Obituary of Alta Lee Richardson

On March 27, 2024, Alta Lea Baker Hagan Richardson went home to be with the Lord. Alta lived a full, joyful life of love and service to God, her family, her church, her patients, and many other neighbors whom she met on her journey. Born February 15, 1941, in Gatewood, Missouri, Alta was the fifth of seven children born to Elvie and Tilla (née Cates) Baker. She grew up in Missouri and graduated from Doniphan High School in 1957 at just 16 years old. Alta was married twice: First to Ron Hagan in 1961 and later to Tom Richardson in 1993. Alta was a loving and devoted mother to her and Ron’s four children—Gary, Natalia, Michelle, and Aaron—and when Alta married Tom, she loved Tom’s daughters—Denice, Fran, and Julie—as her own. She dearly loved and was immensely proud of all her grandchildren and great grandchildren: Angela, Phillip, Joetta, Scott, Carol, Jacob, Patricia, Jesse, Rebecca, Ethan, Madeleine, and Lucy.

Throughout her life, Alta was a faithful servant of Christ and an active and devoted member of churches in Gatewood, St. Louis, and Springfield, Missouri, and in Arvada and Grand Junction, Colorado. She gave her time and talents willingly and enthusiastically to organizing family church camps and vacation Bible schools over many years. She loved fellowship with her brothers and sisters in Christ and singing praise to God; her home was a center of generous, welcoming hospitality.

Alta received a scholarship for nursing school, but she was not able to follow her dream of being a nurse right after high school. Known for her tenacity, determination, and hard-working spirit, Alta enrolled in nursing school at the age of fifty and achieved her dream in May of 1993, graduating from nursing school at the top of her class and enjoying a successful career in nursing for the next fifteen years.

Before launching her nursing career, in addition to raising her family, Alta operated an in-home day care for ten years, provided tax preparation services, and worked as a real estate agent. And she always made time to enjoy her talents for quilting, knitting, and sewing. She loved sharing her considerable skills, making quilts, clothes, knitted blankets, and other items for her children and grandchildren, as well as church members, friends, and neighbors.

Alta was also an enthusiastic and courageous traveler, traveling alone by train from Missouri to California shortly after graduating from high school, taking several cross-country trips by bus with her children in tow, and taking camping trips around Colorado with her children and grandchildren. Later in life, she and Tom enjoyed several European trips. She was always open for an adventure and loved seeing new sites and experiencing different cultures.

Alta’s family and church family will deeply miss her loving, joyful, supportive spirit; her sense of fun and adventure; and her encouragement, helpfulness, and always-positive outlook. We thank God for her life and the example of dedication, love, and service that she set for us, and we look forward to seeing her again in God’s eternal kingdom.

Alta was predeceased by her parents, Elvie and Tilla Baker, her brothers Ernest Baker and Kenneth Baker, her sister Mavis Farmer, her first husband Ron Hagan, and her daughter Natalia Hagan. She is survived by her husband Tom Richardson; her brothers Roy (Louise) Baker and Lyndal (Cheri) Baker, her sister Neva (Ron) Weist, and her cousin Ava Wood; her children Denice (Loren) Helfenbein, Fran Williamson, Gary (Cheryl) Hagan, Julie (Paul) Pelegrin, Michelle Hagan (Mark Howe), and Aaron Hagan; her grandchildren Angela (Robin) Aijian, Phillip Helfenbein, Joetta Hagan (Tom Player), Scott Williamson, Carol Helfenbein, Jacob (Sarah) Hagan, Patricia Helfenbein, and Jesse Hagan; and her great grandchildren Rebecca and Ethan Dixon and Madeleine and Lucy Aijian.

Funeral services will be held in the Edwards Funeral Home Chapel on Friday, April 5, 2024, at 10:30 a.m.