Children of God

Children of God

In primary each week we all have sung

“I am a Child of God” since we were young.

That song teaches us to whom we belong

And how God loves us as one of His throng.

Wow, the divine heritage from being His child

Instead of inexplicably coming from the wild.

And having God as our Heavenly Father

Helps us realize that Christ is truly our Brother.

This knowledge can help you understand

How you fit in to God’s salvation plan.

And that you’ve got royalty in your lineage

And that you were made in His very image.

God loves you and watches over you,

Just like a dad loves you ‘til he’s blue.

God cheers when you triumph over wrong

And cries with you when you’re not so strong.

This knowledge helps you also see

Others as His child also, knowing He’s

Blessing each one of his children

Though they number in the billions.

Just like we sang in primary each week

“I am a Child of God” since we were young.

That song teaches truth to whom we belong

And how he loves us as one of His throng.

Please always remember to hold onto the rod,

And just as important, That you are a child of God!

                                  --- Vernon Jay Richardson

Dad's obituary

Richardson, Dr. Jay M.
Dr. Jay M. Richardson, 79, loving husband and father, passed away peacefully on May 30, 2011 in his Mesa, Arizona home. Husband to Lavona Flake Richardson for over 51 years, he was loving father to 13 children: daughters Miriam Beck, Marlene Ellingson, Rauna Mortensen, Joann Hancock, Margie Reese, and Amy, and sons Vernon, Ray, Kenneth, Melvin, Dean, and deceased sons, Donald and Dale. He was born on September 18, 1931 in Virden, New Mexico to parents Ray Lot and Verna Nelson Richardson. He is survived by his twin brother Jorth as well as brothers Bernard, Cecil, and Chet. Jay was an active member throughout his life of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Dr. Richardson practiced as a dentist in Tempe for almost 40 years. He was deeply loved and respected for his firm testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and his love of teaching, especially through writing original poetry. He served the church in the Western States, Indonesia Jakarta, and the Nauvoo Illinois missions. Jay led his family in a patient and compassionate, always loving, manner. He is also survived by 64 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. A viewing will be held at the Mesa West stake center at 2300 W. Javelina, Mesa, on Wednesday, June 1, 2011 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and also on Thursday morning, June 2, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., with funeral services at 10:00 a.m. Interment will be in the Virden, New Mexico Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the LDS Church's humanitarian or missionary funds. Online condolences can be given at www.obits.azcentral.com

Runaway Horses

RUN AWAY HORSES

by Jay M Richardson

On the farm we used horses to do the cultivating, plowing, etc., and we learned quite early how to handle a team at most of the farm jobs.  One summer, however, we got our first tractor, a small second-hand “John Deere.”  We used it just enough that our horses decided they didn’t like to work so well, and whenever we harnessed them their cooperation level was quite low.  One young horse whom we called Dock seemed especially rowdy and was sometimes a little difficult to manage.  Within a period of about a month when I was about twelve I had three run-aways with these horses and narrowly escaped serious injury or being dragged to death. 

One day I was driving the team of Dock and Bird, cutting hay in the field above the house.  Something happened to frighten Dock and he started running.  In trying to control him, I broke one of the reins and so had to jump off the mower to escape injury as the runaway team headed for the field gate with the mower bouncing along behind them.  As they hit the closed gate, harnesses, mowing machine and wire became broken and tangled, the horses fortunately receiving only slight injuries.

A couple of days later, the hat cutting having been completed by a borrowed mowed pulled by the tractor; the hay was ready to be raked.  Daddy felt the horses should be worked again to keep them disciplined properly and so again I was the driver with Dock and Bird hitched to the dump rake.  After only a short time Dock started acting up again, and stepped on the tongue of the rake and broke it.  Of course this frightened the horses again and they started to run.  By all physical laws, I should have been thrown forward form my seat atop the rake when the tongue broke, and then raked to death, but somehow I managed to fall of behind the rake as the runaway began again. Well, again the horses were stopped with no serious injuries.

Daddy was still determined to work those horses, and decided to hitch them up to the heavy old hay baler, thinking they couldn’t run away with that and guess who was the driver.  I felt that I was spookier than the horses by now, but dutifully6 took the reins, and for the third time in a week was trying to control a team of horses trying to run away.  Only with the help of Daddy and Erin running alongside was another serious accident avoided.

That night Mother said, “Jay,  you must be careful.  The devil is trying to get you.”  I was frightened enough to be careful and didn’t drive these horses much more.

great picture of Dad!

Special pictures

Jay Richardson--1962

Lavona Richardson and her 4 girls!

Richardson reunion--1966

Flake reunion--1966

Day of Vernon's blessing--1966

Keep Faith--by Minnie Kartchner Stratton

KEEP FAITH
Keep your faith in the God above,
And faith in His righteous truth,
'Twill bring you back to your absent love
And the joys of a vanished youth.

You'll smile once more when your tears are shed,
Meet trouble and swiftly rout it,
For faith is the strength of the soul inside,
And lost is the man without it.

May we have increased faith and trust in
the Lord and in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
                    --Minnie K. Stratton, Dec. 27, 1941

Friends of the Golden Rule

                 THE FRIENDS OF THE GOLDEN RULE

   Now you’ve all met old Golden Rule, our friend, our way of life-er,
   But have you met his friends whose names are tricky to decipher?

   Their names, Cletifi, Betifi, Haptifi, each strange but a useful motto—
   May I just tell you how they help me do just what I ought to?
             
   Cletifi helps me take pride in my home and all around it--
   Each place I go I’ll always leave it CLEaner Than I Found It.
             
   Betifi is a similar soul—he’s bent on this: “Improve it.”
   So, when I go I’ll leave this world much BEtter Than I Found It.

   Haptifi helps me regard each soul worth more than all around him,
   So, when I meet then leave he’ll be much HAPpier Than I Found Him.

   My friends, Cletifi, Betifi, Haptifi—for sure it would behoove us,
   Along with dear old Golden Rule, to live them--they’ll improve us!
                              
                                                                    --Jay M. Richardson

Charles Edmund Richardson Circa 1890

Jay and Lavona Richardson's Grandchildren School Grades and Activities

 

Jay and Lavona Richardson’s Grandchildren

School Grades and Activities – August 2012

HOME MAKERS

Nate and Melanie Hopkins- Provo, Utah.

Bonnie and Spencer Stradling- Mesa, Arizona

Kasey and Emily Beck- Provo, Utah

Bret and Carrie Anderson- Bremerton, Washington

Erin and Dantley Frehner- Mesa, Arizona

Jason and Camille Millar- Boston, Massachusetts

DES MOINES UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF PEDIATRIC MEDICINE& SURGERY

Dallin and Laura Ellingson

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-OMAHA

Skyler and Rebekah (MPA)

NEW COLLEGE GRADUATE

Carl Ellingson - Brigham Young University

MISSIONARIES

Elder Nathan Mortensen- Chile Santiago East Mission

Elder Jaron Ellingson- North Carolina Raleigh Mission

Sister Rebekah Ellingson- Guatemala, Guatemala City South Mission

Elder Derek Hancock- Brazil Cuiaba Mission

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY-JERUSALEM CENTER

Braden

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY-Provo

Jordan and Kaitlyn Ellingson (Masters)

Travis

Dallas

Gary

Parker

Alison and Robert Clawson

Melissa

Colby

Jamie Beck

Hyrum Richardson

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY- IDAHO

Adrianne

Chelsea

Carinne

12th Grade (High School Seniors)

Emily

Janae

Jamie Rose

Jared

11th Grade

Joseph

Kayla

10th Grade

Quinn

Marcus

0th Grade

Evan

Dale

8th Grade

Benjamin

Kyle

Rebecca

7th Grade

Kaitlyn

Rachel

6th Grade

Matthew

Bethany

Tyler

Betsy

Levi

Ashley

5^th Grade

Daniel

4th Grade

Devyn

Adam

Spencer

Preston

2^nd Grade

Lauren

David
2nd Grade

Ryan

Andy

Kyson (great grandson)

1^st Grade

Brielle

Ashlyn (great granddaughter)

Kindergarten

Lucy

Tanner

Rachel (great granddaughter)

Taught at home:

Mason

Carter

Jay

Logan

Great Grandbabies

Rachel, Christian, Joseph- Children of Nate and Melanie Hopkins

Kyson , Ashlyn, Ackensah, Brigg, Lainee- Children of Bonnie and Spencer Stradling

Brian, Davis, Annie-Children of Bret and Carrie Anderson

Maland,, Koen –Children of Dantley and Erin Frehner

Alica, McKay -Children of Skyler and Rebekah Beck

Lincoln, Parley, Children of Jason and Camille Millar

Jimmer, son of Kasey and Emily Beck

McKae Barbara daughter of Jordan and Kaitlin Ellingson

How blessed we are to have so many wonderful grandchildren and great grandchildren