To die with your boots on.

Where did the saying "die with your boots on" come from and what does it mean.

This probably comes from the old West. If you died sick and/or old, you died in your bed with your boots off. If you died in a gunfight, you died with your boots on.

I've also heard it used to describe someone who worked every single day of their lives. But, I like the gunfighter meaning best!