ENNIS, Texas — At 94 years young, Betty Taylor from Ennis, Texas, is proving that age is just a number.
A former and possibly the oldest living alumnus of the iconic Kilgore College Rangerettes, Taylor is throwing on a sequin-studded uniform to step back onto the football field with other alums as part of two significant celebrations this Friday: the Rangerettes’ 85th anniversary and the 75th year of their performances at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl.
“I keep smiling,” Betty beams, her excitement undeniable as she prepares for her big return.
The Rangerettes, known for their synchronized high kicks and impeccable precision, have symbolized Texan pride since their founding in 1940. Their first performance at the Cotton Bowl came less than a decade later, in 1949, and their dazzling routines have been a highlight of the event ever since.
Betty joined the drill team in the early 1950s, proudly becoming part of the team’s 11th line of dancers. “I had friends that were already in it, and I just practiced and got in,” she recalls fondly.
During her time as a Rangerette, Betty was among the spirited performers who braved the winter cold to dazzle crowds with their synchronized routines. “It was cold, and we had these pom poms,” she remembers with a laugh, mimicking the motion of shaking pom-poms.
Betty’s upcoming performance is deeply personal. Last July, she lost her beloved husband, Bob Taylor, to whom she was with almost inseparably for 71 years. Encouraged by her family, Betty decided to participate in the alumni performance at the Cotton Bowl because Bob would have wanted her to do it. “It’s what he would have loved,” her family told her.
Betty will return to the Cotton Bowl field on Friday night, wearing that sequin jersey adorned with the number 11 — a nod to her original line — and shaking pom-poms alongside current Rangerettes and fellow alums. While the high kicks that made the Rangerettes famous won’t be part of her routine, her enthusiasm is boundless.
“It’ll be great,” she says. “We get to see everybody and know we’re Rangerettes.”
From Ennis to the Cotton Bowl, Taylor is ready to retake the field and hearts.