Barbara Louise Richardson
August 5, 1948-October 26, 2025
ALEXANDRIA--Like Sands through the Hour Glass, so are the Days of Our Lives. On October 26, 2025 at 12:57 p.m., Barbara Louise (Jones) Richardson's Hour Glass ran out of sand, at the age of 77.
She was born on a beautiful sunny morning, August 5, 1948 to James Newton Jones and Mary Ellen (Montgomery) Jones in Anderson, Indiana.
She was raised on a farm in the suburbs of Moonsville, Indiana. She lived there all her life. On a stormy October night, when she was 17, she met and fell in love with Gene Burnell Richardson, Sr. They were married on September 3, 1966 and were happily married for 59 years. From this love came their three children; a daughter, Dawna Louise (husband, Stephen) Campbell and their sons, Nicholas Scott Campbell and Bryce (Campbell) Gerkin; son, Gene Burnell (wife, Amber) Richardson, Jr. and their children, Taveia Shanelle (husband, Stephen) DeMarco, Jeremy Edward Richardson, Aysha Breanne (husband, Evan) DuBois and Kyler Wayne (wife, Angela) Richardson and son, John Robert Richardson and his children, Deanna Christine Wheeldon, Sean Michael (Kelsey) Richardson and Jansen Renee (husband, Austin) Neill; great-grandchildren, Madisen Nichole Weir, Jera Colette Richardson, Jazmine Christine Faith Wheeldon, Natalie Grace McLaughlin, Landon Michael Richardson, Dominic Joseph Wayne DeMarco, Kenzie Noelle Richardson, Oliver Charles DeMarco, Kyson Jeffery Neill, Dustin Jay Weir, II, Hope Renee Neill, Isla Jean DuBois and Marlee Roselynn Neill.
She always had a desire to care for others and realized her dream by becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse in 1972 at Anderson School of Practical Nursing. In 1984, after working for 12 years as an LPN, she decided this was not enough; she wanted to be able to do more for her patients. She went back to college at the age of 35 and became a Registered Nurse, graduating in 1987 from Ball State University. She worked at St. John's Health Systems for 35 years, retiring on August 6, 2010.
She enjoyed making crafts, sewing and crocheting for her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Pursuing her family tree was also a passion of hers and made regular trips to cemeteries with her sisters on "Creepy Sisters Day" to find long lost relatives. Her love of travel took her many places around the world, but loved most what she had in her own backyard, on the farm where she was raised.
She always made sure everyone had somewhere to live and opened her home to many, many people whether they were related or not. "You can stay until you get on your feet" and for some that was quite awhile and for some just a brief period of time. No matter how long they stayed, she treated them as family and loved them all.
She is survived by her wonderful husband, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren; also her sisters, Naomi Cox, Judith Allen and Theresa (husband, Ken) Garrett; brother, David (wife, Cindy) Jones; brother-in-law, Maurice (wife, Debbie) Richardson, sisters-in-law, Ralena Jones, Debbie (husband, Terry) McLary, Pam (husband) Steve) Wilson, Twana Hiatt, Beth (Husband, Gordon) Bright, and Lori (husband, Junior) Rushin; honorary granddaughter, Ara Weir and honorary son, Ranny; also many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Newton Jones and James Bruce Jones, Sr.; three sisters, Zelpha Jones Tescher, Mary Alice Starr-Shipp and Martha DeLong Keaton; father-in-law, Donald R. Richardson, mother-in-law, JoAnn (Schmidt) Richardson and mother-in-law, Beverly (Douglas) Davis; daughter-in-law, Michelle Renee (Baker) Richardson; grandson, Jeremy Edward Richardson; great-grandson, Jayden Ray Neill; great-granddaughter, Natalie Grace McLaughlin; nieces, Janay Ellen (Rushton) Smith Glass; and Francie Cox Kester and five nephews, Donald James Tescher, E. Douglas Cox, Daniel Shipp, James Benson Starr and Eric Eugene Rushton.
Barbara has requested that no one wear black to the visitation or to the funeral and to celebrate the life she had with them and not her loss, because she has gone to a far better place.
Visitation will be Wednesday, October 29, 2025 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Rozelle-Johnson Funeral Service West entrance with a Nurse's Honor Guard following at 7:00 p.m.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 30, 2025 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Alexandria, with Father Christian DeCarlo officiating. Interment to follow at Jones Cemetery in Delaware County, Indiana.
Donations may be made to the Madison County Humane Society in remembrance of her love for Rough Coat Collies.
"Remember me with Smiles and Laughter, For that is how I remember you. If you can only remember me with tears, then don't remember me at All." Author Unknown.
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