Mitchel H Bohannon

Mitchel H. ìMickyî Bohannon was born April 22, 1943 in Maury City, Tennessee; the son of Lydle H. and Corrinne (Mayo) Bohannon. He was raised and attended school in Maury City, graduating from Crockett High School in 1961. He was married to Sandra Arnold on July 10, 1965 in Memphis, Tennessee. The couple had three children, Chris, Donna and Deanna While growing up in Maury City, Micky got his first taste of what his lifeís profession of animal training might be at the age of five on the family farm. A neighbor had given him a young fox, and he taught it to do dog-style tricks which only whetted his appetite for what would become his lifelong passion. As an adult, Bohannon worked a number of odd jobs, trying to stay close to animals such as taking on roles as a rodeo clown or animal caregiver. His big break came in the early 1980ís when Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus hired him as an animal trainer with ìThe Greatest Show on Earth.î In a short time, Micky was carting wild and exotic animals back to Jennings, where he would train them for performances at his indoor arena near the post office. That arena became a point of curiosity for residents, who would bring out-of-town guests for a glimpse of Bohannonís menagerie of zebras, lions, bears, buffalo, camels, elephants, a rhinoceros, monkeys and llamas. Whenever, he received a new animal, he often would sleep alongside it for days, his wife Sandy said. ìHe liked animals more than people,î Sandy Bohannon said. By 1987, Bohannon grew into a circus performer role by chance. After the Ringling Brothers bought a well-trained buffalo, only Bohannon could get it to perform. In his years with the circus, Bohannon traveled from coast to coast which included sixty-three performances at New York Cityís Madison Square Garden. The circus became a family affair with his wife, son, Chris, and daughter, Deanna, joining him. They helped with animal performances ñ riding them in shows, doubling as clowns or performing other chores. Mickyís circus career was cut short in 1988 after suffering a brain injury while preparing a rhinoceros for a show. Before the performance, Bohannon leaned over the rhino, which spooked the animal. It reared its head and drove a horn into Mickyís forehead, requiring him to be resuscitated and left him with partial paralysis, vision and speech impairments and seizures. He often commented on how ìthe circus took real good care of himî. There was a time when the town folk of Jennings used to gather at the car wash to watch Micky bathe his elephant; other times gawking motorists triggered traffic jams when he rode his camel to the local cafÈ and hitched it up outside. A sign now reflects, ìWelcome to Jennings;î ìhome of world famous animal trainer, Micky Bohannon.î Although memories of his time traveling with ìThe Greatest Show on Earthí are many, a couple of episodes he recalled were that elephants could do the wackiest things. One occurred in York, Nebraska where he was helping set up an arena. Micky had taken off his shirt and hung it on a trailer while he worked. On pocket in the shirt held his cigarettes and another pocket held an envelope with $1000.00 in cash. After a while, Micky needed a smoke and went for the shirt, only to discover it was gone. He looked over at a nearby elephant and noticed his shirt was under the creatureís feet. The shirt pockets had been ripped apart and his cigarettes were gone, along with the $1000. The elephant didnít know it at that moment, but it was about to be introduced to two gallons of mineral oil, because Micky was determined to get his money back. The next day, Bohannon was rewarded with a great surprise, although he had to sift through some elephant dung to retrieve it. He washed the fragments, put them in a shoebox, and took the box to the bank, which in turn sent the fragments to the U. S. Treasury Department and received $760 back for his effort. On another occasion, upon having a slight problem with a toll booth attendant on the Cimarron Turnpike about the number of axles on his trailer; Bohannon noticed the attendant was eating popcorn. Knowing that his elephants loved popcorn, he allowed for the compartments on the trailer containing the elephant to be open. Driving slowly by the tollbooth, he watched as the elephant stuck its trunk out of the trailer into the booth search for the popcorn. ìThe attendant freaked out, jumped out of her seat with popcorn flying, as she started screaming, looking for a way to get out,î Bohannon said, laughing. Finally, after the elephant found some popcorn, Micky pulled way as his son recalled, ìDad, we better get out of here before the troopers show up.î One of Mickyís many accomplishments that he felt was his greatest accomplishment was the time he trained a horse for a young lady following an accident leaving her a paraplegic. Following a rodeo event a bull rider asked Micky if he could train a horse girl he knew. He thought about it for a minute and said give her my card and I will see what I can do. Several weeks following he got a call and her father to set up an appointment. She and her father came to see Micky and he showed them the abilities of his horse. On the spot the father asked him to trade. Micky said no, but I will train your horse to do what mine does. Micky went to work with her horse to lie down and do other things to allow this young lady to do what she loved most; ride her horse again. Micky also enjoyed wood working, spending time with his family and friends. Some of his fondest memories was to perform at the Madison Square Gardens in New York and the birth of his children. Micky would like to be remembered as a hardworking and honest man. Micky has ìdone everything I want to do, and been everywhere I have wanted to go.î Micky would like to leave these thoughts with everyone: ì I love my family, friends, neighbors and the country we live inî and ìdonít mourn my death but cherish the memories I leave behind.î After his retirement, Micky and Sandy returned to Jennings where they have continued to reside. Micky has owned and operated a well servicing business for the past several years, but has mainly lived a quiet and comfortable retirement with Sandy, his wife of forty-six years. Micky passed away on Friday, April 13, 2012 at his home near Jennings with his family by his side at the age of sixty-eight years. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister. Micky is survived by his wife, Sandra Bohannon of the home; four children Chris Bohannon of Jennings, Oklahoma, Donna Fox and husband Bob of Dewey, Oklahoma, Deanna Norton and husband Nate of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, Jerimiah Meschkat and his wife Stephanie of Mannford, Oklahoma; five grandchildren Tosha Wren, Justin Wren, Patricia Rice, Rebecca Gordon, Mitchel Bohannon; three great grandchildren Kaden Blagg, Jaxin Wren, Brylee Rice; and a brother, Earl Bohannon as well as numerous other relatives and friends that will mourn his passing. Following cremation a memorial Services will be held at 10:00 am Saturday, April 21, 2012 at the First Baptist Church in Cleveland with officiating.