Louise Bookout Richardson

Louise Bookout Richardson, age 99, passed away peacefully June 20, 2022. She was born November 25, 1922, in Fulton, Mississippi to Troy and Ethel Bookout.  At a young age, Louise moved to Santa Rosa, Texas with her family. While attending high school, Louise was a member of the Santa Rosa Lady Warriors basketball team, competing in district and state championship tournaments. She graduated from Santa Rosa High School as the salutatorian of the Class of 1940.  She then attended and graduated from Harlingen Business College.

In 1942, Louise married J.G. Richardson. In 1959, they moved from Harlingen to Santa Rosa where they owned and operated a Phillips 66 service station as well as a family farm. During that time, Louise was well known for her enormous garden that she maintained every year. During their sixty-two-year marriage, they enjoyed many years of traveling by motorhome. They traveled to forty-nine of the fifty United States and many areas of Canada.

Louise was a very active member of the First United Methodist Church of Santa Rosa.  Prior to that, she was an active member of the First United Methodist Church of Harlingen. She was also active in the Wesleyan Service Guild and United Methodist Women.  She held many offices in these organizations as well as teaching Sunday school for many years, contributing home cooked meals, and coconut cream pies to potluck meals.

For twenty-six years, Louise was a volunteer at Valley Baptist Medical Center where she earned 7,246 hours of service.

In 2014, Louise moved to Golden Palms Retirement Center in Harlingen where she made many friends and cherished memories.

Louise was preceded in death by her husband, J.G. Richardson; grandson, Joel Pratt; parents, Troy and Ethel Bookout; brothers, Charles Bookout, Hoyt Bookout, and James Bookout; sister, Bonnie Patterson; as well as many cousins. She is survived by her children, Barbara (Homer) Pratt of Gladstone, Missouri, Kenneth (Nancy) Richardson of Nampa, Idaho, Robert (Durae) Richardson of Beaumont, Texas, and Lou Ann Richardson of Fort Worth, Texas; brother-in-law, Joe (Vickie) Richardson of San Benito, Texas; four grandchildren and seven great grandchildren; numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, extended family and many friends throughout the United States.

The family would like to extend a thank you to the special team of caregivers at The Spear Home in Harlingen, Texas for the love and care they showed and gave to our mom.

Visitation will be held on Friday, June 24, 2022 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Buck Ashcraft San Benito Funeral Home. Funeral service will take place Saturday, June 25, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. in Chapel A of the funeral home. Interment will follow at Restlawn Memorial Park in La Feria.

Honored to serve as pallbearers are John Bookout, Burdette Patterson, Richard Bookout, Craig Bookout, Lowell Bookout, and Jeff Bookout. Jesse Garcia will serve as an honorary pallbearer.

In lieu of flowers, you may make memorial donations in honor of Louise B. Richardson to The Spear Home, 1001 E. Taylor Ave., Harlingen, Texas 78550 (www.thespearhome.com).

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