Charles E. was born September 25, 1873, at Sheridan, Indiana, son of
     John Harrison Richard (Ohio) and Alley Jane Pickerell (Kentucky). He
     was five when the family moved to Old Santa Fe near Garden City, Kansas,
     and lived in a sod house. His ambition was to be a cowboy, and at age
     15 he began to "ride the line" with the cowboys. One month he carried 
     the mail in a buggy to Old Ulysses, totin' a 44. He moved to Kingman
     County in 1890.
       Mima was born near Cheney, Kansas, April 15, 1878, daughter of John
     M. Osborne (Missouri) and Eva Nichols (Illinois).
       They were married July 26, 1894 at Kingman, Kansas, and lived for a
     few years in a dougout northeast of Zenda. They later purchased land
     which came to be known as the "home place" located on present Highway 42
     between Zenda and Spivey. They celebrated their 65th Wedding Anniversary
     in July 1959.
       Twelve children were born, one son dying in infancy, ten sons and a
     daughter reaching adulthood. Four brothers and a sister of Charles owned
     farms adjoining his, so hosts of cousins grew up together. Favorite retold
     tales of those days include stories of meals served to tramps and gypsies
     stealing an old frozen-toed rooster.
       By 1925 the daughter and five eldest sons had left home. Charles and
     Mima and five youngers sons moved to Medicine Lodge (Read Francis Rickard's
     account of this move.) At first the Richard family engaged in ranching and
     farming near Medicine Lodge. They moved to 500 N. Walnut in 1932 and Charles'
     occupation was buying and selling livestock which, with remarkably good
     health, he continued to the day of his death in April, 1960, at age 86.
     His love of horses never lagged, and he was often seen around town riding
     lead horse for a string of youngsters on horseback; and he rode straight
     and tall in local parades.
       Charles and Mima were members of the Methodist Church. He taught a boy's
     Sunday School class and the Men's Bible Class. They belonged to Plus Ultra
     Class and Golden Age Group. Mima's contribution to church dinners was to
     bake the biscuits - their excellence much praised. She also familarized us
     with days when she ironed twenty-five shirts a week for ten sons, with
     flatirons heated atop the cookstove, and baked countless pies and loaves
     of bread.
       During her last years, a favorite pastime was watching the world from her
     rocking chair on the porch of the old English style house built in 1880's
     and commanding a spacious view from its hilltop.
       She passed away in June, 1973, at age 95. The minister, Dr. Carl Eklund,
     paid this tribute to her in the funeral sermon: "How good to know someone
     pleasant to have around for 95 years! She knew bereavement without bitterness
     or loss of faith. Hers was a pleasant faith, not morbid or morose, but
     positive and social. Our country needs that. Our timidity reaches for her
     courage. Our groanings need her wit and humor, her succinct, direct approach
     without equivocation."
    
                
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas, pg. 382 
     Submitted by: Betty Rickard