Thomas Richard Goodrich

April 13, 1937 - September 13, 2021

Thomas Richard Goodrich was born April 13, 1937, to Loyd and Lenora Norris Goodrich in Trinidad. Tommy and his twin brother, Bobby, were welcomed home by two older siblings, Donna and Leland.

In the early years the family lived one mile south of the white school house and then, in 1945, they moved north a couple of miles to where Tommy and Theresa live today. Tommy attended school at the white schoolhouse until the eighth grade having to walk to school each day. After the eighth grade he attended high school in Kim, thinking he was uptown since he got to ride the bus to school every day. Tommy graduated from Kim High School in 1955 and attended one year of college at Adams State College in Alamosa, where he always told his family that he didn’t go back because he taught them all he knew in that year he was there.

After college Tommy went to work at the steel mill in Pueblo, staying with his aunt and uncle. He only worked there for a short time because he was a little leery of the blast furnaces. He then joined the National Guard and went to boot camp at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and then went to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. After his time in the National Guard, he worked in Swink at the sugar factory during the sugar beet campaign. Very quickly Tommy learned the city life wasn’t for him and returned home to Kim.

In 1959, he started the custom harvesting business. The first few years of harvest were not for the faint of heart. After cutting in the heat and dirt all day with cab-less combines, they would come home in the evening and roll the tarps over the truck box to sleep for the night.

In the fall of 1960, Tommy and three friends decided to go out dancing one night. It was on this night, at the famous Silver Saddle in Pueblo, he met the love of his life and dancing partner of 59 years, Theresa Even. Tommy and Theresa dated until May of 1961, at which time Tommy wanted to get married, but Theresa was hesitant because she didn’t want to go on harvest to Oklahoma for fear that she would blow away in a tornado. So, Tommy went off to harvest alone that May, and came back in the late summer to harvest Theresa’s dad’s wheat. It was then he convinced her to be his wife. Theresa has always said if she didn’t agree to marry him, her dad would have sent her packing. The two were married in Pueblo October 14, 1961. They resided in Pueblo for a very short time before moving back home to Kim. They continued to harvest and work on the farm and ranch.

Tommy and Theresa welcomed their first son, Thomas James, in December of 1962 in Pueblo. Their second son, Richard Dean, arrived in September of 1964, while on barley harvest in Salida. Their daughter, Deborah Ann, was born in February of 1966 in La Junta. Their beautiful girl, who was full of smiles, passed away in a tragic accident September 22, 1967.

As life went on, Tommy continued to harvest wheat, corn, milo, and barley while expanding his cow/calf operation in Kim by purchasing land. Tommy served on the Kim School Board and the Kim Telephone Board. One of Tommy’s goals in life was to harvest for at least 50 years. After 53 years of chasing the harvest run, Tommy and Theresa retired from the custom harvesting business to stay home and care for the cattle. During this period of “slower” times they were able to enjoy different pastimes, most importantly dancing and their grandkids.

They started attending the senior dances in La Junta where they made many great friends and had some of the best times. Tommy’s dancing friends gave him the nickname George Strait because he never showed up to the dance without his starched shirt and jeans and his black felt hat. Tommy did everything a little bigger for the grandkids. Most children got a wood treehouse, but not Tommy’s grandkids. He built them a tree house with metal siding, two sliding windows, and a steel pipe ladder. A couple of the of the granddaughters’ fondest memories include choring with grandpa because no matter the situation they were guaranteed a coffee and donut break if you went to help him. They also loved being able to stay the night at grandpa and grandma’s house so they could play card games after supper. The grandsons remember being taught life lessons such as don’t buy anything you can’t afford the down payment to and always work hard and stick with things. The treehouse was promised for a summer of working hard in the fields. He rarely missed one of his grandkids ball games or activities. When the great grandkids arrived, he enjoyed their visits and attending their birthday parties even more.

Tommy believed that hard work and a good work-ethic would get you anything you needed in life. This lesson was instilled in his own family, along with hundreds of kids they took on harvest. Tommy believed that the best part of harvest was the relationships made with the farmers and hired hands, many of whom have come back to visit over the years or have stayed in contact. Tommy loved his family more than anything, and often would remind us that the best decision he ever made was marrying Theresa and starting a family.

Tommy passed away September 13, 2021, at Southeast Colorado Hospital surrounded by family.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Loyd and Lenora Goodrich; daughter Deborah Ann; brother-in-law, Danny Johnson; brothers, Leland and Joanne Goodrich and twin brother Bobby and Ruth Goodrich; nephew, Mark Goodrich; in-laws, Joe and Josephine Even, Everett and Bunny Even, Vivian and HC Donley, and Mike Clifford; nephews, Mikey Clifford and Leland Clifford; and niece, Marilyn Kay Clifford.

Tommy is survived by his wife of 59-years; sons, Jim and Doris Goodrich of Rocky Ford, and Dean and Phyllis Goodrich of Kim; grandkids, Bradley Goodrich of La Junta, Dawn and Chad Rodarmel of Springfield, Brent and Krista Goodrich of La Junta, and Shelby and Hayden Uhland of Eads; great grandchildren, Breah and Landon Goodrich, Taylor, Tinley and Oakley Uhland, and Tommie Rodarmel; sister, Donna Johnson of La Junta; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Funeral services were held September 17, 2021, at the Kim High School Gymnasium. Interment followed at the Kim Cemetery.

Memorial contributions can be sent to Southeast Colorado Hospital District Alzheimer’s Unit or the Kim Cemetery Fund.

Arrangements were under the direction of Peacock-Larsen Funeral Home & Arkansas Valley Crematory.