Hi everyone. I hope each of you are doing really well.

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As many of you know … each year on the anniversary of my wedding to a really wonderful man, I honor and remember him within this column. He would probably not want me to do this. Richard Mullins was a humble, hard-working man whose priorities in life were God, his family and his friends. He loved living in Valley Home. I remember him and his grandkids loading the lawnmower up many years ago and heading down to our Valley Home Park to mow … it’s a cherished memory of mine. I was there when he, Melisa and Vicki planted our little park Christmas tree donated by Knudsen Nursery … it too is one of my special memories. Every year at Christmas time, that little tree lights up and shines brightly across our Christmas celebration here in Valley Home. Although he has been gone since May, 2016, I still talk to him daily. So once again although I know most of you have heard this story many times of how I met Richard, please just indulge me one more time. I’m sure many of you have the same kind of memories of your own lives. I will try to make this short. Richard and I actually grew up about a mile from each other but the boundary between the schools was directly in the middle so he went to one school and I grew up attending a different school. I was blessed to meet Richard in 1968 as we – and many, many other teenagers at that time – cruised on Pacific Avenue. I was 17 and a senior in high school, Richard had graduated the year before. Back in my younger days the place where teenagers went on Friday nights, and they came from miles around, was Pacific Avenue. For us it was a happening place. Teenagers would drive for hours up and down, then up and down sone more! It was a fun and carefree way of life. It was the fall of 1968; I loved that boy instantly the moment I met him. We were engaged at Christmas time. His mom and dad gave us a beautiful engagement party; his mom was a beautiful German woman who made the most wonderful German food and his dad was Irish. My parents, they loved Richard instantly too … we were married in the spring of 1969. May 3rd is our anniversary … we were married for 47 years before he passed very suddenly in May of 2016. He was a very special man. He loved God, he loved his family and his friends with all his heart. I will always remember how good he was to me and to our family; he took care of us. We were blessed. Thank you to each of you for reading this.

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Remember, if you have news to share, you may reach me by telephone or text at 209-985-5233.