Terryll Lynn 'Rock' Richards

Terryll Lynn 'Rock' Richards was born on Tuesday, October 22, 1946, in Junction City, Kansas. He was the son of Harold T. and Barbara (Wahl) Richards. He grew up in Alta Vista, Kansas and lived in many locations around the world. He lived in Ottawa two years and Vassar the past twelve years, until his death Monday, July 3, 2006, at the age of fifty-nine years. Rock graduated from Alta Vista High School with the class of 1964. He was a Signal Man for the railroad. He began his career with Rock Island Railroad in July of 1965 and also worked for Union Pacific, Santa Fe, and Burlington Northern Santa Fe, retiring in July of 2001. He served in the United States Army from May of 1968 to January of 1970. While serving in the Vietnam War, he was wounded and received the Purple Heart. He was a member of the local Railroad Union; Brotherhood of Railroad Signal Men, Chicago, Illinois; and Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Post #5901, Ottawa. On September 2, 1994, Rock was united in marriage with Barbara J. (Robertson) Oestreicher in Ottawa. She survives of their home. He is also survived by his mother, Barbara Richards of Pomona; two daughters, Connie Richards and her husband, Carlos Garcia Correa, of Atlanta, Georgia, Alison Wisdom and her husband, Bill, of Manhattan, Kansas; son, Matthew Richards of Jacksonville, Florida; two stepsons, Marty Oestreicher of Garnett, Kansas, Steve Oestreicher of Richmond, Kansas; two stepdaughters, Connie Guilfoyle and her husband, Curt, of Richmond, Katie Riemer and her husband, Tom, of Ottawa; three brothers, Dick Richards and his wife, Denise, Gray Richards and his wife, Sharon, and Jim Richards, all of Topeka; sister, Nan Shever and her husband, Richard, of Kansas City, Missouri; eleven grandchildren, Carlos Garcia, Delaney and Rylee Wisdom, Charity and Heather Guilfoyle, Tyler, Megan, Audrey and Aaron Oestreicher, Dalton and Hailee Riemer. He is preceded in death by his father, Harold T. Richards and brother, Harold A. 'Scoot' Richards.