Following our family reunion in North Carolina, Bob and I drove to Richmond, Virginia, to spend a couple of days capturing memories of the place Bob grew up. Whenever I visit Virginia, I can't help be think how similar the beautiful green foliage is to that of our home in Texas. We were there from the evening of June 13 to June 16, 2021. I've included a few pictures of the general area which we saw while driving around Richmond. The first is what was, in 1958, the Stewart Circle Hospital where Bob was born. It is named after J.E.B. Stuart, a Confederate General, whose image was placed on the monument in the circle until defiled and deconstructed in July of 2020 as a result of the "Black Lives Matter" movement.
Monument Avenue is such a beautiful street in Richmond. It was appalling to see the desecrated Andrew Jackson memorial and others which were destroyed during the "Black Lives Matter" riots which occurred there during 2020. Although I understand the desire to destroy racism in America, I disagree with efforts to try to erase history. Interestingly, the "Baked Potato" building, inspired by a foil-wrapped potato, (seriously) the Markel Building has been deemed one of the 10 ugliest buildings in the world.
Hollywood Cemetery near the James River is truly a beautiful arboretum spread out over the rolling hills of Richmond.
"Richmond's Movie Palace", the historical Byrd Theater, built in 1928 in the Carytown neighborhood, still appears as elegant and glamourous as ever
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Museums of History and Art are positioned throughout Richmond. The James River is such a beautiful natural resource flowing through the city, providing respite from urban life.
Bob took us around Richmond to see some of the places of significance in his personal history. His father was involved in real estate and their family lived in several homes during his youth. The first home Bob remembers in the southwest side of Richmond, on Shore Lane Road had a creek in the backyard and was in a nice family neighborhood.
A unique property called Huguenot Springs, caught dad's attention and they moved into the country in Powhatan County. The home was a section of the Huguenot Springs Hotel of 1846, which became a Confederate Hospital during the Civil War. It included 160 acres of wooded forest land. There were four natural springs on the property. There were two similar small homes on the acreage and one of them was restored for use and provided a place for Bob's Aunt Susie English (his father's Aunt) to live with them. Bob lived there from the time he was about 8 years old until 15. He remembers learning how to do electrical and plumbing work while living here. It was here that his father bought two XKE Jaguar automobiles, which began Bob's love of Jaguars.
A small memorial cemetery is located near the home where the hotel hospital was located, in honor of 250 Civil War soldiers who died, mostly from disease rather than battle wounds.
Perhaps the most memorable, and tragic experiences of Bob's life occurred here the day after he turned 12. His 4-year-old sister, Lisa, was somehow crushed by some farm equipment. His mother grabbed Bob to provide CPR to his sister while they rushed to the hospital, which was about 30 minutes away. Sadly, Lisa did not survive. These are photos of that hospital.
The family tired of country life and moved back into the city. This home at 4232 Hickory Road, near the James River had their first in-ground swimming pool in the backyard. They lived here until Bob was almost 19, when he helped his family move to Harlingen, Texas, following his first year at Brigham Young University.
A Christmas present Bob remembers receiving when he was 15 years-old, was $100, which was used to purchase two junkyard Ramblers. Bob was challenged to take apart the two of them and figure out a way to make one of them work. The station wagon was in better condition than the sedan, and he, with a little help from his older brother, Tom, and their dad, was able to get the station wagon working! However, he had to wait another year until he had his driver's license to drive it. They put a straight pipe exhaust on the wagon, and it had a leaky piston valve. When down-shifting gears on road declines, it would rumble and puff until a big red flame shot out of the exhaust. They appropriately lovingly called the Rambler "The Bomb"! He drove it for about a year until the family purchased a yellow 1968 Camaro. After serving his mission in Alberta, Canada, Bob was given the car with the condition that he fix the burned out motor, and it became the car he owned at BYU when we were dating.
Another equally devastating memory is associated with this home on Hickory Road. While Bob was a freshman at BYU, he received a phone call from his mom saying that his 14-year-old brother, Scott, had died in a tragic school accident. A student in Scott's shop class had found a mortar shell at a Boy Scout Camp, which had been a Military Base called AP Hill, and had brought it into the school shop and tried to open it. The resulting explosion threw shrapnel a great distance away, where Scott happened to be. Scott was the only student killed in the accident.
The Goodman children, attended a private school called Huguenot Academy. Their parents were concerned about having them in public school, where tensions were high during attempts to end segregation in the schools. They would have been bused clear across town to attend school, so they chose to enroll at Huguenot Academy instead. It was designed for K-12th grades, and had approximately 100 students in each grade. Bob started 3rd grade and graduated from high school there. He was on the football, track and tennis teams and has great memories of his school experiences. I loved visiting the school grounds and enjoyed walking around the peaceful sweet campus which is still in use.
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As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, our chapels and meetinghouses are always crucial to our social and spiritual growth. The first chapel below, on Monument Avenue, was the first LDS Chapel built in Richmond and was constructed primarily through member labor. Bob was photographed as a 3-year-old carrying bricks while construction was taking place. As the church grew, the Midlothian Building (below), on the south side of the James river, was built. Bob was probably about 14 when his family began attending here.
We visited Forest Lawn Cemetery, where Lisa and Scott are buried. We were unable to locate Lisa's tombstone but requested that the cemetery find and uncover it. Robert Maurice Goodman and Shirley Bernice Motschman Goodman, Bob's parents, are also buried in this cemetery, in a peaceful place underneath the trees at the top left of the last photo below. Sallie and Thomas Goodman, Bob's grandfather's brother and wife, are also interred here. Bob's dad and sister Jean, lived with Tom and Sallie most of their teenage years since they were unable to have children. Bob's brother Tom is named after this Great Uncle.
Someday, it will be a joyful reunion with family members that are greatly loved and sorely missed!
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