Mortensen Tributes to Grandma Richardson

Mom, Grandma Richardson, Lavona has been a powerful example in my life for many years.  I had been encouraged to look for good family when looking for a wife.  I was very interested in Rauna before I met her parents, and meeting them increased my interest in Rauna.  I felt our children would be very blessed by the up-bringing Rauna had received from her mother and grandmothers.   

I was also attracted to mom by her cooking.   Hawian Stack-ups continue to be one of my favorite dinners.

Lavona has always been so kind and thoughtful toward me and our family.  She is good at maintaining a well-rounded life and keeping us all involved in it.  I have always been amazed at the diligence she shows in her service to the Lord and to us.   She loves missionary work and has always worked at reaching out to others.

I very much look forward to an eternity being associated with Mom and Dad Richardson.

Love, Fred

Just like Grandmother Irene Flake, Mom Lavona Richardson has been a bedrock foundation in our family.  She has been the glue to hold together a numerous posterity, and she is every bit proud of the youngest as she is the oldest, and everyone in between.  Her life truly revolves around the gospel and her family, and she makes sure that the two stay tightly intertwined.  Some things are just absolute expectations, that no grandchildren would probably ever think twice of going against:  high grades and academic achievements throughout all years of schooling; heavy involvement in productive activities such as music, sports, church callings, and other service-oriented hobbies; Eagle Scout award for the boys and Young Women Medallion for the girls; serving an honorable mission or marrying a returned missionary; having high standards of modesty in dress and language and media choices; acquiring post high school education; choosing friends with high standards; consistent attendance at church meetings and the temple; and of course at the top of the list—marrying in the temple and remaining worthy of a temple recommend.  Truly, she is impacting generations through these expectations and the example she sets in all these areas.  She and Dad were an incredible team in raising a righteous posterity and in instilling love and the values of the gospel to give us that foundation to carry on to the succeeding generations.  “Valiant” is a wonderful word to describe her life.  We love and appreciate you so much!

-Rauna Mortensen

Tribute to Grandma Richardson

As children, we don't always recognize extraordinary people or circumstances for what they truly are. We don't recognize the dedication and selfless service of others until long after we should have thanked them for the great benefit they have been to our lives. Thankfully, we gain a little bit of perspective as we age, and this is my way to thank my wonderful Grandma Richardson for her wisdom, service, and love for me.

Grandma Richardson has always been a motivational influence in my life. I knew that her expectations for me were high and that she was proud of my accomplishments. She regularly attended my concerts, games, or performances and was always quick to congratulate me on my achievements. Her message to me was always the same: "Do your best and don't give up. The rest will come." I knew, though, that it wasn't just what I was achieving that she was proud of. I knew that she was proud of the person I was becoming and the choices I was making.  From "Grandma School" to family reunions and birthday phone calls, I always knew that she cared and that she wanted the best for me.

Her dedication to the gospel of Jesus Christ has always been front and center in her life. Her callings, her missions, her family legacy, and the way she treats other people have made this obvious to her family and friends. I feel blessed among her posterity to have spent my growing up years living so close to her and Grandpa. I am probably one of the grandchildren who knows her best, not to say she didn't visit all the others very often as well, but she was around for many of the smaller things with my family and not just the big events.

Her ability to do so much inspires me. She never seems to falter and always finds a way to make the important things happen. I feel so blessed to be descended from one so great!

—Erin Mortensen Frehner

Grandma makes such a good record of our lives that I don’t know where we will ever have a better record.  And that’s one way that her love is shown and will be passed on forever, because no matter how much time passes, we’ll always be grateful for the record she has kept and for that work she did because she just loved us.—Carinne Mortensen

My grandmother is a strong and stalwart woman of faith whose example of kindness and persistence in doing the will of the Lord has inspired me and my family to do good. This is her legacy and my sacred inheritance.--Parker Mortensen

I love my Grandma Richardson.  She keeps us connected with our pioneer ancestors.  She does this not only through example, obedience, and love, but she also does it through all of the stories she tells us of our noble ancestors.  I feel so blessed to be numbered among her numerous posterity.—Nathan Mortensen

I don't know if there is a more zealous grandmother on the planet than Grandma Richardson. She is a perfect hybrid of a cheerleader and an inspirational figure. She goes out of her way to be at every performance and event her grandchildren are involved in, and with encouragement and enthusiasm. But I think her strongest quality is her commitment to the gospel. She takes every opportunity to bear her testimony to her posterity and praise them for their diligent efforts to remain faithful. She is a woman who knows that family is the most important and that the only way to keep a family together is through the gospel of Jesus Christ.—Chelsea Mortensen

Lavona Richardson is many things. She is fantastically supportive of her grandchildren, attending countless concerts, performances, baptisms, recitals, and helping preserve memories of each with her camera skills. She has passed down great family traditions that bind us together. She provides for us a great example of service through her missionary work and her perseverance through the many trials that have beset her. My memories of her are full of hugs, encouragements, and "I love you’s.”  There are so many ways that I want to be just like her as I grow older. Grandma is a princess, a queen, and we are all lucky to have her.—Jamie Mortensen

She’s always got a smile on her face.  She’s ready for any kind of spiritual lesson at any time.

--Dale Mortensen