RICHELLE GOODRICH HAS A BIRTHDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2012

    RICHELLE HAS A BIRTHDAY TODAY. 
                     SEPTEMBER 16, 2012

Lanny has written a nice tribute to Richelle, so I will limit my words to

just a few. Richelle is a woman of many talents and abilities and she has been willing to share them with others; for example, she does hair, she decorates wedding cakes and birthday cakes, she writes novels and had her first one published, and will be having a book signing the 29th of this month.  When she was younger she choreographed dances and taught them to others.  She is a good sister, mother, wive and friend. 

(This is a cake-
the dress is made
of frosting)

As a toddler she loved playing teacher, not only to her siblings, but her dolls and teddy bears were in the line-up too. I remember Grandma Nola mentioning that Karen did the same thing when she was a toddler.

Richelle has grown so much through her experiences, some haven't been easy, but she has risen to each challenge. She walks with her head held high knowing that“she can do it,” whatever the challenge may be, because she has faith, determination and the wisdom of her father!

Being married to Larry has offered her experiences that have added to her abilities, such as, the fisher woman, the shed disassembler assistant, the chef, the party planner, the camper, the young grandma, the good stepmother, just to name a few.

I am glad the Lord saw fit to send her to our home on that special day in September 1968. 
Happy Birthday dear daughter. Love, Mom



Uncle Tom, Richelle, Aunt Joan

Richelle, Angie, Arlene
Aunt Carol and Stefanie





Richelle Grandma Smith, Gary
and his dog Jigger, Stefanie

My Oldest Daughter Richelle by her dad, Lanny Starr

I’m sure Richelle doesn’t remember her first few days on this earth, but she was almost born on the East Side of the Colorado Rockies. I had just finished NCO training at Fort Polk Louisiana and was given two weeks furlough before shipping out for Vietnam. Arlene had failed to mention the fact that she was not allowed to fly since she was 8 months plus pregnant so the only choice we had was to drive back to Utah. I had made Arlene a bed in the back seat and in our old Oldsmobile Cutlass I set out to drive all night straight through to her mother’s place in Lindon, Utah. About half way up the Rockies she started having pains and they were pretty close together. I had just about made up my mind to find a place to pull over and play doctor when the pains ended and Arlene relaxed and slept. We made it to Lindon where we spent the night. We then drove to Plymouth, Utah where we spent the rest of that day at my folk’s place.

The next day when we woke up she was having pains and we started for the hospital. We were planning on going to the Hill Field Military hospital but by the time we got to Ogden Arlene was about to pull the arm rests off from the door, so we went to the hospital in Ogden. A nurse met us with a wheel chair at the emergency entrance and took Arlene to delivery. The nurse directed me to the front desk to sign in. I was charged $25.00 and sent up stairs to see Arlene. When I got upstairs the nurse met me and said my new daughter was already born and being taken to the nursery. I went in to see Arlene and she was ready to have a well-deserved sleep. We were proud parents.

I stepped out to the nursery window to see my new daughter. I have told this story to Richelle many times since her birth. She was a beautiful baby girl, but she was lying next to the ugliest baby boy I had ever seen. He was bald headed with big fat cheekbones. If he had had a cigar in his mouth he would have looked just like Winston Churchill. I remember thinking I’m glad the little girl is mine!

I spent the next week and one half looking after Arlene and Richelle then I flew out of the Salt Lake Airport for Vietnam. I can still remember Arlene holding Richelle at the airport window as the plane taxied away. It would be over a year before I would be able to hold my daughter again.

When I got back from Vietnam there was about a four-month adjustment period before Richelle would accept me. She had been used to being around women and Arlene had kept her in the same bedroom with her. Richelle probably doesn’t remember it but we spoiled her right from the start. She had her own bedroom with a white and gold matching bed, dresser and chest of drawers.

Growing up Richelle became my little tag along. I carried her on my back on mountain hikes and loved every minute of it. I have a picture some where with her in a little orange coat and cowboy boots, which I have told her about. I can’t seem to find it now but I remember it like it was yesterday. She was about three years old.

from cowboy boots to
ballet shoes

Richelle was a born leader. She loved to create dances and teach them to her friends. She was and is a talented artist and writer. She excelled in math, a subject that was very difficult for her father. She’s a lot like me in that she usually had to learn things the hard way rather than learn from her father’s mistakes. She was my first child to graduate from college, which made me very proud of her. It’s hard for me to accept the fact that she has reached the age she is (We can’t say what her age is, it’s a women thing). 

Happy Birthday Sis! Dad is very proud of you and the fine women you have grown up to become. Larry is a lucky man and I’m sure he knows it.  Love Dad

drawn by Richelle

Philip, Alexander and William 2012