Freeda Larue Richardson

Freeda Larue Jobe Richardson was born in Fayetteville, Tennessee on February 3rd, 1946. She spent her childhood years in Michigan with her parents and three younger siblings—Chuck, Dan, and Beverly. Her family then lived in Kentucky, Iowa, and Texas where her father, Charles Jobe, sold Dickson Bibles and wrote sermons for Sundays, traveling and preaching the Gospel. Always her guiding light, her mother, Lorraine, gracious and welcoming, made homes of parsonages wherever they lived. She credited her parents for her faith and consideration of others. Freeda, Chuck, Dan, and Beverly spent their adult lives spending time together as often as they could, with frequent family reunions and insisted that the family remained close—with cousins and in-laws continuing the tradition to this day.

Freeda met Johnny Richardson on a blind date to the movies; they married on June 16th, 1967, in Abilene, Texas. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Oklahoma where they had two children, Matthew and Laura. While rearing children and building a home in rural Cleveland County, she completed her undergraduate degree, then master’s degree in English at the University of Oklahoma. She was able to complete her education while balancing marriage, parenthood, teaching, mentoring, and living her faith in service to others.

In 1984 Freeda began her lifelong calling of teaching English, College Grammar, and Creative Writing at Norman High School and OU. She later helped develop the Advanced Placement English language program at NHS. For 22 years, she sponsored the publication of the award-winning NHS literary anthology, SOUPSTONE. She was awarded NHS Teacher of the Year in 2001. She was a Teacher Consultant for the Oklahoma Writing Project at the University of Oklahoma where she practiced and taught the most effective strategies for writing and teaching writing. She enjoyed a small writing group of close friends in Norman that shared a lifetime of stories and poems over coffees and lunches. She authored two books, Rabbit Dancing, a Poetry Memoir, and Billy Bob Biscuit, Bold and Brave, a book she wrote with her four grandchildren.

A student advocate, Freeda was passionate about finding ways for students to become more confident writers and readers. In the last few days, countless students have written of her impact on them: as writers, teachers, and parents. But most of all, they remember her kindness and compassion, her faith on display in her love for them. Her high school classroom became the lunchtime gathering place for kids needing belonging. In fact, she once advised teachers and colleagues: “are we inclusive or exclusive in our roles at home, church, work and school? God would have us exclude no one.”

Volunteering and service seemed to come naturally to Freeda. She volunteered at writing clinics, high school proms and theatre performances, church benevolence opportunities, bible classes, community rallies, and others. One special volunteer interest was the Oklahoma Breast Center helping patients recover. There are too many examples of hospitality and generosity to share here; her legacy of deep relationships will forever describe her service to and for others.

Freeda was a longtime member of the Alameda Church of Christ. She treasured her faith family, with the Alameda church at the center of her legacy. Over the last few days, people far and wide have shared how she touched their lives, citing kindness, encouragement, and her acts of service—testaments of her faith that remain in all of us.

Freeda is survived by Johnny Mark Richardson, her husband of 58 years; John Matthew, her son and his wife Sara of Argyle, Texas, and their daughters Ellie of Austin, Texas and Amy Kate of Abilene, Texas; daughter Laura Altman and her husband Dan of Mansfield, Texas and their children Franklin and Olivia; brother Chuck Jobe and wife Becky of Brenham, Texas; brother Dan Jobe and wife Sue of Heath, Texas; sister Beverly Mehaffey and husband Dana of Cisco, Texas. She was Aunt Freeda to her nieces, Sarah Wells and Lauren Yett and their families.

The Celebration of Life will be:

Freeda Larue Richardson

Remembered

Alameda Church of Christ

Norman, Oklahoma

Saturday, November 29th, 2025

2 P.M.

Family visitation to follow service

Streaming available for those unable to attend