Mozelle Richardson

Mozelle Groner Richardson - January 26, 1914- October 21, 2021 On a freezing, cold January morning in 1914, Mozelle's mother, Jessie, arrived at small train depot in Adrian in the panhandle of Texas. Jessie was picked up by her father, William Christopher Groner with his horse and wagon. Thus, Mozelle came into this world in Hereford, Texas. A most fascinating and long life was about to begin. Mozelle was the only child of her parents, Grover Cleveland Groner, a pharmacist in San Antonio and Jessie Leah Head Groner. She took great pride that her ancestor Colonel Benjamin Head, fought in the Revolutionary War as well as her grandfather who fought under General Joe Shelby with the Confederacy. Mozelle spent her early years in the Texas panhandle. She remembered marching in an Armistice Day Parade celebrating the end of World War I, as a four-year-old, pushing her doll carriage behind a truck. She was an accomplished tennis player winning doubles in her division at age 18. She attended high school in Plainview where she met her future husband, William Toombs Richardson, "Dub". After high school she attended East Texas Baptist University in Marshall Texas for two years. Mozelle and Dub Richardson were married on August 25, 1939 in Amarillo, Texas and Dub began his distinguished career in the automobile world by working for General Motors Acceptance Corporation. eventually moved to Oklahoma City where he became a well-known and widely respected automobile dealer owning and operating Dub Richardson Ford in Oklahoma City. Following his retirement, he died in 1990. An inveterate traveler, writer and accomplished artist, Mozelle visited more than 40 countries, wrote and published 12 books, was an avid student of many subjects and collected items of interest in her travels. She entered the Guinness Book of World Records in 2004 at age 90 when she became the oldest college graduate. Then President of OU, David Boren, invited her to sit on stage with him but she declined, preferring to sit and walk with her journalism class at the University of Oklahoma. Mozelle wrote many letters to friends and family, was a great story-teller and collector of people from all over the world. As well as Oklahoma City, she also lived temporarily in New York City, Aspen, Carlsbad, California, Tucson, and Pensacola, Florida. Her life span was from horse and carriage to space travel and she said not long ago that her secret to living so long was that she really didn't worry about things. She had a deep and abiding faith and was constant in her prayers for others. Mozelle was an avid reader, taking the French magazine PARIS MATCH and reading it in French. She followed tennis, golf, football and recently became a fan of the Texas Rangers baseball team. Peyton Manning was one of her favorites.After a decade living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Mozelle moved back to Oklahoma City where she spent the past four and a half years at the Mansion at The Waterford where she could regularly be seen walking with her cat, Cheops, perched on the seat of her walker. She died three months short of 108, after a long and fascinating life filled with family, friends and her numerous and eclectic interests. It has been said that an active mind helps make an active life. Mozelle Richardson was the epitome of both. As Abraham Lincoln said, "In the end it's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years." Mozelle managed the two superbly.She is survived by her four children, William Toombs Richardson, Jr. (Jerry) and his wife, Joy of Oklahoma City, Judith Leigh Richardson of Santa Fe, NM, Susan Ann and Gary Gruber of Tubac, AZ, Rock Richardson of Pecos, NM. As well as thirteen grandchildren; Jay Markley, Brad Richardson, Jack Markley, Brett Richardson, Ted Gumerson, Lissa Blaschke, Regan Markley, Robin Gedman, Rock Gumerson, Deen Gumerson, Kellie Wheeler, Rock Richardson, jr., Jamie Nash and 31 great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by grandson Jeff Markley.Her final wish was to die in the iron bed in which she was born. She accomplished this. Services honoring and celebrating her life will be held Tuesday, October 26, 2021, at Crown Heights Christian Church at 1:00pm located at 4020 N. Western.Memorial donations may be made to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd, Oklahoma City, OK 73111 or at Crown Heights Christian Church 4020 N. Western, Oklahoma City, OK 73118