Robby Richardson

PLENTYWOOD - The Funeral Liturgy for Robby Richardson will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 31. Father Patrick Zabrocki will celebrate the Funeral Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Plentywood; interment will be in Plentywood Memorial Cemetery. A public vigil rite will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, July 30, at St. Joseph Church.

On Monday evening, July 26, 2010, Robby died while he was staying with his grandmother on the Smith ranch west of Reserve and a tornado demolished the ranch buildings; he would have had his 11th birthday next month.

The son of Robert "Bert" and Virginia (Smith) Richardson, Robby was born at Sidney, Aug. 23, 1999, and was entering the sixth grade at Plentywood this fall. Extremely musical, Robby was first-chair trombone in the band, and also played any other instrument that came to hand, especially guitar. An inquisitive, observant kid, he was constantly busy, poured his heart and soul into everything he did, and  seemed to be on a first-name basis with every dog and cat in town.

His enthusiastic smile and bubbling energy infected everyone around him and was a vibrant example of the adage that "it takes a village to raise a child." Robby did everything: he played golf, loved hunting, playing baseball, and was getting good grades in school. His grandmother credited him with noticing the approaching storm and getting them to the basement, and although severely injured, she was the only survivor.

Robby is survived by his mother, Virginia Smith of Poplar; his guardian, Debbie Richardson of Plentywood; and by his sisters, Wendy, Kamie, Janette and Courtney Richardson. He is also survived by his maternal grandmother, Barbara Smith of Reserve; his aunt, Francine Ward and her husband Jason, of Eau Claire, Wis.; an uncle, Dan Richardson and his wife Emily, who live in Indiana; and aunts Susan Joyes and her husband Herbert of Plentywood, Kay Buckalew and her husband Craig of East Grand Forks, Minn., and Nancy Lunday and her husband Marc of Helena. He was preceded in death by his father, Bert Richardson; his paternal grandparents, Bob and Dorothy Richardson, and his maternal grandfather, Gene Smith.

Fulkerson Funeral Home of Plentywood has charge of arrangements.