Labeled "Shedrick Milton Richardson," this picture was

enhanced and colorized using tools in MyHeritage.

Shadrach Milton Richardson

written by his daughters Mildred Whipple and Carol Back

  Shadrach Milton Richardson was born January 5, 1888 in Benjamin Utah.  He was the second of nine children born to Eunice Lettie Hickman and Thomas Richardson.  His siblings were T Leslie, Genevieve, Lucy Ann, George Wesley, Alton, and Eunice Lettie.

  All we know about him has been told to us, as we were all to young to remember him.  When he was eight years old he was kicked by a horse and lost the sight out of one eye.  This eye was slightly lighter in color than the other, and left and indented scar across the bridge of his nose. It wasn't too noticeable . He had good eye sight in the other eye and never had to wear glasses.

  He attended school in Benjamin, Utah. His third grade teacher was Aunt Laura Hickman. She said he was a very good student, one of the best she had ever taught. He loved to read.  He graduated from the eighth grade.

  He met and married Maggie Richardson of Spanish Fork, Utah. They were married February 23, 1912. The Temple sealings was later performed after his death September 5, 1929. Leslie Richardson, his brother was proxy for him.

  She had nothing but admiration and love for him. She said he was very kind and loving. He had a good personality with a keen sense of humor. He loved to dance, and came from a wonderful family.

  He used tobacco, Bull Durham; he rolled his own. He recognized the health habit and quit two years before his death. This was not unusual. A lot of the men had this habit. It wasn't until Heber J. Grant was the prophet that the people were told not to smoke any more and a lot of the men stopped at that time.

  We only had one picture of him when he was very young.  Whenever we asked what he looked like, my mother would say look at Margaret.  She looks just like him. He was 5'10" tall and weighed about 170 Ibs when he was well.

  They spent the first 15 years off and on in Eureka, Utah where he worked in the silver mines. He earned $7.00 a day which was a good wage in those days. They didn't own a home as the homes in Eureka belonged to the mining companies and they rented from them at $35.00 a month.  One year he came home to Benjamin to help out on the farm and suffered a sun stroke. He never had good health from then on. He went back to the mines and contacted a lung disease. The mines were very dusty and unsafe for the miners. (The average age for a miner at that time was 39.)  He had a hard life and bore it well, and was always pleasant and agreeable. His only regret: he could not provide for his family the way he wanted to. He had a reputation of being an honest, hardworking man.

  They moved back to Spanish Fork, Utah. He helped Joseph Evans, our uncle, move a house from Soldier Summit to Spanish Fork. Loa Mildred was born June 23, 1927,  and he passed away November 5, of the same year at the age of 39.  He was buried in the Spanish Fork city cemetery.

  He was survived by his wife and six children, Milton E 15, Richard Vernon 13, Margaret 6, Eunice 4, Carol 3, and Loa Mildred 4 months.

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