Roger Richardson

Roger was the 8th child born to Maggie and Clell Richardson. Roger is the twin brother of Margie Richardson Gillis. Roger quit school when his twin Margie skipped a grade (7th) and moved from the 6th to 8th. He wouldn't go to the 7th grade alone. He was drafted I believe, and I think he went awol.......I know he didn't stay in the army. He could build anything he set his mind too........good builder. He and Margie are the last of the "living" of this generation in our branch of the family tree. He married Jean Roberts from Frankfort approx 1947. They had 4 children, Connie, Roger Jr, Keith and Buddy. Jean died with cancer. Roger remarried a lady named Anita and they live in and around Elizabethtown, KY.

Uncle Roger and Jean also received a free lot to build on at Richardson Lane from Maggie and Clell. He built it and lived there awhile before selling it and moving. He built them another new house on #127 near to the Lawrenceburg line in Franklin County. While building that house, he was outside one night working on the garage and a storm came up quickly. He was in the doorway of the garage and was struck by lightning........he was one lucky man....he lived. Roger drove a truck most of his life. He retired from Kroger as a truck driver on disability. He enjoys 2-way radios and you can see him coming with all the antenna's. Uncle Roger can also build, anything he sets his head too. I think that's a talent that is almost genetic in our family. He chews tobacco too, mainly cause his lungs are full of emphysemia, and he had to lay his cigarettes down.

I remember one story. Uncle Roger happened to be at our house and my dad decided to go fishing in the KY river. We all loaded up and went to Fint's Boat dock, here in Lawrenceburg, where you could walk down to the river and fish off the banks. My dad and uncle Roger and mama had all the poles, so Charlene and I just sat in the sandy beach area. Daddy couldn't afford but one can of night crawlers. He and uncle Roger were using the live bait. Daddy hollered for me to take uncle Roger the worms, after he'd baited up. I walked gingerly thru the sand to get them, since I was wearing flip-flops. Uncle Roger was fishing far down below, close to the water. As I tried to get the worms down to him, my speed picked up going downhill, my flip flops got all tangled in the sand. By the time I reached the bottom, I could not stop. Uncle Roger saw that I was going to drown, and just threw his right arm out. It stopped my descent and I fell down and that's all that saved me, cause I couldn't swim. Needless to say, I didn't pass the worms anymore that day. You could say he saved my life.

Uncle Roger suffered a broken hip and was hospitalized; then sent to rehab in E-town. He never fully recovered. The good Lord gave him a long life of 86 years. He succumbed to complications from pneumonia on September 10, 2015. He is missed greatly.

info sumbitted by Linda McElwain 1/2010/2015