Obituary for James S. Richards (1910-1982)
The Elsberry Democrat, Elsberry, Missouri.
Thursday, May 13, 1982
Services Held For James S. RICHARDS
Services for James Sherman RICHARDS Jr., were held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at Carter-Ricks
Funeral Home in Elsberry. The Rev. Milford GIBBS officiated with burial in Oak Ridge
Cemetery.
Mr. RICHARDS, 71, died May 10, 1982 in St. Joseph Hospital, St. Charles. He was born June
28, 1910 near Elsberry, the son of James Sherman and Aurelia DAVIS RICHARDS. On December
8, 1935, he was married in Elsberry to Louise SHOEMAKER, who survives. A lifelong resident
of the Elsberry-Smith Chapel community, Mr. RICHARDS was a retired farmer and auctioneer.
He was a member of Smith Chapel United Methodist Church; Elsberry Chamber of Commerce;
board of directors of the Bank of Lincoln County, board of directors of the Elsberry
Health Care Center and a member of the board of directors and agent for the Lincoln County
Mutual Insurance Co.
Survivors besides his wife are one son, Randy and his wife, Sue of Elsberry; four
grandchildren; two sisters, Mrs. Howard (Vera) SLEDD of Troy and Mrs. A. L. (Ida) SHUCK of
Elsberry.
Thursday, May 20, 1982
Obituary of James S. RICHARDS
James Sherman RICHARDS Jr., the 11th and youngest child of the late James Sherman RICHARDS
Sr. and Aurelia DAVIS RICHARDS, was born on the old homestead near Smith Chapel in Lincoln
County, Mo., on June 23, 1910. Jim passed away Monday, May 10, 1982, at St. Joseph's
Hospital in St. Charles, Mo., having reached the age of 71 years, 10 months, and 12 days.
Although he had been in declining health for the past five years, he continued to serve
and promote all the activities in which he had been involved.
Jim was a 1929 graduate of Elsberry High School. On Dec. 22, 1929, Jim accepted Christ as
his personal Lord and Savior under the pastorate of Rev. L. C. Maggant [MAGGART] at Smith
Chapel near Elsberry. He has been a faithful member serving the church in many capacities
until his death.
On December 8, 1935, James S. RICHARDS Jr. and Louise SHOEMAKER were united in marriage in
Elsberry by Rev. C.H. SHERMAN. To this union one son, James Randall, was born. Jim and his
wife lived most of their married life in Elsberry.
He began to auction pies at rural school suppers in 1930, and this beginning continued
until he was well-known from Hannibal to St. Louis at auction sales of all kinds until he
retired about three years ago. He did much volunteer auctioning at the Lord's Acres Sales
at the church, for the USO during the war, and for school benefits.
Jim was not only a farmer, but was engaged in many other activities. He was a pioneer of
the government agriculture agency of Lincoln County for several years. Since 1949, he has
been director and agent of Lincoln County Farmers Mutual Insurance Co. He was on the Board
of Directors for the Elsberry Health Care Center and a member of the Elsberry Chamber of
Commerce. He served on the Elsberry R-II School Board for several years and was a director
at the Bank of Lincoln County from December 1967 until his death.
Jim is survived by his wife, Louise; his son, Randy and daughter-in-law, Sue; four
grandchildren: Jennifer, Regena, James Randall Jr., and Nancy. He also leaves two sisters:
Mrs. Howard (Vera) SLEDD of Troy and Mrs. Arthur (Ida) SHUCK of Elsberry; many nieces,
nephews, in-laws and a host of friends.
Submitted to HERITAGE PAGES of LINCOLN COUNTY, MISSOURI by Louise Adams, 26 July 2002.
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