Patsy Richardson

HARLINGEN Patsy Esta Chapman was born on January 8, 1942, to Artie Elizabeth Hill Chapman and John Samuel Chapman. She was born in a small home in Hunter, Missouri during a snowstorm which may explain her love of snow. The Chapman family moved to DeSoto, Missouri when Patsy was two years old. Patsy had a happy childhood with three older brothers, Harry, Archie, and Chester and one older sister, Helen. She had a younger brother, Robert, but he died of pneumonia when he was two years old. Patsy enjoyed making taffy, taking picnics down in the woods at the end of the farm and working in the garden with her dad. Patsy loved animals. On the farm she grew up on, they had cows, a horse, pigs, chickens, turkeys, and Guinea hens. She recalls feeling bad for a calf that was born deformed making it unable to walk. It died, and she knew it was better off, but she still felt bad. She especially loved birds. She enjoyed raising pigeons except for cleaning up the coups. Patsy really enjoyed the outdoors. She loved to pick wildflowers in the spring. She was a tomboy and often had fun playing with her brothers in the woods around her house. One day she was upset with her mother. She decided her mom would feel sorry for her if she broke out with poison ivy. She went to the woods and rubbed some leaves all over, but nothing happened. She had picked the wrong leaves! On Halloween in 1964, Patsy met Rex Richardson. One day Rex brought a stopwatch to time how fast Patsy could set up her medications. They dated quite a bit and decided to get married in January 1965. They had to take Rex's mother to St. Louis to get the marriage license because he was not old enough to sign. Rex's mother helped the couple find a church to get married in since neither one of them went to church. They had to go early the day of their wedding to speak to the minister because he thought they planned to marry too quickly. They got married on January 19, 1965, with Rex's mother and Rex's best friend, Tony. After the ceremony, they went over to Rex's parents' house for donuts and to pick up Rex's clothes. Rex carried Patsy over the threshold at their apartment. They went shopping for groceries and ate at Steak 'n Shake. They did not have much money, so for them, it was a big deal! They did not have a honeymoon because they both had to work. They decided that instead of having a big wedding they would buy a new car. Patsy watched over her children and husband, concerning herself with their needs over her own until her last breath. She quietly left on the morning of October 13, 2018, surrounded by her family in a small room in Valley View, an Assisted Living facility. She left a legacy of putting one foot in front of the other especially when life is challenging. She will always be loved and missed by those who knew her. She will be remembered as a woman who asked for nothing from others, but when others chose to give her any little token, she was extremely grateful. She taught her family through her actions for she was not a woman of many words. However, she did not need to speak; her actions did all the teaching. One of the greatest lessons she taught was the importance of enjoying the mundane activities of life. Patsy will be missed because she was such a selfless, humble, and loving wife, mother, and friend. May we honor her great influence on us by striving to live as she does.