No Rich Men In Richmond

Dear Uncle George,

George May 10, 1907:
I rose early and found directions to Edwin Whitmer, son of John C. Whitmer. Anxious to get through, so went to without breakfast.  Mr. Whitmer said he could not give me information I desired.  He did not believe things that were taught by the Whitmerite Church, so he had not taken an interest in them.  Met Mrs. Miller who was popping corn and preparing to entertain some children in the evening.

Val May 10, 2013:
Had some yummy Life cereal, with a side of fiber.  Fixed the vacuum.  Check on dead fish. Good lemonade, although not hard.  Lunch at a saloon.  Found some $1 store pregnancy tests (ekk!).  Graves made of cement tree trunks.  Matt broke up a fist fight at the Wendy's in Grandview.  Stopped at the jail site that is now a thrift store and bought cheap pearls for the Great Gatsby party.  This is the cemetery that Bob Ford is buried in, who shot Jesse James, otherwise known as the coward who shall not be named.

Despite the name, Richmond, Missouri is not full of rich monds. Or men.  And I didn't meet any men named Rich.  I looked around for some, but nope.  My hopes of finding an 82 year old sugar daddy...dashed.

As a matter of fact, it is unsettling close to the village of Orrick.  The next time I was by Richmond, I was photographing it.  Most of the community was spread all over the place.  Boards. Nails. Underwear.  And don't forget the recreational trailer that was flipped completely over, thus thwarting plans for the weekend at Lake of the Ozarks.

A tornado ripped through Orrick on May 9th, 2014, 

exactly 364 days after this blog post outing to Richmond.  Life is so strange.

I know these have nothing to do with the Mini Mission, 

but they are interesting to look at.  And it is my blog so...

This touched me.  I didn't know it was a song.  

Not by any old band either...Casting Crowns...

one of my favorites.  Which makes it even super cooler.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHdcyue0bSw

He wasn't praising.  One half wall left.  Can you believe that?

Richmond is not as exciting (thank goodness).  It basically is on the map because it is the eventual resting place of many of the members of the Whitmer family. Some stayed true to Mormonism.  Some did not.

Grave of David Whitmer, one of Three Witnesses

Oliver Cowdrey is buried in this cemetery as well, 

but his gravestone was torn away 

by a tornado (now there's a surprise) in June 1878.

Rich-men-less Richmond

I brought my lovelies Carol and Aubrey along for the ride.  Not that either of them needed $1 pregnancy tests from the Dollar Store, but you know, sometimes a missionary likes some companions.  Although they left me out of the teal color club.  

This is a monument site that was dedicated in 1911 

for the Book of Mormon, Three Witnesses and Joseph Smith. 

(George came back in 1911 and photographed the site)

Post note:  December 2016  

I was at the Jiffy Lube the other day, and this really old gentlemen came in and sat next to me.  I recognized him.  Since my seahorse is broken, I couldn't remember where from.   But it was Alvin Whitmer, out of Richmond, the second great grandson of Peter Whitmer.  They have not come back to the Church since, as he put it..."We got kicked out in 1840."  Pity he doesn't live there now.  He looks about 82.  :)

Love,

Valsy