Obituary for Margaret Myrtle Richards

Margaret Myrtle Richards of Bridgewater, Iowa passed away on Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at the Greenfield Manor in Greenfield, Iowa. She was 98  years and 11 days old, having recently celebrated her birthday with her favorite cold-water chocolate cupcakes. On Friday, July 29, 2022 a celebration of life service will occur at Carl United Methodist Church at 11:00 am (visitation at 10:00 am, with lunch following the service). There will be a monument marking her life at Forrest Hill Cemetery in  Mount Etna, Iowa.

Myrtle was born on May 20, 1924 in Fontanelle, Iowa to Edward Ernest and Anna (Watkins) Schwanebeck. She was united in marriage to Vern Maurice Richards on January 6, 1942 in Grant City, Missouri. They had three children and made their home on the Richards family homestead, certified in 2012 as a Century Family Farm. She loved living and working on the farm, tending to her cows, chickens, gardens and raising her children. Home, with her family, was her favorite place to be. She worked hard and shared all she and Vern built with friends, family, and her community. No one who visited the farm left hungry or empty-handed. She would have given you the shirt off her back if she felt you were in need.

While Vern and her friends often called her "Mryt," her favorite names in life were Mom and Grandma. Her family meant the world to her, and she loved giving hugs and kisses and making sure her family knew how much she loved them. One way she showed her love was through her cooking. She cooked with love (and from scratch), producing the best hand-whipped angel food cakes, pies, and other baked goods. She made so many angel food cakes that she beat the bottom out of her trusty stainless steel bowl. If she knew you were coming, she was sure to have baked your favorite treat (or treats) and prepared her fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Her cooking legacy lives on through her family—many creating her signature Rice Krispies reindeer and lamb at the holidays and celebrating birthdays with angel food cakes.

She is survived by children, Ellen Roseann Moore of Greenfield, IA and Martin (Nita) Richards of Omaha, NE; grandsons, Andrew (Brandy) Lyda, Ben Lyda, Clint (Laura Wilwerding) Richards; granddaughters, Else (Connor) Bailey and Laura (Barry) Tofteland; great grandchildren, Brett Minard, River and Raquel Lyda, and Samantha, Alex and Isaac Richards. She was preceded in death by her husband Vern Richards, her parents; daughter, Margaret Irene Lyda; sons-in-law, Robert Lyda and Harry Moore and eight sisters and four brothers.

In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to Carl United Methodist Church, Care Initiatives Hospice or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.