Richard Lawrence Redd

Richard Lawrence Redd, 91, passed away Monday, June 24, at home.

Born Feb. 10, 1928, to James Walden Redd and Theresa Edna Redd, Rick was number eight of nine children. He was born during an era of hard times for families. As the children were old enough to leave home and go to work, marry, or go into the military, they would send money home to their young widowed mother. After losing his father as a young boy and completing only the sixth grade, he followed in his father’s footsteps and became a self-made man.

Rick and Lula met as teenagers, dated for a couple of years and married Dec. 3, 1949. He was 21 and she was 18. They had three daughters, Mary, Donna and Carolyn.

Rick worked on construction jobs learning to operate heavy machinery as a young man. He worked on site as the Love Field Airport was being built, as well as many other large construction sites in the Dallas area. When Mary and Donna were babies, Rick was working a pipeline job near Fredericksburg. They lived in Fredericksburg for several months.

Rick decided he wanted to buy a farm and live in the country. He purchased property in East Texas in 1969, near the small town of Reklaw -- that’s Walker spelled backwards.

They lived in Garland most all their lives. All three daughters married, and six grandchildren came along. They finally left Garland in 1985 to start a new life in the country on their farm. Rick loved being on the farm, raising cattle, chickens and even pigs. Most of all he loved being on his backhoe or in the garden.

Rick loved fishing and taking his family on trips which usually ended up with him fishing. In Garland, at one time he was known as “FISHMAN.” After a successful fishing trip, he would sell some of his catch.

Rick was daddy to Mary, Donna and Carolyn; Granddaddy to Shawn and Kevin; and Papa to Matt, Sara, Aubrey and Emily. He love having the grandkids at their home for visits.

Rick is survived by his wife of almost 70 years Lula; daughters Mary Dickerson and husband David Kirsch, Carolyn and husband Richard Martin; son-in-law, Ken Schaeffer; grandchildren, Matt Wilkerson, Aubrey and husband Toby Hughes, Shawn Dickerson and wife Linda Toweill, Emily and husband Abe Aguilar, Kevin Dickerson and Sara Williams and husband N. Dee Williams; step-grandchildren, Jeffrey and wife Brandy Martin and Justin and wife Misty Martin; great-grandchildren, Caleb Dickerson, Santiago Aguilar, Jedidiah Dickerson, Rogan Hughes, Wylie Williams, Nathaniel Dickerson. Joaquin Aguilar, and Bodie Hughes; step great-grandchildren, Kaeleb Eastman, Hunter, Braydon and Izzabela Mae Martin;

Sister, Betty Ruth Morris; and several nieces and nephews who he loved very much.

Rick was preceded in death by his parents, James Walden Redd and Theresa Edna Redd; brothers, William Homer, James Ralph, George Clifford (Speedy), J.W. Jr. and Harold Gene Holley Redd; sisters, Mellie Ola, Opal Christine, Harriett Elizabeth Pauline; special nephew, John Lewis White; daughter, Donna Kay Redd Schaeffer; and many other family members.

Donations in his honor may be made to Reklaw Baptist Church Memorial Fund, PO Box 39, Reklaw, TX 75784.