Independent Enterprise
Wednesday, December 23, 1987
Richard Harold "Red" Williams, 78, Fruitland, an orchardist, died Dec. 15, 1987, at home. Services were conducted Dec. 21 in Shaffer-Jensen chapel, Fruitland, Rev. Rand Sergeant, First United Methodist Church, Fruitland, officiated. Burial followed in Riverside Cemetery, Payette.
He was born Dec. 25, 1908, at Ontario, a son of Henry and Abigail Williams. He was raised and educated in Rupert, Idaho, until the age of 11. He moved with his family to Fruitland, where they bought a farm in 1919. He completed his education there, graduating from Fruitland High School in 1927. As a young man he worked in road construction at Yellowstone National Park. He farmed from 1930 to 1935 in the Fruitland area and married Bertha Durall on April 25, 1935, at New Plymouth. They bought a fruit orchard and he also worked at Birdsall Hardware in Fruitland until 1938. He worked in logging at Pierce, Idaho in 1939 and 1940. From 1941 to 1945, he managed the telephone office in Fruitland. In 1947, he bought the home and fruit orchards of which he and his wife lived and worked on for the next 40 years. He followed all of Fruitland High School's sports programs. He was specially honored by Fruitland High in 1980 for "many years of support for the Grizzlies." He and his wife had complementary lifetime tickets to all the FHS sports events. He enjoyed deer hunting as a young man and fishing. He loved poetry and reading. He was a member of the Independent Order of the Odd Fellows, New Plymouth.
Survivors include his wife, Bertha of Fruitland; a son, Larry Williams of Los Altos, Calif.; four sisters, Mildred Torney of Chicago, Thelma Browning of Ontario, Helen Johnson of Lake Havasu City, Ariz. and Claire Englehorn of Fruitland; three grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Memorials may be made to the Fruitland High School Athletic Department.
