Dude Barton (January 14, 1924 – May 10, 2019) was an American cowgirl. She was born Mary Ellen to Wilburn Barton and Ella Orr Barton. She was the granddaughter of Al Barton, an early cowboy and rancher of the area. She was the last child born of the family, and grew up on the family ranch on the North Pease River east of Flomot, Texas. She had learned how to handle horses and mules while doing farm and ranch work in her youth. Dude loved playing basketball but entered her first rodeo competition at age 15 in 1939 at a local contest in Matador.