Members of the North Texas State Fair Association are grieving the death of 12-year rodeo queen volunteer Candace Clark Richardson in a Wise County traffic accident Sunday.

The popular volunteer, known to friends and family as Candace Clark, died at the scene of the two-car accident on U.S. Highway 380 east of Decatur. Her son, Shane Eichthaler, 15, was taken to Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth, where he later died.

A second son, Steven Eichthaler, remained in critical condition at Harris on Tuesday.

‘This is a huge loss for the North Texas State Fair Association, but it is a tragedy for this family,’ said Glenn Carlton, executive director of the fair association. ‘Our thoughts and prayers go out to them.’

Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Lonny Haschel said Clark, 53, of Decatur, was eastbound on U.S. 380 about 10:30 a.m. with her sons in her 1991 Volvo.

A Dallas man crossed the center line and struck the Volvo head-on, Haschel said.

That driver remains in critical condition.

‘It is not at this time known why he crossed the center line,’ the trooper said. ‘But it was rainy and wet at the time.’

Carlton said Clark had been the rodeo queen chairwoman for 12 years. Under her leadership, more than $130,000 has been raised on ticket sales, he said.

‘Candace’s encouragement and guidance led approximately 30 rodeo queen contestants from the local level to move on to compete in Miss Rodeo Texas, Miss Oklahoma Rodeo and Miss Rodeo USA,’ Carlton said.

Her ‘girls’ went on to win several of those pageants and to place first runner-up in many more, he said.

The current Miss Rodeo Texas, Alyssa Plackmeir, was one of her proteges, he said.

‘She encouraged the best from everyone, and as a result, her program is one of the most respected in the industry,’ Carlton said.

‘She loved this program, she loved helping kids,’ he said. ‘I know for a fact that every time you mention rodeo queen, Candace’s presence will be in our minds. In Candace’s honor, we will continue to grow and improve this pageant Ñ she wouldn’t have it any other way.’

The association has set up a fund at Northstar Bank located in Denton to benefit the surviving son.

Make checks payable to: North Texas State Fair Association/FBO Steven Eichthaler, P.O. Box 1695, Denton, TX. 76202.

Funeral services are pending.

DONNA FIELDER can be reached at 940-566-6885. Her e-mail address is dfielder@dentonrc.com.