Albert Richardson

Our Lord took Albert Alberto M. Richardson home on Monday afternoon, August 11, 2014. Albert was born on July 8, 1922 at Arabela, New Mexico. He spent his whole life in Lincoln County, raising a family of 5 with his wife Emma. He was preceded in death by his parents, Granville L. Richardson and Amanda Maes Richardson as well as brothers Edward, Andrew, Robert, Alfred, Johnny, and sisters Prestinia Jimenez and Lucera Montes.

Albert was well known in Lincoln County. In his early days he worked on the family farm in Arabela and left New Mexico for a short time to work in the mines in Morenci, Arizona. Later he worked for Transphoto Labs taking pictures for the Racetracks. Albert was also in law enforcement in the late 1950s and early 1960s serving as Deputy Sheriff of Lincoln County and for a short time in the city of Alamogordo as a police undercover detective. Following this he worked as manager of CL Lumber Company for 35 years. During all this time Albert constantly worked as a carpenter to make extra money to take care of his family. He built many homes, including his own in Ruidoso Downs and remodeled many more in the Ruidoso and Lincoln County.

He was a selftaught artist and, in the 1970s, Albert began making sculptures in bronze at the Buckhorn Bronze Foundry. His sculptures depicted the people and animals he remembered from his life as a boy in Arabela, including one of his Great Grandmother, Nahohkohs, who was a captured Ute maiden. He sculpted a bull rider atop a bull named El Novillo the Novice and a Mexican 3 piece musical band Miguel, Felipe,Tomas, his Curandera was from the memory of Dona Dorotea, the midwife..these were only a few of his many sculptures. In later years, Albert changed his medium from bronze to resin because of the long trip it took to go to the foundry in Lubbock. The resin was faster and he continued sculpting up until his death.

Albert was also a signmaker who made the Church signs for St. Eleanors Church in Ruidoso and Senora Guadalupe Church in Bent, NM and many more in the Ruidoso area. He was active in his church and was a 4th degree Knight of the Knights of Columbus.

Surviving Albert are his wife of 68 years, Emma Montes Richardson, children Irene Vigil and her husband Johnny, Ida Fenack, Barbara Snowden, Albert C. Richardson and his wife Kathy McCollum Richardson, Lynette Wheeler and husband Scott. He leaves 12 grandchildren John and Lloyd Vigil, Evonne Loftus, Jeremy and Patrick Brantley, Josh Fenack, Luke Richardson, Robert Crain, Jessica and Erin Snowden, Michael and Sara Wheeler. Albert also leaves 9 Great Grandchildren and other family including Matt, Grace, Sabrina and Megan. Albert is also survived by 2 brothers, Billy and Philbert and 2 sisters, Oliva Vigil and Rebecca Torrez.

Visitation at LaGrone Funeral Chapel Ruidoso from 46 PM on Friday, 8152014 with rosary to follow. Funeral Mass at St. Eleanors Catholic Church Ruidoso on Saturday, 8162014 at 9:00 in the morning with burial following at Hondo Cemetery, Hondo, New Mexico.

Visitation

LaGrone Funeral Chapel of Ruidoso
341 Sudderth Dr.
Ruidoso, NM  88345
Friday, August 15, 2014
4:00 PM until 6:00 PM

Service

Prayer Service

LaGrone Funeral Chapel
341 Sudderth Dr.
Ruidoso, NM  88345
Friday, August 15, 2014
6:00 PM

Funeral Mass

St. Eleanors Catholic Church
120 Junction Road
Ruidoso, NM  88345
Saturday, August 16, 2014
9:00 AM

Cemetery

Hondo Cemetery
Highway 70
Hondo, NM  88336