A Miraculous Provision of Water

By Sully Richardson

Charles Edmund Richardson, called by the Church to act as Attorney-at-law for the Saints in the Mormon Colonies in Chihuahua and Sonora, was on his way to attend a court session at Chihuahua City where his absence might be disastrous to the colonization project. While driving the jaded team and its lone buckboard, he pondered the importance of his mission to Chihuahua City. He was traveling in a cloud of choking dust across the northern Chihuahua desert between Colonia Diaz and El Paso del Norte (Ciudad Juarez), the nearest railroad connection to Chihuahua City. The little mare in the team sagged dangerously under the intense heat and her need of water. “Come on, Nellie old girl, don’t give up,” Edmund cajoled the little mare. “Another mile will bring us to the half-way watering hole. I marvel that your keen nostrils have not already caught the scent of life-giving water. I promise you water, feed, and rest before pushing into the last half of the trip to catch the train.” However, half hour later, to his great surprise and dismay, Edmund found the water-hole as dry as the desert over which they had just passed. While the horses nibbled over the corn in their nose-sacks, too thirsty to eat, Brother Richardson dug for water in the tank floor, only to find it as dry as the surface. He was in serious straits. The distance either way was too far to drive a thirsty team. There was only one source from which he could receive help and he knelt beside the buggy wheel seeking it. He told the Lord his condition and that he had to have water for the horses. He explained the trouble it would mean for the Saints if he missed the court session and the appointment with the Mexican Attorney in Chihuahua City. He acknowledged his dependence upon the Lord and in behalf of the Colonists asked for help. Upon rising to his feet, he noticed a small cloud just above the western horizon. This increased in size as it traveled across the sky until it was directly over his head, and then rain fell like a cloud-burst until the watering hole was full and running over into the creek. After watering his team and filling his water barrel, he thanked the Lord and was soon on his way. About a hundred yards from the water-hole he found the ground as dry as it was before the rain and the sky as innocent of clouds. He caught the train and won the case in court. ___________ Source: Annie R. Johnson, “Heartbeats of Colonia Diaz”, Mesa, AZ (1972), pp. 409-410.

Thatcher, Virden, and Franklin family graves, by Lavona Richardson

Sunday morning, January 19th seven of us (Miriam, Rauna, Joann, Ray, Kenneth, Melvin and I) piled into Rauna's minivan for our "pilgrimage trip" to Virden.

                                                   We enjoyed a good visit as we traveled.

We stopped for as minute at the Gila Valley Temple so that we could take pictures.  I am  happy that  Jay got to go with me to the open house of this beautiful temple.                                    
                               

                   We went to the Thatcher Cemetery to visit the grave of  Jay's grandfather..         

                                                         Charles Edmund Richardson

                                                                He is their great grandfather.

               We drove on to Duncan where we attended the Virden Ward Sacrament Meeting.

                                          We then drove up to the Virden Cemetery.

                                 My eternal companion and two of my sons are buried here.

              I am happy that I had with me six of our children to visit their Dad's grave site.

                                                          This is where I will be buried.

                                      Our children are listed on the back of the monument.

                                           Donald and Dale's graves are in the family plot.

                                   We brought flowers and hearts to put on the graves.

                       Kenneth puts new white rocks on the hearts that are on the graves.

                                                                  Kenneth   took this picture.

                         And  Joann took this picture so that we could all be in a picture.

Kenneth brought a brick that he had cut in half so that we could fix the dimensions of our family plot

                                       We had to move the white rock to move the bricks..

                                              Kenneth did a great job lining up the bricks.

                       After the bricks were laid we added fresh white rock around the edges.

                                                     It looked really nice when we finished.

                                          I enjoy returning to our family plot in Virden.

                         Kenneth did a great job supervising the bricks around our family plot.

It was wonderful to be with six of my children as we express our love for their Dad and little brothers.

After finishing our project at our family plot we ate lunch.

                                                                        I brought sandwiches.

                        I like this cemetery out in the country where i t is quiet and peaceful.

 

                                           One last look at our family plot before leaving it.

                                 I wish we lived closer so  that I could visit more often.

                                        This is the sign on the road going into the cemetery.

                                                 There are lots of good people buried there.

 We drove by the church where Jay attended all the time he lived in Virden.  Lots of other important things have happened here.

                                                                It is always good to return home.

         This is the school where Jay attended.  Now the children go into Duncan to school.

                                   This was the lunch room when Jay attended school here.

                                                       We drove by Jay's parents home.

                                   I have lots of special memories of visiting them here.

                                                   Jay loved to go on outings up here.

                                          We took several good pictures of Steeple Rock.

                                            We drove over to the Franklin Cemetery.

                                         Jay's parents and little brother are buried here.

                                           We pulled the weeds and cleaned up the grave site.

                                  

                                                We brought hearts to put on their graves.

                            My children are blessed to have wonderful grandparents.

 

                                        Jay 's brother was only fifteen months old when he died.

 We stopped again in Thatcher to see the childhood home of President Spencer W. Kimball.

                                                     This is the plaque in front of the home.