Karen Pendleton, one of the original Mouseketeers on “Mickey Mouse Club,” died of a heart attack in Fresno, Calif. on Sunday. She was 73.
Pendleton appeared on the classic children’s television series from 1955 to 1959, making her one of only nine children that appeared on the show for its entire run. One of the youngest of the Mouseketeers, she was best known for her shoulder-length blond curls and frequently being paired with fellow Mouseketeer Cubby O’Brien for the “Mickey Mouse Club” end of show song.
In 1983, Pendleton became paralyzed from the waist down due to an automobile accident. She spent the rest of her life in a wheelchair. Post accident, Pendleton returned to school, eventually earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree in psychology. She worked at a shelter for battered women and served on the board for the California Association of the Physically Handicapped.
Pendleton maintained her longtime friendships with fellow Mouseketeers over the years. She frequently appeared with them in “Mickey Mouse Club” reunion shows and parades at Disneyland.
Here is a clip featuring the original Red Team and many others from the old show. Of course, Bobby Burgess went on to fame as a member of the Lawrence Welk Show family. You will also see Don Brady who went to to play Robbie on My Three Sons. Also, sharp-eyed viewers will remember little Johnny. He is Johnny Crawford who went on to play the son in The Rifleman.