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Friday, July 1, 2011

Remembering Richard

Richard Raisor…at first sight you would think he might be a biker. He was a little rough around the edges and fit right in with the biker crowd and he did have a lot of biker friends. But in real life, Richard Raisor was a full on Montana Cowboy. Everyday he would get up and put his boots on…Richard liked his boots, in fact, he would often say “if I die, I wanna die with my boots on!” Then he would put on his old hat and saddle his big bay mustang, Bubba. The two of them were ranch hands. They road the fence and fixed what needed fixing, they herded cattle, branded, banded and de-horned the calves. They set irrigation sprinklers, you name it, what ever needed done on a ranch, Richard and Bubba did it!

On the off season or if no ranches were in need of a hand, Richard and Bubba would just ride, I believe they rode most every day. On a sub-zero winter morning or a hot dusty day you might see a horse and rider up on the ridge or riding through the drive in at KFC for a cone or tied up at the local saloon for a cold beer and conversation with the barkeep. From Butte to Whitehall, Bozeman, Belgrade or any other little town near the Continental Divide, you might see Richard and Bubba on their ride. Everyday a new adventure, a new friend!

Richard had a big family, 7 kids plus countless numbers that claimed him as a dad, a bunch of siblings and in-laws and the list went on! He made friends along the way that I’m sure he never knew he had made any kind of an impact on. But he did. He was friends to many and had some really close friendships, but to Karl he was more than a friend, he was a good friend, a best friend, they were buds. All the times he stayed with Karl, he never took without giving. Richard was quiet and respectful with a gentle crooked smile. The kind of man you could trust your horse with…and your daughter.

Well, life happened and Richard took sick. He was in bad shape, coughing, congested, fatigued, just plain miserable and sick. My brother Karl and his wife April moved Richard from the house he was living in on the ranch to their house and into the bedroom that Richard had stayed in off and on for the last 14 years or so. Richard went from bad to worse and landed in the hospital. Said he had pneumonia. When he came home to Karl’s he was still on oxygen and medication, in general still pretty darn sick. Karl and April did what they could to make him comfortable, all the while, sure he would get better, praying he would get better.

On Sunday morning June 20th, 2010, Father’s Day, I got a call from Karl, Richard had died. My husband Joe and I immediately packed and headed out on that 6 hour drive to Montana to pay our respects to Richard and be their for emotional support to Karl, April and the family. . We sure were wishing we just lived down the road at that moment, 6 hours is a long time to get to someone in need of a hug. We got in late and Karl, April, Joe and myself stayed up till the wee hours remembering Richard. At some point during the night, I had asked Karl if Richard was a Christian. He wasn’t sure. On Sunday mornings while Karl and April went to church, Richard went on a ride, but he was known to watch a Christian movie here and there and to sit in on some religious conversations at times. At this point we just weren’t sure.

Early Monday morning, 2 of Richard’s boys drove in from Tacoma. They drove straight to Karl’s before going to the family, knowing that Karl would give them the emotional support to face the rest of the day. That’s the kind of friend Karl is. Later Monday afternoon a few of Richard’s kids stopped by Karl’s to pick up their dad’s belongings and ask Karl if they could have the service at his place. Karl went into Richard’s room to get his things together. He and Joe packed his stuff out and loaded it into a pick-up. There was 2 milk crates with some old stuff in them, a small white microwave oven, a toaster and a small old boom box stereo. Along with an old pick-up truck and a beat up old horse trailer, Bubba and some tack, that was all Richard possessed in this world. He was a cowboy, he didn’t need much and never wanted for anything but a good ride on a good horse with good friends.

His service was to be held on Saturday at the little place they call the Rocker-K ranch. Karl was asked to do the eulogy and say a few words at some time during the gathering. About one o’clock Saturday afternoon the horses and riders started flowing in from Sheep Camp Road to Dinsmore Lane down Karl’s driveway. Then came the bikers, and by the dozens, cars and trucks, people were coming and coming! People put their horses in what ever corral was available and found a place for their tack, the bikers parked their bikes where they could and the cars and trucks were lined up from Karl’s’ house clear out to Sheep Camp Road, on both sides! Every possible place to park sit our stand on the ranch was full!

When it came time for Karl to speak to the crowd, he stood, with a tear in his eye and a lump in his throat and not a dry eye in the crowd, GOD gave Karl the courage, strength and the words to witness and share the Gospel with a crowd large enough to embarrass Richard had he been there, for causing them all to come out. Who knows how many, no one was counting. It is amazing that GOD could use Richard to bring together so many people to hear his word as Karl let the Lord guide him and give GOD the glory! If just one person gets saved by God’s grace as a result of being Richard Raisor’s friend, I’d say he lived a perfect life! Through the power of God, I do believe that Richard was a Christian!

On that Sunday morning, GOD gave Richard, as sick as he was, the strength to get dressed. Richard Raisor died with his boots on!!

His kids took him and Bubba on one last ride, to his favorite place. They set Richard free to ride the wind and hung his hat on a tree.


We can keep Richard alive by sharing his story over and over!

1 comment:

BD said...

That is an amazing story. Karl, you and your families were truly blessed to have known a man such as this. What a wonderful legacy for Richard - to leave behind so much love, respect, kindness, and Christian values that are too few and far between in today's society. God bless to all and I'll keep you in my prayers - and will add a prayer for Richard - I'm sure he'll hear it.