James Richard Budd, 74, Stockton, completed his passage through this world on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. In the realm of the next world he will encounter his parents, Donald and Elaine, grandparents, Cora and Rollie, a beloved niece, Rachel and all the others of our friends and family who have arrived before him. What a reunion that must be.

Richard grew up on the family farm in rural Cedar County with brothers, Donnie and Dennis, mom and dad and grandma and grandpa, Budd, just a mile or so away. Cousins, Nedra and Charles, and their parents, Loren and Betty, and their grandparents, Pearl and Charlie, also lived nearby, within easy walking or bicycling distance. Much of Richard’s youth was spent exploring and traversing the bottoms, hills, and hollows in and around Cedar Creek, which flows in serpentine twists through the area.

Among the many interests Richard developed and pursued over the years, photography, archery, and archaeology were predominant. He documented hundreds of family events and moments over several decades with carefully-composed shots captured with excellent equipment and technique. Much of that photographic work is distributed throughout the family archives in photo albums and scrapbooks. Rich progressed from a simple nylon fiber bow which he received on his 13th birthday, to recurved bows, and finally to compound bows within the space of just a few years. In this activity he was joined by brother Don and together they learned to manufacture and modify much of their own gear for hunting and bowfishing. Richard’s passion for, and accumulated knowledge of, native American history ran wide and deep, especially as that history could be discovered in SW Missouri. He put together a substantial library on native American history, cultural customs and artifacts, and was still actively adding to his collections at the time of his death.

Richard was devoted to his family and friends. For many years he lived with mom and dad on the farm after his health began to fail due to the ravages of crohn’s disease. After dad passed on, Rich was the primary caregiver for mom and that role continued for over 15 years. Younger members of the family will especially remember Richard for his knack of selecting thoughtful gifts for Christmas and birthdays. Friends and acquaintances will remember him as a lively story teller, an empathetic listener and an all-around great guy. All of us will always be grateful for his wit and sense of humor and general good-natured disposition.

As the years rolled by, the world began to be less accessible to Richard, as hearing loss and impaired vision in one eye limited many of his normal activities. Through it all, however, he retained a positive outlook and remained good company to the end of his days.

All his cares and pain are behind him now, and he resides in the next life contemplating his new adventure. Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you in my Father’s house.” “Surely, our brother is home at last.”

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