Obituary of Eileen Arechabala Richins

Eileen Joaquina Arechabala Richins passed away in Chico, CA on November, 15, 2018, at the age of 98. She was born June 10, 1920 in Golconda, Nevada to Basque immigrants Lucio Arechabala and Rosenda Carballo Arechabala. She was the 6th of 7 children born at the Morning Star Hotel owned by her parents.

After high school Eileen worked in Winnemucca until 1944 when she and her sister Clara joined the Navy W.A.V.E.S. They went to boot camp in New York City and were then stationed in Farragut, Idaho where they met their future husbands, two Marines. Eileen and Warren Richins were married September 1st, 1945 and moved to his home town of Gridley, CA. Eileen was a homemaker while her 4 children were young and then worked for many years as the office manager for Boccardo Ranches. She also did interpreting for the Gridley Justice Court. She spent many years involved with Campfire for her girls and Boy Scouts and Little League for her boys. She was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Pink Lady Auxiliary, Green Thumb Garden Club and Women of the Moose. As an avid reader, she was also a member of the Friends of the Library. Her interests included genealogy, fishing, gardening, playing poker, crossword puzzles, and she and Warren Square danced with the Golden Peaches, but her greatest love was for her family. She was happiest reading to a grandchild sitting on her lap.

Eileen was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Warren, her son, Keith and six siblings.

She is survived by her three children, Kathleen (Gary) Mitchell, Norman (Marilyn) Richins, Rosemary (David) Kelly; her grandchildren, Matt Mitchell, Heidi (Ed) Angerstein, Bill (Tammy) Moran, Casey Moran, Nikki (Juston) Smith, Abigail (Jason) Kelly, Christopher, Jade and James Kelly; and great-grandchildren, Josh, Megan, Kennedy, Austin, Sam, Cole, Ava, Jordan, Belle, Luke, Levi, Baylor and Sawyer.

Services will be held on Friday, November 30, 2018 at 10:00 A.M. at the Gridley-Block Funeral Chapel in Gridley, CA. The family will host a luncheon afterwards at the Moose Lodge. Please come by and celebrate Eileen's life with our family.

Arrangements entrusted to Gridley-Block Funeral Chapel, 530-846-2138.