News

A family of sixteen children made for happy memories

By Matthew Semisch

10/21/2014

When it comes to the history of large families in Bottineau County, perhaps Ralph and Lena Richardson’s family from Lansford holds the record with 16 children.

The Richardsons had nine sons and seven daughters, all of which were born in the Lansford area. The children from the oldest to youngest included Dorothy, Eugene, Lois, Hazel, Raymond, Mildred, John, Orville, Robert, Donna Mae, Donald, Floyd, Phyllis, Harry, Harley and Doris Irene.

Ralph was born in Curlew, Iowa, on Sept. 6, 1891, to Charles and Clara Black Richardson. In the early 1900s, when Ralph was 12 years old, his family moved to Kensal, N.D., but shortly thereafter moved to Lansford.

Lena was born in Highland Center, Iowa, on April 4, 1894 to Mr. and Mrs. John Parker. In March of 1902, Lena moved with her family to Elm Township.

After Ralph and Lena met, they married in Burlington, N.D. on Feb.1, 1915. The Richardsons made their home in Lansford where they farmed. Their first child, Dorothy, was born in 1916 and over the next 22 years the couple had 15 more children with Doris Irene being born last in 1938.

Ralph farmed until the Great Depression. Prior to 1940, he accepted a position as a butcher in Minot at the Eatmore Sausage, a job held until he retired. Lena was an employee at the Lansford Cafe, but eventually moved to Minot after the children were grown.

The children of the family were known as hard workers in the home and around the community of Lansford. However, the Richardson’s boys, and some of the girls, were known for their athletic skills with the local school and in the community.

Lansford High School had one or more of the boys play varsity basketball for the team from 1931 to 1956, a total of 25 years straight. The sons were known for their skills in the game and racked up a number of points for their high school in a quarter of a century.

Two of their sisters, Doris and Phyllis, played for Lansford High School’s girl’s basketball team and also saw prominence on the teams they played for.

A number of the brothers also played for the Lansford Blue Devils, a local independent basketball team in the city of Lansford, who played teams from around the state. From 1950 to 1953, the Richardson’s men assisted the Blue Devils in winning three state champions.

During the Blue Devils’ 1953 state championship game Floyd scored 19 points, John had 18 points and Harry gathered five points. John was also named the most valuable player of the tournament and was granted the Bill Kunz award for most valuable player in the State of North Dakota.

Lansford’s ball park was also named Richardson Park in honor of the nine boys, along with their sister Doris for the athletic talents they brought to Lansford.

With so many children, Ralph and Lena and the kids were recognized in newspapers and often talked about in the local communities and surrounding area.

Sadness came to the family on Feb. 4, 1938, when Donna Mae, at age nine, passed away in St. Andrew’s Health Center from pneumonia.

The remainder of the children would grow to adulthood and make lives for themselves. Some children stayed in the local area, while others moved to California, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin and different communities in North Dakota.

In their lifetime, Ralph and Lena had 48 grandchildren and 64 great-grandchildren.  

Lena passed away in 1974 and Ralph followed in 1977. The two of them are buried in the Lansford Cemetery.