Melva Hammond Richey

Melva Hammond Richey 85, died June 12, 2007 in Shelley, Idaho at the home of her son of natural causes.  

She was born April 11, 1922 in Logan Utah to Jasper Melvin Hammond and Elizabeth (Finnie) Hale Hammond. She grew up in Ashton, Idaho.  

On September 2, 1942 she married Darrell E. Richey of Ashton Idaho in the Logan Utah Temple, they later divorced.    

She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints.   She taught school at Madison High school and North Fremont High school, she moved to Springville Utah in 1971 and worked at the Springville city library. She attended BYU and got her masters degree in library of science from 1974-1976. She worked at the BYU library as assistant archivist and later acted as Acting University Archivist-Faculty level. She retired from BYU in 1992. She continued to live in Springville Utah until January 1997 when she moved to Shelley Idaho to live with her son Greg and daughter in law Bonita Richey.  

She loved to paint and painted the Last Supper which hung in the Ashton Ward building and then the Ashton Idaho Stake Center after the Ashton Ward building was torn down. She started the painting when she was 19 years old and finished it four years later in 1946. She also painted a scene of the Teton’s behind the candy counter of the old Ashton show house with different Disney scenes through out the theater, and different school mascot pictures in the old North Fremont High School gym.  

Survivors include her son Roger (Brenda) Richey of Castle Rock, Colorado, Greg (Bonita) Richey of Shelley, Idaho, Robert (Teri) Richey of Ocala Florida, 14 grand children and 17 great grandchildren.  

She was preceded in death by her parents and two sisters, Maxine Slagowski and Zara Tonks and a grandson, Brady Richey.  

Funeral services will be held 10:00 A.M. Saturday June 16 at the Shelley 3rd & 5th Ward Chapel of The Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints (513 South Park) with Bishop Curtis Burtenshaw conducting.  The family will visit with friends Friday evening from 7:00 till 8:30 and Saturday morning 9:00 till 9:45 both at the church.  Burial will be at the Ashton Pineview Cemetery under the direction of Nalder Funeral Home.

Many thanks to Blackfoot Home Health & Hospice nurses and aides that have been so kind and compassionate to Melva for the past 9 months.    

In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations be made to Blackfoot Home Health & Hospice, 1443 Parkway Drive, Blackfoot, Idaho  83221.