Friday, April 8, 2016
The Colebrook Chronicle
Obituaries
Earl B. Richards
EARL B. RICHARDS
CLARKSVILLE–Earl B. Richards passed away at home Sunday afternoon, April 3, 2016. Earl
was born July 19 (recorded July
21, 1926) in the Bear Rock section of Stewartstown. He was the
youngest of six children born to
Perley Frank Richards and
Sarah Ardes Heath. Grammar
school education was in Clarksville and he graduated from
Pittsburg High with the Class of
1944.
Immediately following graduation he went to Chicago to
attend Coyne Electrical School,
which was interrupted by the
military draft of World War II.
He was chosen for the Navy and
graduated from Naval Electrical
School at Bainbridge, Md. His
military career took him to
Hawaii and the Philippines in
preparation for what would have
been the invasion of Japan had
the war not ended. His return to
the mainland was via the USS
YP-237 that was decommissioned at San Diego, March 1946.
Before being discharged, he was
assigned to the USS Steinaker,
a destroyer, for maneuvers in the
Caribbean.
Earl met his future wife, Elizabeth “Betty” Louise Helbig, in
1944, and their courtship
occurred during the period stated
above. They were married Aug.
29 in Lancaster where he was
working as an electrician. January 1949 the decision was made
for them to move to Connecticut
to be employed by Betty’s father
at Helbig’s Market. There Earl
trained under the GI Bill to be a
butcher and in retail food sales.
Mr. Helbig retired in 1952 and
Earl returned to his electrical
work being employed at Avco
Lycoming for the next seven
years. In 1958, he entered the
insurance business and represented Nationwide Insurance for
35 years, retiring in 1993. He
wanted it known that Betty was
a true partner, going back to
nursing while Earl got enough
insurance on the books to support their family. In 1968, she
went to work for him, where she
managed the office, as well as
taking care of things at home
that included the five children
born to them.
Earl and Betty enjoyed traveling and were able to travel in
all 50 states, six continents, as
well as islands of the Pacific and
Atlantic and the Caribbean.
They always said they were
grateful to be able to do this
while young enough to enjoy ,
and continued to travel until
their mid-80s. Winters during
the last 20 years of traveling
were spent in the Palm Springs,
Cali. area. Having enjoyed 67
years of marriage, they would
both say that the fact they had
received Jesus Christ as their
Savior early on in their marriage
made it possible to handle all the
ripples which life brings, and to
appreciate every blessing that
came their way. “Praise the Lord
for that!”
Earl was predeceased by his
parents, Perley F. Richards and
S. Ardes (Heath Richards)
Haynes, his wife Betty last October, and their oldest daughter,
Carol Jane Richards Babey
(2011), as well as brothers,
Gerard, Frank, Roland “Dick”
and sister, Thelma Nichols.
Other family members who
passed away are great-granddaughter, Lydia Eileen Thompson (2010), son-in-law Edward
Quesnell (1988) and daughter-inlaw Dorothy Richards (2011).
Family members remaining
in their mortal sphere are Carol
Jane’s husband, Mike Babey of
Stratford, Conn.; Carl “Jim” and
Cathy Richards of Ansonia,
Conn.; Ann and Audie Thompson
of Shelton, Conn.; Lauren and
Ron Chiplinsky of Derby, Conn.;
and Linda and David Chappell
of Clarksville. Surviving members of his family include his
older sister Alice Conover of
Northville, N.Y., who will celebrate her 95th birthday this
month, as well as sister-in-law
Mary (Helbig) Polo; grandchildren Omar (Amy) Madruga;
Richard (Carola) Thompson;
Micah (Jen) Thompson; Liz
(Scott) Dolham; Lisa Chiplinsky;
Jeffrey Quesnell, Tim (Jen)
Chappell, Sarah Chappell, and
Michael Chappell. Eleven greatgrandchildren, and numerous
nieces, nephews, cousins will
continue the Richard’s legacy.
The family would like to extend
a heartfelt thank you to Earl and
Betty’s special friends who have
been like family, Marty and Connie Martin of Pittsburg, and
Nancy Emmons of Clarksville.
A memorial service will be
held later in the spring at the
family home in Clarksville with
details to be posted at that time.
Memorial donations can be made
to Pittsburg’s Farnham Memorial United Methodist Church,
P.O. Box 306, Pittsburg, NH; or
to a charitable organization of
one’s choice.
Condolences may be offered to
the family online by going to
www.jenkinsnewman.com.
Birdena R. Phillips
BIRDENA R. PHILLIPS
WEST STEWARTSTOWN–
Birdena R. Phillips, 89, passed
away early on Monday morning,
April 4, 2016, at the Coös County
Nursing Hospital in West Stewartstown, with her family by her
side.
Birdena was born in Stewartstown on June 23, 1926, a daughter to the late Maurice and Lila
(