HARRY JOSEPH RICHARDS

The following bio was taken from page 359 of the book entitled "Rusk County History" compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed by Claudia Schuster

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Cemeteries of Texas

Harry Joseph Richards was the grandson of Joseph Richards and the son of Richard Richards and Bettie (Whitaker) Richards. His parents were married in 1903 in Maury County, Tennessee and moved to New York City where he was born in 1905.

In 1913, Bettie (Whitaker) Richards died. Soon afterward the family moved to Texas. In 1917, Richard Richards placed his four children-Nell, Harry, Frank, and Virginia- in the State Home at Corsicana, there being no other place where they could be kept together while he served in the army during World War I. Earlier he had been in the Spanish-American War.

Laura Elizabeth (Richards) Richards was born in Navarro County, Texas in 1905 to Albert Cecil Richards and Maggie Mae (Kate Owen) Richards.

Albert C. Richards’ parents, Reuben Richards and Julian (Helton) Richards, came from Georgia to Navarro County, Texas in the 1870’s.

Kate (Owen) Richards’ parents, George Owen and Susan (Herren) Owen, came to Navarro County, Texas from Mississippi in 1881. George’s parents were Gadi Owen and Elizabeth Porter. Susan’s parents were Garrett Herren and Nancy Allen. Her grandparents were Stephen and Eleanor Herren and Johnson Allen and Patience Simmons.

George Owen was a Confederate soldier. His and Susan’s families suffered many personal and material losses because of the Civil War. Because of these losses they decided to move to Texas. On the way to Navarro County they passed through Rusk County. According to a letter written by Draper Johnson, George’s nephew, whose family came in ox wagons at the same time, they camped near Caledonia where they "noticed people on their front porches, operating hand looms and spinning wheels." Then they came through "Henderson, Texas where we saw an old fashioned water mill in operation."

Harry Richards and Laura (Richards) Richards were married February 27, 1926 in Navarro County and moved to Henderson in 1934. They had three children – Harry, Jr., Betty Sue, and Albert. In 1941 Harry, Jr. died of a brain tumor.

In 1938 Harry Richards started a business, Richards’ Electric Shop, now run by his son, Albert Richards.

Harry enjoyed reading history and visiting old cemeteries. Laura was a pianist and assistant kindergarten teacher at the First Baptist Church Kindergarten.

Albert Richards is a graduate of Kilgore College and Stephen F. Austin University. He has done post graduate work in history and political science. In 1966 he was Rusk County campaign manager for Senator John Tower and from 1968 until 1972 was Republican chairman for Rusk County. He resigned in 1972 because of the death of his father and for business reasons. He also attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and has been a church music director since 1961.

Betty Richards graduated from Stephen F. Austin University and has a Master’s Degree in history. She is a teacher in Jacksonville, Texas.

Harry Richards died on Jan 2, 1972, and Laura Richards died April 16, 1975. Their children, Albert and Betty, still reside in the family home in Henderson.

Submitted by Bettie Richards