Sydney Richards

Sydney Elaine Richards
Sydney Elaine Richards, 89, of Potosi, Missouri departed this life and joined her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on June 28, 2005. She passed away at Fountainbleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
She was born January 27, 1916 in Caledonia, Missouri, daughter of John Leroy and Celia Ann (Nelson) Patterson. She and Edward Thomas Richards were married October 19, 1934. He died July 24, 1974.
She was saved and became a member of Breton Creek Baptist Church of Potosi in her early life and later became a member of First Baptist Church of Potosi where she was active in Sunday School, choir, and Vacation Bible School for many years.
Mrs. Richards devoted her early married life to being a homemaker and mother in rural Missouri caring for her children while her husband was in the Army during World War II. A wonderful conversationalist, she delighted family and friends with many stories of the trials and tribulations of the depression and war years. Those stories included weekly 6-mile trips in a horse and wagon to Potosi to sell butter, eggs and produce from her garden and bringing home 100 pound blocks of ice for the icebox and oil for the lamps. Having learned to sew at an early age on a treadle sewing machine, she enjoyed sewing for her family and others for many years. After moving to Potosi in 1949, she became a full-time seamstress and took great pride in the gowns she created for weddings, proms, and beauty contests. For a number of years, she worked as a fancy stitcher at Brown Shoe Company until health problems forced her early retirement. Fountainbleau Lodge became her new home in 1999, but she continued to sew for several more years.
Mrs. Richards never traveled more than 200 miles from her homes in Potosi or Cape Girardeau. Yet, she could provide great details of events happening all over the world. When she was not listening to gospel music, watching gospel “Bill Gaither Homecoming” videos, or watching the Christian Broadcasting television station, she was watching Fox News. Particularly during presidential elections, she closely studied each of the candidates and their political platforms. A President Roosevelt type Democrat, she enjoyed many good debates with Shafiq Malik, the administrator at Fountainbleau, who supported the Republican cause. Although they differed in their politics and religion, she always held Shafiq in the highest regard, probably because he spoiled her and gave her nearly everything she wanted. Had she been born in a later generation and been afforded the benefits of an advanced education, she probably would have been very active in politics and probably been a candidate for public office.
As indicated earlier, Mrs. Richards loved gospel music. Her favorite performers were the Cathedrals, particularly tenor Ernie Haas, the Happy Goodman Family, particularly Vestal Goodman. A highlight of her life was getting to see, hug and kiss Ernie Haas at a concert in Belleville, Illinois about two years ago. She had been to concerts of Randy Travis, The Statler Brothers, Kenny Rogers, the Oak Ridge Boys and Johnny Cash, but Ernie Haas was her favorite singer. She particularly loved his singing of “Oh What a Savior.”
In her young married rural life, she often traveled with Dr. Crisswell and Dr. Thurman when they needed help delivering babies. On at least 10 occasions, she served as mid-wife in the lone delivery of a baby in one of the rural farm homes. She continued to maintain correspondence with Connie Pelikan who currently lives in Colorado. He was one of 17 children born to Genevieve and John Pelikan.
Loving survivors include her daughter, Penelope Sue and her husband Paul Curtis DeClue of Potosi, Missouri and a son, Gerald and his wife Dolores Richards of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Other survivors include a brother, Edward Patterson and his wife Mary of St. Charles, Missouri; two granddaughters, Nanette DeClue of Potosi, Missouri, Paulette DeClue and her husband Brian Bilderback of Potosi, Missouri; a grandson, Thomas and his wife Melissa Richards of Cape Girardeau, Missouri; two great-granddaughters, Ashley Bilderback of Potosi, Missouri, Abigail “Abby” Richards of Cape Girardeau, Missouri; and two great-grandsons, Stephen Bilderback of Potosi, Missouri and William “Will” Richards of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. She is also survived by a host of nieces and nephews and numerous friends at her church in Potosi and among the residents and staff at Fountainbleau Lodge.
She was preceded in death by her husband of almost 40 years and her parents. Also preceding her were a beloved granddaughter, Amy Elaine DeClue; two sisters, Anna Mae and her husband Dale Washburn and Alma and her husband Paul Hanson; and a brother, George Francis “Ira” Patterson.
Visitation was held Thursday, June 30, 2005 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM and Friday, July 1, 2005 from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM at the Moore Funeral Home in Potosi, Missouri.
A Funeral Service was held Friday, July 1, 2005 at 10:30 AM at the Moore Memorial Chapel in Potosi, Missouri with Brother Leonard Compton and Brother Jeff Richards officiating.
Serving as pallbearers was Brian Bilderback, Stephen Bilderback, Thomas Richards, Neil Richards, Kris Richards, Butch Patterson.
Burial took place at the New Masonic Cemetery in Potosi, Missouri.
Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to the building program at First Baptist Church of Potosi, Missouri.
Services were entrusted to the Care and Direction of the Moore Funeral Home, 105 Clark Street, Potosi, Missouri.