Stephen Richard Orchard

Richard Orchard click here for live stream passed away on January 5, 2022 after suffering from a short illness. He was 88 years old. He was born on November 10, 1933 to Mary Eudora Radford and Otis Orchard. He graduated from Rupert High School in 1951 and enrolled in Idaho State College in Pocatello. He attended college for one year before he was called to serve a mission. He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Northern States Mission where he served primarily in Illinois and Iowa.

After returning from serving a mission, he returned to college in Pocatello. He also began dating his eternal companion Lola Jean Smith. They were married for Time and All Eternity on August 7, 1956 in the Logan, Utah temple. They had been married for seven weeks when Dad was drafted. He started his Basic Training at Fort Ord. California. After about a week in California, he was moved to Camp Carson, Colorado. After 4 months in the army, Dad was able to apply for Off Post Rations and mom could join him in Alexandria, later he was assigned to Fort Lewis near Tacoma, Washington. There first son, Stephen Aland was born while they lived in Tacoma. 

After the army, they returned home to Rupert, Idaho where Dad worked in the grocery business. Their next three children, all girls, were born while living in Rupert. They are Marjorie, AnnaGae, and Eileen. In 1966 they bought a Dry-Cleaning business in Jerome, Idaho and moved their family to Jerome. It was here that their fifth and final child, Charles Richard, was born. They ran the Dry Cleaner for 14 years. After closing the Dry Cleaner, they moved to Twin Falls where they lived until Dad retired from working for Independent Meat.  Then they moved to Heyburn, Idaho where Stephen worked for 15 years as a greeter for Walmart. After 15 years he retired for good and moved to Rupert. They lived in Rupert for two years and then moved to Burley,.

Dad was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and served in many capacities. He had a great love for missionary work and his favorite calling was as a Seventy where he was able to teach and baptize many into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was preceded in Death by his parents, Otis Orchard and Mary Eudora Radford Orchard. one sister Carol Welch, and one brother Kenneth Orchard.

He is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Lola Jean Smith Orchard, one brother Thad Orchard, five Children: Stephen Aland Orchard (Sally) of Jerome, Marjorie Orchard Sunderland (Lee) of Rupert, AnnaGae Orchard Hansen (Jeff) of Tremonton, Utah, Eileen Orchard Harker (Paul) of Idaho Falls, and Charles Richard Orchard (Jill) of Fort Collins, Colorado, twenty-seven grandchildren and thirty-eight great-grandchildren.

A viewing for family and friends will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, January 14, 2022, at Hansen Mortuary 710 6th street Ruper, ID.  The funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January 15, 2022, at the Rupert 7th Ward Chapel 324 East 18th Street Rupert, ID.  Burial will follow at the Rupert Cemetery 450 North Meridian Rd. Rupert; ID. Arrangements are under the direction of Joel Heward Hansen Mortuary.

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