Richard Walker Goodfellow, 92, of Burley, Idaho, passed away peacefully on July 9,
2026 in the comfort of his home, surrounded by family.
Richard was born February 11, 1934, in Burley, Idaho to Ray and Winona Goodfellow.
He was the fourth child and the first son in his family of six children. As a young boy,
Richard learned the value of hard work, self-reliance, and the value of a hard-earned
dollar. Whether working in his parents’ half acre garden, caring for chickens, helping
relatives with crops, or spending summers on his grandparents’ farm in Burley, Richard
discovered early that he loved the land and the life of a farmer.
He was raised and educated in Bountiful, Utah, but his heart was always drawn back to
the Idaho farm where, as a boy he spent summers with his grandparents, John and Etta
Vera Walker. He learned to drive trucks in the fields, work with horses, and take on the
responsibilities of farm life. Those early experiences shaped the steady, capable man
he became and deepened his lifelong connection to the outdoors.
In the summer of 1951, Richard met Kathryn Frost at church. Though he was shy, he
was immediately taken with the “good-looking gal” who would soon steal his heart.
Richard and Kathryn were married June 3, 1953, in the Idaho Falls Temple. Together
they built a life rooted in faith, family, and hard work. They began their married life
humbly, living near his grandparents and working the land, eventually buying and raising
their own herd of cattle and purchasing their own farmland.
Richard was a lifelong farmer and an ol’ cowboy at heart. He raised cattle and farmed
hay, grain, and sugar beets; and for a short time, potatoes. He loved horses from the
time he was young and bought his first horse, Dusty, for $50. He loved frequent horse
trail rides with his kids and friends. And enjoyed his annual weeklong hunting horse
pack trips with his buddies. He went mainly for the camaraderie and being in the
mountains. And sometimes deer or elk meat was actually brought home.
Before their Nauvoo mission, in the 1990’s Richard and Kathryn went on several wagon
trains, celebrating the opening of the west. They went on 5 wagon train rides for 5 years
in a row. Then they participated in the Sesquicentennial Mormon Trail Reenactment of
1847: It was probably the epic, once-in-a-lifetime adventure of their lives, a 3-month-
long wagon train from Winters Quarters, Nebraska to Salt Lake City in 1997.  Their
wagon was on national television news when it tumbled down the mountainside just
outside of Salt Lake.  You can still today go on YouTube, search, “WAGON TRAIN
ACCIDENT CAUGHT ON TAPE” with 10k views. Richard truly enjoyed the wagon train
life and was in his element there; horses, wagons, sitting around the campfire with new
and old friends, singing songs and telling stories. He loved being part of the team

building the wagon, the wagon wheels, and handcarts just like they did in the pioneer
days.
Dad was involved in many cowboy ventures over the years: cutter horse racing, team
roping, formation riding with the Posse, the Pony Express Race in Oakley, serving on
the Burley Fair for several years, and he had us kids involved in 4H where we showed
horses and steers. But his best cowboying was when he and three partners bought an
800 acre ranch south of Oakley on Goose Creek that they aptly named the 4G. It was a
pretty ranch with some beautiful creek bottom meadows, a cow/calf operation with
forest and BLM grazing rights, which made for some fun cattle drives and some
awesome Fall roundups. The ranch probably didn’t make any money, but everyone had
fun.
Richard was known for his remarkable ability to “jimmy rig” just about anything. If
something broke—or even if it didn’t—he could usually find a way to make it work with a
little creativity and determination. His family will long remember his clever inventions: his
old tricycle fixed just the way he wanted, and the many ways he used farm equipment to
solve problems in his own unique style.
He worked hard, but he also loved to play. Richard and Kathryn took many memorable
trips with family and friends, including visits to Yellowstone, Disneyland, Knott’s Berry
Farm, Marine Land, Alaska, Canada and many other places across the country. He
enjoyed boating, waterskiing, motorcycles, and family gatherings. The farm was a place
of work, but also a place of adventure and lasting memories for his children and
grandchildren.
Richard was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and
his faith was a steady influence throughout his life. Richard and Kathryn served a
mission in Nauvoo in 2001, where they made many dear friends. Richard worked as a
blacksmith, with carriages, in the brickyard, and at the Visitors Center. A highlight for
him was driving a team of horses providing wagon rides to visitors. They especially
cherished being in Nauvoo during the construction of the Nauvoo Temple and sharing
that special time with visiting family and friends.
Though Richard was not a man of many words, his love was shown through his actions.
His steady presence, work ethic, humor, and quiet devotion left a lasting impression on
all who knew him.
Richard was blessed recently with loving caregivers, and his family expresses deep
gratitude to all who cared for him. They are especially grateful to Shane, who spent the
last year with Richard in his home, caring for him with great devotion.

Richard was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Kathryn Frost Goodfellow, and his
daughter, Vickie Stumpe. He was also the final surviving sibling of both his own and
Kathryn’s families.
His legacy lives on through his children: Reg Stumpe of Texas; Richard (Roseanna)
Goodfellow of California; Guy (LaDonn) Goodfellow of Burley; Shelly (Jeff) Struchen of
Idaho Falls; Gwen (Randy) Cracroft of Washington; and Shane Goodfellow of Burley.
He also leaves behind a generation of 24 beautiful grandchildren and 28 great-
grandchildren.