis Rodeo every year, we grew up in the country in Clovis, and we love Clovis.”
True to his daughter’s words, the elder Crow participated in the Rodeo for nearly 60 years, earning a reputation among his friends. He was especially close friends with Rex Phebus, another Clovis local who has established a legacy in the town.
Crow spent some time in Fresno before eventually settling in Clovis with his wife, Arlene, where their daughter, Freddie, and sons, Allen, Rex, and Duke, attended Dry Creek Elementary School.
He also spent five years in the Coast Guard learning to climb poles, which led him to a career with Pacific Bell, a telephone service company, for over 40 years.
Through his work, dedication, and compassion for his family and community, Freddie and her brothers grew to greatly admire their father.
Freddie shared, “He was [very] against animal abuse. He had no problem with [talking to] somebody who was whipping [their] horse at the rodeo…he always stood up for animals.”
And those animals, in turn, brought him friendships and community in his beloved town for years as he participated in the Clovis Rodeo year after year.
As this annual celebration approaches, it would serve our community well to keep individuals like Crow and Rigsbee in our hearts and remember their influence on our city.