REX LEWELLEN

(316)734-5501

Rex Lewellen was born December 2nd 1950 in Wichita Kansas. He had his first experience with the amusement business at eight years old chasing baseballs.

He worked for Paul Williams in a game called the punk rack at Joyland amusement park in Wichita. During his teenage years his mother sold tickets for Ottaway Amusements in the summer so he got to go along. At the age of fifteen in Lane Kansas he operated his first game the one-ball. In that same summer he would also operate his first ride a gas powered train. When the train broke down he would have to fix it. This became the start of his legendary ability to fix or repair carnival rides as the show mechanic. After having graduated from Wichita Southeast High he was officially recognized as the show mechanic during the 1968 season at the age of eighteen. In the winter time he would work at various auto-parts shops until time to go back on the road. Now an important member of the carnival he purchased his first game the hoopla in Perry Oklahoma. Bought from Coy Gifford the game was built into a masonite trailer. He pulled the trailer with his pick-up that had a camper shell in its bed.

In 1974 he married Deloris Ann Willard a union that produced two children, David in 1978, and Susan in 1980.

Rex’s company Lewellen Enterprises would continue to grow over the next few years. The company’s growth included many firsts. Rex would buy the first game trailer on the Ottaway show that had hydraulic awnings and running lights. This trailer was built by Cosmo and held a glass pitch. With each first a new trend on the show was started. The first Otterbacher game trailer was purchased brand new in 1980. The addition of the first diesel box truck in 1983 was followed by the purchase of the first big diesel motor semi tractor in 1984. While continuing to perform his duties as the head fix-it guy he had built a nice collection of games, five in all. At the same time he had his first ride a Round-up in 1984 and had been leasing the shows Ferris Wheel since 1977.

After a barrage of change in the late eighties and a few disagreements with the new show management it was decided that the Lewellen family, which now owned six game trailers in 1990, would start their own show. It would take years for the decision to take effect. Now in the early stages of the twenty-first century the Lewellen Amusements carnival is alive and thriving because of the hard work and determination to succeed by Rex Lewellen.

Lewellen Amusements