Featured photo: Bobby Barbara Sister Richmond, courtesy of Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home
Written by Tanya Terry
About 200 people attended the funeral for Bobby “Barbara” Jean Richmond Saturday, June 22, at Metropolitan Baptist Tabernacle – but Richmond continues to be remembered as ‘Ms. Courier’ among her other esteemed titles and roles.
Richmond was a Flint resident who graduated from Flint Northern High School in 1964.
Richmond’s action reflected a deep care for her church family at Metropolitan.
She was also extremely family-oriented and especially close to her father, Walter Richmond.
Rev. Freelon Threkeld read 1 John 3: 1-2 at Richmond’s funeral.
It reads: Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
Rev. Freelon Threkeld of Faith Baptist Temple knew Richmond since she was about 13 years old. He was a few years ahead of her in school.
“She was a very attractive young lady, very outgoing and very popular among the young men – and a very nice person,” said Threkeld.
He added: “She sung in the church choir, which was known as The Bluebell Choir, which was a choir organized by Mother Simpson.”
The choir was a popular youth choir.
Richmond was a salesperson for what was known at the time as the C.P. S. A. Courier and is now The Flint Courier News.
“She would do the layout when we were doing it the old way of putting a paper together,” Threkeld said. “She was known as Ms. Courier. She became that because of her love for the newspaper…”
Threkeld also vividly remembers how Richmond knew what was going on with area preachers.
“She was the inside lady. She was the go-to lady for the Courier…Barbara Richmond would work until midnight to get their stories in the paper.”
Richmond earned an Associate Degree from Flint Junior College. She was among one of The First Generation Blacks to Attend College Free, which was organized by Mr. Frank J. Manley. She was also employed by Westinghouse.
“Back in those days, in the ‘50s and early ‘60s young ladies took shorthand. Her awareness and love of the community really drove her to support the paper.”
Threkeld said most Black families on the north end such as Richmond’s family struggled due to systemic racism and low-paying jobs.
“But Barbara was a high achiever. She was individually driven. He had high respect of people, especially her father. Her and her father got along real good. Her siblings got along real good.”
Threkeld told the Courier the family still owns property on Dayton Street, west of Martin Luther King.
“The home that she grew up in is still there…She was a well-rounded, liked young lady. She carried herself as a young lady. She always presented herself intelligently, and she loved fashion. She was respected in the community and the church…She loved her God. She loved Jesus. She respected herself as a Christian young lady.”
Jowanne Carrigan described Richmond’s funeral as “dynamic” and “a total tribute to Barb” in which people both Carrigan and Richmond participated.
“I met Miss Barbara some years ago when we sang in the Flint Citywide Choir together,” Carrigan said. “We sang at various churches all over the city. After that, we were co-workers at what was called the C.P.S.A. Courier at that time. We worked together, laughed together, sang together – and she was a very positive woman, very devoted to whatever she did…She was very, very devoted to serving the Lord. I miss her already.”
Richmond died as a single women and did not have children. According to her obituary, she leaves to cherish her memory: two sisters, Sabrina Richmond of Flint and Delores Briggs of Memphis, TN; 4 brothers, Sylvester (Verna Mae) Richmond, Dennis (Rose) Richmond, all of Flint, Ronnie (Patricia) Richmond of Metropolis, IL and Rudy Richmond of Antioch, TN; a host of nieces and nephews; three aunts, Lillie B. Small, Viola Hunt and Mattie Robinson, all of Memphis, TN; god-mother, Jessie Anthony of Flint; a host of other relatives and friends including special friends, Jettie Ross, Claudia Brandon, Myrt Conner, Cherry Brown, Gina Lee, Regina Keels, Pat Mayfield, others, Metro Music and The City Wide Choir. Ms. Richmond was preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Margaree Richmond; sisters, Carolyn, Rosie and Sandra Richmond, and Diane Rawls; brothers, Talmon Long and Walter Richmond Jr.
