Randy Lee Houghton1

M, #67651, b. 4 July 1975, d. 16 March 2002

Family: Randi D. Hons

Biography

Corresponded with author?
A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
BirthJul 4, 1975Midland Co., TX, USA1,3
Education1993Roswell, NM, USA, Goddard High School
MarriageOct 21, 1995Roswell, Chaves Co., NM, USA1,4
DeathMar 16, 2002Roswell, NM, USA, by the gunman who invaded his home along with other emergency responders.
BurialOsawatomie Cemetery, Osawatomie, Miami Co., KS, USA, His wife has his ashes.1,4
ObituaryMar 22, 2002Roswell, NM, USA, Roswell Daily Record (NM) - March 22, 2002
Deceased Name: Randy Houghton: Friends remember slain comrade
Carin Pettersson

Record Staff Writer

The members of the City Parks Department managed to laugh out loud in spite of everything they have been through, as they were remembering their friend and colleague, Randy Houghton.

"He was one of the kind," said Anthony Stroble, grounds maintainer, who had known Randy since 1995 and considered him one of his closest friends. "The thing is, he would give the shirt of his back. Literally he gave me his coverall's so I could be warm on the tractor. It was cold outside."

Randy was willing to share what ever he had. As Stroble started his story of that cold winter day last year, the voices in the next room seemed to die down, like they were remembering their own stories and what he meant to them.

According to Roland Lipscomb, parks superintendent, Randy started as a temporary out of high school. He later came back and worked full-time for the department.

Randy worked with parks maintenance for eight years before he transferred to the streets department in June 2000. They were sad to see him go, but his front door was always open and they knew they would always be welcome.

"It was a pleasure to work with Randy," explained Mike Ramey, a fellow grounds maintainer. Randy and Ramey had been friends since their high school days at Goddard. "He always gave a 110 percent If you has a problem or something, he would always help."

As Ramey and Stroble continued their stories of their friend, their laughter and memories seem to brighten the large, empty room.

According to the friends, Randy was a true friend for them all and he will be greatly missed.

"He was always exited to see a friend," Stroble said. "You could always drop by his house. He would always invite you in. I remember, if you didn't attend on going to his house, don't say you were because he would bug you. He would call; 'you are coming over, right?'"

The voices beyond the wall have died down and the men to whom they belong have moved into the large room. They are sitting quietly listening.

According to his friends, he would do anything to help a person in need because that was who he was.

"Regardless of whatever, he wasn't a hero or nothing, he would have done it for anybody," Ramey commented as he looked away. "It has been a reality check for a lot of people. It's hard. You never know what's going to happen, when your time is up."

As they reminisced, the members of the parks department said they expected to see Randy walk in the door with a smile on his face, ready to make them laugh and for a little while make them forget about all their troubles.

"He always made you laugh," Ramey said. "'I got you to smile, didn't I?' He was a good guy. He was fun to be around."

Ramey and Stroble were talking at the same time as they explained how Randy would run up the concrete wall and do an elegant backward flip.

"He would always try everything once," Ramey said. "We always tease him; 'You will fall and break you neck.' 'Nah, it will be all right.' I used to say to him, if you could bundle up some of that energy, I would take it."

Most of the parks employees had all heard stories of his kids, Haily, 5, and Kordale, 3. He was so proud of them, and they were his joy.

"He died doing the thing he did best - loving his kids," Strobler explained. "He loved his kids more than anything in the world."

According to his friends, Randy was an avid outdoors man who was always ready to go. Many of them had been fishing buddies for years. He was also an die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan. Ramey said that when he and his wife bought their house, Randy was one of the first people to offer to come and help with the renovations.

"He painted 'Dallas Cowboys are no. 1' (on the wall)," Ramey said and couldn't help but to laugh. "My wife said, 'Get that (...) of my wall.'"

And of course, Randy did paint over his message. The Ramey family no longer has that memory plastered across their wall, even though Randy never did change his opinion- the Dallas Cowboys were always no. 1.

"He is the one guy that you can say was a true friend," Ramey said. "If he said he would be there, he would. We were thinking of his family. They (Randy and his wife, Randi) must have been made for each other. They were a pair. She was just as hyper as he was. You couldn't ask for better people. All our hopes, hearts and prayers are with Kordale and with the Houghton family. Deep in our hearts we had to love him a little bit."

Randy will always be missed, and for the guys at the department, they will always kind of expect him to walk in that door with a smile on his face.

"You would think he would out live us all," Stroble said. "That's the shock of it all. I could sit and talk about him forever, stories and the things he would do. Everybody here has a story about him. No matter how bad a day you were having, he would always be able to make you laugh. He was such a great guy, and I just wanted everybody to know that."

Then as they had filtered into the room with the memories of their friend, the men disappeared. Then all that was left was the empty room, except that the memories had remained, as they always will.5
BiographyAccording to a representative for Covenant Health Systems in Lubbock, Roswell Fire Chief Louis Jones and 3-year-old Cordell Houghton remain in critical condition at the intensive care unit.

Jones and Houghton were shot by Paul Freeman, a man with a history of mental problems, when he opened fire with a 9mm handgun against a neighbor, and ambulance and fire department personnel. Houghton’s father, Randy, and EMT Steve Lovato were pronounced dead at the scene. Freeman committed suicide shortly after firing the deadly shots.

According to Richard Campbell, chief of police, Freeman always carried a weapon with him.

According to Campbell, Freeman took Haily Houghton, 5, as a hostage and used her as a shield as he shot her father, brother, Steve Lovato and Jones.

“He had taken the little girl hostage,” Campbell said. “He retreated into a bedroom with the little girl.

Citations

  1. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , www.oshelp.com/houghtonfamily.
  2. [S1364] Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997, online Ancestry.Com, Roll Number: 1971_0008.
  3. [S1364] Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997, online Ancestry.Com, Roll Number: 1975_0007.
  4. [S415] E-mail from Elizabeth Houghton, April 21, 2011.
  5. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , http://www.genealogybank.com/gbnk/obituaries; Houghton Surname.

Patrick Thomas Sigler

M, #67652, b. 11 January 2003

Biography

Corresponded with author?
A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
BirthJan 11, 2003Dallas, TX, USA
Living2020Frisco, TX, USA

Charles Emerson Sigler

M, #67653, b. 27 January 2003

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
Corresponded with author?
BirthJan 27, 2003Houston, TX, USA

James W. Mennis

M, #67654, b. June 1848

Family: Rosana Houghton b. Feb 1850

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
Corresponded with author?
BirthJun, 1848NY, USA
MarriageJun 6, 1876DeKalb Co., IL, USA, Book E, p. 1251
BurialEvergreen Cemetery, DeKalb Co., IL, USA

Citations

  1. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900: Houghton Surname search.
  2. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , www.oshelp.com/houghtonfamily.

Bertha Mennis1

F, #67655, b. September 1884, d. 1957

Biography

Corresponded with author?
A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
BirthSep, 1884IL, USA1
Death19571

Citations

  1. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , www.oshelp.com/houghtonfamily.

Arthur Elon Matteson1

M, #67656, b. 28 April 1842, d. 17 April 1919

Family: Elizabeth (?) b. 17 Nov 1846, d. 21 Dec 1912

  • Marriage*: Arthur Elon Matteson married Elizabeth (?) on Nov 21, 1867.1

Biography

Corresponded with author?
A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
BirthApr 28, 18421
MarriageNov 21, 18671
DeathApr 17, 19191

Citations

  1. [S415] E-mail from Marilyn Dickerson, Feb. 11, 2002: DAR Application sheet for Marcia Matteson Lescher.

Elizabeth (?)1

F, #67657, b. 17 November 1846, d. 21 December 1912

Family: Arthur Elon Matteson b. 28 Apr 1842, d. 17 Apr 1919

Biography

Corresponded with author?
A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
BirthNov 17, 18461
MarriageNov 21, 18671
DeathDec 21, 19121

Citations

  1. [S415] E-mail from Marilyn Dickerson, Feb. 11, 2002: DAR Application sheet for Marcia Matteson Lescher.

Marcia Matteson1

F, #67658

Family: (?) Lescher

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
Corresponded with author?
BirthKewanee, Henry Co., IL, USA1
Marriage1
DARbased on descendancy from Rufus Houghton

Citations

  1. [S415] E-mail from Marilyn Dickerson, Feb. 11, 2002: DAR Application sheet for Marcia Matteson Lescher.

(?) Lescher1

M, #67659

Family: Marcia Matteson

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
Corresponded with author?
Marriage1

Citations

  1. [S415] E-mail from Marilyn Dickerson, Feb. 11, 2002: DAR Application sheet for Marcia Matteson Lescher.

Homer McMichael1

M, #67660

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
Corresponded with author?
Birth

Citations

  1. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , www.oshelp.com/houghtonfamily.

Gussie McMichael1

F, #67661

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
Corresponded with author?
Birth

Citations

  1. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , www.oshelp.com/houghtonfamily.

Blanche McMichael1

F, #67662

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
Corresponded with author?
Birth

Citations

  1. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , www.oshelp.com/houghtonfamily.

James McMichael1

M, #67663

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
Corresponded with author?
Birth

Citations

  1. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , www.oshelp.com/houghtonfamily.

Ella McMichael1

F, #67664

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
Corresponded with author?
Birth

Citations

  1. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , www.oshelp.com/houghtonfamily.

Flrorence McMichael1

F, #67665

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
Corresponded with author?
Birth

Citations

  1. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , www.oshelp.com/houghtonfamily.

Floyd McMichael1

M, #67666

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
Corresponded with author?
Birth

Citations

  1. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , www.oshelp.com/houghtonfamily.

Lucy Dayton1

F, #67667, b. 26 February 1879, d. 22 March 1900

Family: John McMichael b. 30 Oct 1858, d. 19 Jun 1936

Biography

Corresponded with author?
A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
BirthFeb 26, 18791
Marriage1
DeathMar 22, 1900Wellfleet, NE, USA1

Citations

  1. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , www.oshelp.com/houghtonfamily.

Eva McMichael1

F, #67668, b. 27 October 1881, d. 25 August 1957

Family: Clyde Masters

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
Corresponded with author?
BirthOct 27, 1881Perry, Dallas Co., IA, USA1
MarriageJun 14, 19081
DeathAug 25, 1957Crawford, NE, USA1

Citations

  1. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , www.oshelp.com/houghtonfamily.

Clyde Masters1

M, #67669

Family: Eva McMichael b. 27 Oct 1881, d. 25 Aug 1957

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
Corresponded with author?
MarriageJun 14, 19081

Citations

  1. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , www.oshelp.com/houghtonfamily.

Edward McMichael1

M, #67670, b. 31 August 1884, d. 6 August 1906

Biography

Corresponded with author?
A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
BirthAug 31, 1884Perry, IA, USA1
DeathAug 6, 1906Wallfleet, NE, USA1

Citations

  1. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , www.oshelp.com/houghtonfamily.

Lorena McMichael1

F, #67671, b. 7 December 1885, d. 27 February 1970

Family: James Stevens

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
Corresponded with author?
BirthDec 7, 1885Verdon, NE, USA1
MarriageMar 26, 19051
DeathFeb 27, 1970Glendale, Los Angeles Co., CA, USA1

Citations

  1. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , www.oshelp.com/houghtonfamily.

James Stevens1

M, #67672

Family: Lorena McMichael b. 7 Dec 1885, d. 27 Feb 1970

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
Corresponded with author?
MarriageMar 26, 19051

Citations

  1. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , www.oshelp.com/houghtonfamily.

Pearl McMichael1

F, #67673, b. 25 July 1889, d. 27 July 1927

Family: Arthur D. Jackson

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
Corresponded with author?
BirthJul 25, 1889Perry, Dallas Co., IA, USA1
MarriageAug 20, 19011
DeathJul 27, 1927Cheyenne, NE, USA1

Citations

  1. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , www.oshelp.com/houghtonfamily.

Arthur D. Jackson1

M, #67674

Family: Pearl McMichael b. 25 Jul 1889, d. 27 Jul 1927

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
Corresponded with author?
MarriageAug 20, 19011

Citations

  1. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , www.oshelp.com/houghtonfamily.

Mertie McMichael1

F, #67675, b. 15 November 1893, d. 24 January 1912

Family: Robert Newton Purcel

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
Corresponded with author?
BirthNov 15, 1893Wallfleet, NE, USA1
Marriage19091
DeathJan 24, 1912Wallfleet, NE, USA1

Citations

  1. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , www.oshelp.com/houghtonfamily.

Robert Newton Purcel1

M, #67676

Family: Mertie McMichael b. 15 Nov 1893, d. 24 Jan 1912

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
Corresponded with author?
Marriage19091

Citations

  1. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , www.oshelp.com/houghtonfamily.

Oliver McMichael1

M, #67677, b. 17 August 1896, d. 14 October 1896

Biography

Corresponded with author?
A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
BirthAug 17, 1896Wallfleet, NE, USA1
DeathOct 14, 1896Wallfleet, NE, USA1

Citations

  1. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , www.oshelp.com/houghtonfamily.

Jane Ann Kile1

F, #67678, b. 17 September 1878, d. 3 October 1962

Family 1: Walter Leighton Colton b. 22 Sep 1876, d. 18 Jun 1905

Family 2: John McMichael b. 30 Oct 1858, d. 19 Jun 1936

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
Corresponded with author?
BirthSep 17, 1878Muscatine, IA, USA1
BurialViolet Hill Cemetery, Perry, Dallas Co., IA, USA1
MarriageAug 20, 1919Des Moines, Polk Co., IA, USA1
DeathOct 3, 1962Clarenda, IA, USA1
ParentsDElijah Kile and Ellenor Armstrong1

Citations

  1. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , www.oshelp.com/houghtonfamily.

John Leonard McMichael1

M, #67679

Family: Elaine Alberts Anderson

Biography

Corresponded with author?
A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
Birth
Marriage1

Citations

  1. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , www.oshelp.com/houghtonfamily.

Elaine Alberts Anderson1

F, #67680

Family: John Leonard McMichael

Biography

Corresponded with author?
A Contributor to Houghton Surname Project?
Marriage1

Citations

  1. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , www.oshelp.com/houghtonfamily.