Fay Glen Adams was born in Diaz, Chihuahua, Mexico to William Adams and Domer Jones Adams. He was the sixth of 11
children. His mother died giving birth to a stillborn on July 1, 1912.
After being notified of the mother's death, her daughter, Edith, and a
family friend drove from Columbus, New Mexico, to be with the family
and attend the funeral. Being in a hurry, they neglected to take care
of all the paperwork at that time required to enter Mexico and were
approached by seven federal soldiers after arriving at the family home
in Diaz, where mother Domer Adams body was awaiting burial.
The federales demanded the immediate departure of Edith and her friend.
Her father asked for an extra day so the full family could be present
at the burial. The soldiers got angry and drew their weapons and, as
Edith jumped in front of her father, one of them fired a shot. The
bullet went just over Edith's head and entered the neck of Will Adams,
killing him instantly. Both of them were buried the next day.
Fourteen-year-old Fay, as well as the other children who were of
working age, were left to take care of themselves and their younger
siblings (one of whom was only two years old). Fay worked on numerous
ranches throughout the American southwest and into California. He began
his rodeo career in the early 1920s and was very successful at many
rodeos across the United States (including Madison Square Garden) and
Canada, and won many titles including World Champion Calf Roper.
Cowboy star Hoot Gibson helped Fay get into
the film business and he appeared in many westerns, usually uncredited,
before his untimely death. While working for rancher Bud Parker's
outfit, at the railroad corral nine miles north of Nogales, Arizona,
and practicing steer-roping for an upcoming rodeo in El Paso, Texas,
his horse got tangled in the rope, stumbled and threw him off, and then
the horse fell on his head. The champion cowboy never regained
consciousness from the September 11th accident, and a day or so before
his death he developed double pneumonia and died at just about midnight
in the St. Joseph Hospital in Nogales. The death certificate, filled
out after midnight, was dated September 16. Funeral services were held
at the Carroon Morturay in Nogales and he was laid to rest in the
Nogales cemetery. (Author not related)
