Evelyn Mae “Babe” Brown Richards (1924 - 2016)
Babe Richards was born in Whitehorse to parents Bernadine and T.C. Richards. She grew up when Whitehorse was a town of about 300 people in the winter and about 500 in the summer.1) She spent summers in the country as her father worked on his own mining ventures. She rode with him as he delivered fuel to the airstrip at Burwash. She would stay behind at McIntosh Lodge while her father completed the last difficult miles on the journey. Babe finished her schooling outside and returned to the Yukon in 1942 when the town was busy with soldiers.2) Babe Richards married John Brown and they lived in Whitehorse and Watson Lake.3) Brown ran a sawmill in Watson Lake.4) They moved to northern British Columbia in 1967.5)
In 1971 Babe returned to her hometown and became a central figure in the community. She was the owner and operator of the Broises Tienda dress shop and later a day care where she was known to the kids as Grandma Babe. She was well-known for her extensive work with local charities. She raised her own ten children and as well as a number of foster children. Babe had a great memory and could tell many stories about the past. One time she borrowed a bulldozer from a highway maintenance crew and briefly took a few lessons before building a road to a lake site where her family eventually built a cabin. Richards took on the role of beloved grandmother to twenty-three grandchildren, eventually becoming a great-grandmother to fifteen, and a great-great-grandmother to three.6)
Babe was an active and dedicated member of the Yukon Order of Pioneers Auxiliary. She welcomed calls from those who wanted to hear stories and borrow pictures or newspaper clippings to make copies.7) The Yukon Historical and Museums Association 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award was given to two recipients: Gudrun Sparling and Babe Richards. As Jim Robb wrote in his nomination, these ladies have always shared their valuable knowledge, experience and history of the area, to both the general public and to the media. The two lifelong friends have contributed a lot through the years. YHMA was pleased to honour two ladies who have contributed a true lifetime of building and preserving Yukon heritage.8) Babe Richards moved to Macaulay Lodge in March 2013 and soon became the unofficial greeter. She was remembered by her friend Goody Sparling as a “jolly” spirit.9)