Verla Lavon (Cook) Richardson, 82, of Mesa, AZ, formerly of Kansas City, KS died Thursday, March 8, 2012 at the Copper Cottage Hospice Center in Mesa, AZ. Funeral services 11:00 a.m. Thursday, March 15, 2012 at the Atkinson Chapel in Harrisonville, MO with burial at Glenwild Cemetery, Cleveland, MO. Visitation will be 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Thursday. Memorial contributions may be made to the West Line Christian Church or Glenwild Cemetery.

Verla was born December 16, 1929 in West Line, MO the daughter of Ted R. and Alta (Slusher) Cook. On June 21, 1947, she was united in marriage to Clifford "Gene" Eugene Richardson. She and Gene owned and operated the Boathouse at Wyandotte County Lake for 18 years. Together they also owned several A & W Restaurants in the Kansas City area before moving to Arizona in 1976 where they owned several Taco Bells. She and Gene enjoyed traveling around the United States, Canada and China.


She was preceded in death by her husband, Gene, on May 18, 2011, her parents and one brother, Jack Cook. She is survived by two nephews and one niece and their families, Daryl Cook and his wife, Naomi, of Cleveland, MO, Kris Cook and his wife, Jennifer, of Harrisonville, and Sandra Cook and her companion, Clifford Linder, of Harrisonville, MO. She is also survived by several nieces and nephews on the Richardson side.