MADISON, Wis. -- It's a familiar story: small-town girl leaves home for the big city. But for Judy Hein, this story has an unexpected and fortunate twist.

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At 17, Hein graduated from high school in her hometown of Richland Center, and her father brought her to Madison to look for a job.

To Hein, Madison seemed overwhelmingly large compared to Richland Center.

"I was really scared -- I didn't know anybody," Hein recalled.

She landed a job at Dairy Land Mutual, which is now located by the Hilldale Shopping Center. But she didn't have anywhere to live.

So her dad drove her down University Avenue and up Farley Avenue, searching for any places that might be renting. They didn't see any signs in the windows, but they did see a woman out sweeping the sidewalk.

Judy's dad asked the woman if she knew of any rooms to rent in the area. He explained the situation -- that Judy was starting her new job on Monday, but she didn't know anyone in town and needed a place to live.

"(The woman) kind of studied us over and then she said, 'Well, we have an extra room and we don't have any children, so if Judy wants to live with us temporarily until she finds a place, she can live with us,'" Hein said.

Hein ended up living there for two years, she said.

That was in 1961. The woman was Vera Olson, the wife of the late Howie Olson, a remarkably talented ventriloquist. Howie brought the doll Cowboy Eddie to life on Channel 3's immensely popular kids' show, "Circus 3."

The show started in the early days of WISC-TV and continuing through the 1970s. For decades, Circus 3 was a top-rated show and so popular that children waited up to six months for the chance to be part of the show's studio audience.

"At 17 years old, I didn't really think then, like I do now, 'Wow, how famous they really were.' I wish I would have taken more notes and asked more questions, but I took it for granted because I lived with them," she said.

Hein added: "They were almost like my adoptive parents."

Like Part Of The Family

While living with the Olsons, Hein said it was not unusual for her to be sitting in the living room while Howie would be practicing with Cowboy Eddie and Vera would be playing the cello.

Vera was a string bass player with the Madison Symphony Orchestra, and she told Hein stories about playing Carnegie Hall.

Because Hein wasn't aware of Cowboy Eddie and had a limited knowledge of ventriloquism before meeting the Olsons, those two years were eye-opening for her.

"It was just like Cowboy Eddie was part of the family; he was almost like a child. Howie interacted with him so much that he was almost real in my mind," Hein said.

In many ways, Hein herself became part of the Olson family, too.

She would visit Vera's mother's farm with them and go to places around Madison with them. Hein said she lived a pretty insulated life in Richland Center, so when the Olsons took her out to eat at Lombardino's, it was the first time she'd ever been to a fine restaurant.

"They taught me a lot of things about living in the city, about respect and also about being street-smart, even back then," Hein said.

Hein said the Olsons even had her on a curfew, because she was left under their care.

"They were strict with me, almost like my parents. I think my curfew was 11 p.m., or midnight on a weekend, and they were up waiting for me," Hein said.

Hein said one of the most lasting memories she has of the Olsons is their level of caring and consideration for others.

"They were just really loving, caring people," she said. "What's instilled in my mind is the love that they showed each other every day -- it was almost hard to grasp sometimes. They were so caring, and they treated me like that as well."

She added: "For being the professionals that they were, they were really just very down-to-earth people."

A Lasting Relationship

Hein said her relationship with the Olsons stretched beyond those two years and has made a lasting impression on her.

When Hein got married, the Olsons gave her "a beautiful wedding present." The Olsons would travel to Richland Center to visit her parents. And when Hein had children, the Olsons also came to visit, Cowboy Eddie in tow.

She said her two oldest daughters still have vivid memories of attending "Circus 3" shows and of Howie and Vera coming to visit with Cowboy Eddie.

Hein, 62, currently works at the Public Service Commission in Madison, Wis., as an operations program associate in the Telecommunications Division. She also owns Center Optical in Richland Center and Pioneer Optical in Platteville with her husband Jerry Hein.

Hein has four daughters -- Shelly Alt, 41, Kristine Asbel, 39, Cheryl Buringa, 35, and Annette Alt, 32 -- and two stepchildren, Jim Hein, 37, and Lori Pugh, 34.

Cowboy Eddie will be returning to Madison and WISC-TV during the third week of June.

Hein said she thinks it's great that Eddie is returning to Madison and that the Olsons would be pleased.

"I'd like to go see him when he's here, if I can arrange it," she said.

After Howie's death, Eddie moved to Florida with Jacki Manna, Howie's protege. He became part of her entertainment business.

Hein recalled looking Cowboy Eddie up on Manna's Web site and finding the quote: "Good figures never die. They just change ventriloquists!"

"I can just see Howie smiling at that line from Cowboy Eddie," Hein said. "It sure did make me smile as it brought back the many memories of bringing Cowboy Eddie to life!"

Cowboy Eddie will be returning to Madison and WISC-TV during the third week of June. If you'd like Cowboy Eddie to make any special appearances during that time, e-mail us!

Yippie Ki-Yay! Do you remember Cowboy Eddie? Were you one of the kids in the studio audience for "Circus 3?" Record your memories in Channel 3000's TALKBACK section.