Ray Richard

Funeral services for Ray J. Richard will be held at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, October 4, 2007 at the High Plains Community Church with Pastor Dan Morgan officiating. Burial will follow in Mt. Pisgah Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4:00-7:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 3, 2007 at Stevenson-Wilson Funeral Home.Ray John Richard, age 77, died peacefully at his home in Gillette, Wyoming on Sunday, September 30, 2007 after a long illness.Ray Richard was born on September 23, 1930 in rural Furnas County, Nebraska the son of John G. and Laura (Shackleton) Richard. He spent his childhood in south central Nebraska; Yale, Michigan, Bloomer and Cornell, Wisconsin. His family later returned to Nebraska where he graduated from Beaver City High School in 1950. Ray fully committed his life as a young man to Christ in 1954 and was baptized in the Free Methodist Church. He was a farmer and held various jobs as a welder for Better Buys in Oxford, Nebraska, a school bus driver, and worded for farmer in the area. His deep commitment to Christ led to his becoming a lay preacher and pastured several churches. Ray met and married the love of his life, Rosalie A. Snow on November 12, 1950 in Santa Cruz, California. They lived in California, Nebraska, Idaho, Alabama, and Wyoming. In 2002, they moved to Gillette, Wyoming from Beaver City, Nebraska to be near family. Although beset with many physical infirmities and illnesses from a young man onward, Ray had a boundless energy and way of bouncing back from things that would have discouraged a braver man. At least three times in his life, hope had dimmed for him, and his family was told to prepare for his imminent death. But his faith in God and prayer from family and friends kept him from Death?s door and amazed his doctors and family alike. Ray worked much of his life supporting his family in later years as a carpenter and one of the crowning achievements in his life was the remodeling of a home and construction of a garage to his specifications in Beaver City. It was hard for him to leave this, but his need to be near family prompted the move to Gillette. He always had a strong faith in God, never wavering in adversity, and always encouraged others to do the same.Ray leaves behind his wife, Rosalie of Gillette, Wyoming; step-mother, Naomi M. Richard of Norton, Kansas; daughters: Connie (Rodney) Thompson of Bozeman, Montana, Kathy (Gary) Fields of Moorcroft, Wyoming, and Carol (Lee) Sanders of Gillette, Wyoming; son, Dan (Naomi) Richard of Gillette, Wyoming; grandchildren: Les (Kat) Lytle of Margate, Florida, Angela (Larry) Ericksen of Poplar, Montana, Melissa and Jenee Arion of Bozeman, Montana, Tony Trollope of North Carolina, Lance (Sabrina) Trollope of Manhattan Kansas, Stephanie, Kayla, and Clayton Thompson all of Bozeman, Montana, Beth (Brian) Hendricks of Apopka, Florida, Matt (Hannah) Fields of Burns, Wyoming, Steve Fields of Interlochen, Michigan, Corrie (John) Tieman and Jared (Amanda) Sanders all of Gillette, Wyoming, Chad (Brittany) Richard of Durango, Colorado, Alyssa and Heather Richard both of Gillette, Wyoming; great grandchildren: Morgan Lytle, J.D. and Weston Stratton, Ashtin, Landon and Braxton Trollope, Emily, Anna and Daniel Hendricks, Emma Sanders, Kaden and Conner Richard; 2 brothers: Floyd (Joy) Richard of Anza, California and Ted (Shelia) Richard of Hesperia, California; and 3 sisters: Ruth Stalder of Beaver City, Nebraska, Evelyn (Bob) Hagemeier of Hillsdale, Wyoming and Alice (Don) Knigge of Edmond, Kansas; and many nieces and nephews.He was preceded in death by his parents, 2 step-mothers:Gladys (Koeteman) and Alberta (Griffith), and one brother, Alfred.Memorials and condolences may be sent in Ray's name in care of Stevenson-Wilson Funeral Home, 210 W. 5th Street, Gillette, Wyoming 82716 or via the internet at www.stevensonwilson.com.