Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Blue Unit Circus Clown..
Bonnie Conkling was about to mail a sweater and a package of goodies to her daughter, Ceslee, on the morning of January 13, 1994 when she heard about a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus train derailment in Lakeland, Fla. When Ceslee Conkling, a clown in the traveling circus, didn't telephone home for several hours, her parents feared the worst. They are a close family, her mother said, and Ceslee would often call the family's Azle residence several times a day while on the road.
The Conklings' worries were confirmed when they learned that Ceslee, 28, was one of two people killed in the wreck. Ted Svertesky, 39, a leading elephant trainer who headed the Ringling Elephant Farm and performed in the center ring was also killed. At least 15 others received minor injuries.
On January 18, 1994, in Azle, Texas, laughter, applause and clown costumes mixed with tears as hundreds of mourners remembered Ceslee who posthumously received a standing ovation at the request of the pastor at the Eagle Mountain Baptist Church. The funeral was a "celebration of her life," said Kenneth Jones, a family friend and a member of the Cowtown Clowns, to which Conkling also belonged. There was laughter among the 450 mourners as they watched a videotape of Conkling's clown antics, Jones said, and a young girl sang "Jesus Loves the Little Children" as a tribute to the youngsters touched by her performances. "Ceslee was the type person who, when she walked into the room, she lit it up with a smile and her twinkly eyes," said Joyce Milligan, president of Cowtown Clown Alley, of whom Ceslee also belonged. "She was the daughter of our club. She had reached her dream. It wasn't work to her; she loved it. It was her life.
Bonnie Conkling said of her daughter, "She was a beautiful clown. I can't think of anything she would rather do than entertain children and people of all ages. She would shine on that floor. She would make you see her."
Bonnie and Ceslee belonged to several clown organizations, including Cowtown Clown Alley, the Clowns of America International and the Texas Magicians.
On February 14, 1995 the NTSB reported that a damaged wheel caused the derailment of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus train.
Bonnie Conkling was about to mail a sweater and a package of goodies to her daughter, Ceslee, on the morning of January 13, 1994 when she heard about a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus train derailment in Lakeland, Fla. When Ceslee Conkling, a clown in the traveling circus, didn't telephone home for several hours, her parents feared the worst. They are a close family, her mother said, and Ceslee would often call the family's Azle residence several times a day while on the road.
The Conklings' worries were confirmed when they learned that Ceslee, 28, was one of two people killed in the wreck. Ted Svertesky, 39, a leading elephant trainer who headed the Ringling Elephant Farm and performed in the center ring was also killed. At least 15 others received minor injuries.
On January 18, 1994, in Azle, Texas, laughter, applause and clown costumes mixed with tears as hundreds of mourners remembered Ceslee who posthumously received a standing ovation at the request of the pastor at the Eagle Mountain Baptist Church. The funeral was a "celebration of her life," said Kenneth Jones, a family friend and a member of the Cowtown Clowns, to which Conkling also belonged. There was laughter among the 450 mourners as they watched a videotape of Conkling's clown antics, Jones said, and a young girl sang "Jesus Loves the Little Children" as a tribute to the youngsters touched by her performances. "Ceslee was the type person who, when she walked into the room, she lit it up with a smile and her twinkly eyes," said Joyce Milligan, president of Cowtown Clown Alley, of whom Ceslee also belonged. "She was the daughter of our club. She had reached her dream. It wasn't work to her; she loved it. It was her life.
Bonnie Conkling said of her daughter, "She was a beautiful clown. I can't think of anything she would rather do than entertain children and people of all ages. She would shine on that floor. She would make you see her."
Bonnie and Ceslee belonged to several clown organizations, including Cowtown Clown Alley, the Clowns of America International and the Texas Magicians.
On February 14, 1995 the NTSB reported that a damaged wheel caused the derailment of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus train.
Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Blue Unit Circus Clown..
Bonnie Conkling was about to mail a sweater and a package of goodies to her daughter, Ceslee, on the morning of January 13, 1994 when she heard about a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus train derailment in Lakeland, Fla. When Ceslee Conkling, a clown in the traveling circus, didn't telephone home for several hours, her parents feared the worst. They are a close family, her mother said, and Ceslee would often call the family's Azle residence several times a day while on the road.
The Conklings' worries were confirmed when they learned that Ceslee, 28, was one of two people killed in the wreck. Ted Svertesky, 39, a leading elephant trainer who headed the Ringling Elephant Farm and performed in the center ring was also killed. At least 15 others received minor injuries.
On January 18, 1994, in Azle, Texas, laughter, applause and clown costumes mixed with tears as hundreds of mourners remembered Ceslee who posthumously received a standing ovation at the request of the pastor at the Eagle Mountain Baptist Church. The funeral was a "celebration of her life," said Kenneth Jones, a family friend and a member of the Cowtown Clowns, to which Conkling also belonged. There was laughter among the 450 mourners as they watched a videotape of Conkling's clown antics, Jones said, and a young girl sang "Jesus Loves the Little Children" as a tribute to the youngsters touched by her performances. "Ceslee was the type person who, when she walked into the room, she lit it up with a smile and her twinkly eyes," said Joyce Milligan, president of Cowtown Clown Alley, of whom Ceslee also belonged. "She was the daughter of our club. She had reached her dream. It wasn't work to her; she loved it. It was her life.
Bonnie Conkling said of her daughter, "She was a beautiful clown. I can't think of anything she would rather do than entertain children and people of all ages. She would shine on that floor. She would make you see her."
Bonnie and Ceslee belonged to several clown organizations, including Cowtown Clown Alley, the Clowns of America International and the Texas Magicians.
On February 14, 1995 the NTSB reported that a damaged wheel caused the derailment of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus train.
Bonnie Conkling was about to mail a sweater and a package of goodies to her daughter, Ceslee, on the morning of January 13, 1994 when she heard about a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus train derailment in Lakeland, Fla. When Ceslee Conkling, a clown in the traveling circus, didn't telephone home for several hours, her parents feared the worst. They are a close family, her mother said, and Ceslee would often call the family's Azle residence several times a day while on the road.
The Conklings' worries were confirmed when they learned that Ceslee, 28, was one of two people killed in the wreck. Ted Svertesky, 39, a leading elephant trainer who headed the Ringling Elephant Farm and performed in the center ring was also killed. At least 15 others received minor injuries.
On January 18, 1994, in Azle, Texas, laughter, applause and clown costumes mixed with tears as hundreds of mourners remembered Ceslee who posthumously received a standing ovation at the request of the pastor at the Eagle Mountain Baptist Church. The funeral was a "celebration of her life," said Kenneth Jones, a family friend and a member of the Cowtown Clowns, to which Conkling also belonged. There was laughter among the 450 mourners as they watched a videotape of Conkling's clown antics, Jones said, and a young girl sang "Jesus Loves the Little Children" as a tribute to the youngsters touched by her performances. "Ceslee was the type person who, when she walked into the room, she lit it up with a smile and her twinkly eyes," said Joyce Milligan, president of Cowtown Clown Alley, of whom Ceslee also belonged. "She was the daughter of our club. She had reached her dream. It wasn't work to her; she loved it. It was her life.
Bonnie Conkling said of her daughter, "She was a beautiful clown. I can't think of anything she would rather do than entertain children and people of all ages. She would shine on that floor. She would make you see her."
Bonnie and Ceslee belonged to several clown organizations, including Cowtown Clown Alley, the Clowns of America International and the Texas Magicians.
On February 14, 1995 the NTSB reported that a damaged wheel caused the derailment of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus train.
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