Newton Gerald Richards, 72, son of Newt and Mabel Sallee Richards, was born March 11, 1935, at Plato. He died June 28, 2007, at Cabool.
He graduated from Plato High School and attended Chillicothe Bible College at Chillicothe, where he became a golden glove boxer.
After school, he later moved to Iowa for 20 years, where he worked on the Schnover farm and the John Deere Co. He moved back to Missouri and drove a truck and was a painter for Civil Service at Fort Leonard Wood.
He was an auctioneer from the late ’60s to mid-’80s with Richards Auction Service. He also owned a business in Houston for several years.
He enjoyed hunting, fishing, gardening and his horses.
Mr. Richards was a member of the Pleasant Hill Christian Church.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Henry and Wayne; and three sisters, Pauline, Shirley and Clara Lou.
Surviving are two daughters, Delila and Jodi Lynn of Vinton, Iowa; two sons, Nathan of Springfield and Justin of Mountain Grove; three brothers, Howard Richards of Willow Springs, Joe Richards of Sumter, S.C., and Harold Richards of Cabool; four sisters, Fern Sudheimer of Roby, Della Allen of Laquey, Thelma Samuels of Marshfield and Laverne Rowden of Stoutland.
Services were July 2 at the Evans Funeral Home Chapel with Eugene Earp officiating. Burial was in the Liberty Cemetery near Plato.
