Richard and LaNay Magoffin – By Jane Topham

She was still there when he returned from his LDS mission.  Richard was born in San Diego, California on October 30, 1939.  His parents were Garold A. and Areletta C. Magoffin.  He had 2 older brothers and an older sister who died when she was younger.  His father was a plumber by trade.  LaNay was born in Keams Canyon, Arizona on January 8, 1940, on the Hopi Indian Reservation.  Her father was Wayne Webb and her mother was Charlotte Harris Webb.  Her father worked for the government building roads and bridges in Northern Arizona.  She had 2 brothers and 2 sisters; she was the youngest. 

            Richard and LaNay are the parents of 2 boys and 3 girls:  NayLynn (Lain) Rudd, Springville; Darin (Tracie) Magoffin, Elk Ridge; Melanie (Scott) Hilson, Reno, Nevada; Russell (Angela) Magoffin, Nampa, Idaho; Catherine (Derek) Hable, Jakarta, Indonesia.  They have 25 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. 

            In 1957 Richard came to BYU as one of 5 recruits from the San Diego area on a football scholarship.  Hal Kopp was the coach at the time.  The LDS missionaries came to their apartment three times looking for Gary Dunn.  Each time Gary was not home and finally Richard told them he was not a member either.  He set up an appointment for when Gary would be home.  Richard received the missionary discussions at that time.  Through prayer he received a testimony of the Gospel.  His older brother, Don, was playing football at Cal Poly.  Unbeknown to each other they both accepted the Gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  They had both asked their older brother Gary to baptize them over spring break.  So Don and Richard were both baptized by Gary on the same day. 

           LaNay was a secretary for the Athletic Department at BYU when Richard came to play football.    Richard felt committed to play football for BYU for the four years of his scholarship.  He played center, line backer and was Team Captain.  After four years he served an LDS mission to the North British Mission.  After his mission, Richard still needed a semester to finish his degree in Animal Science with a major in Poultry and returned to BYU as he was still on a scholarship.  LaNay was still there as secretary for the Athletic Department.  He said when he joined the Church he didn’t have time to date, that “girls were a deterrent”.   But Richard and LaNay started to date the day he got back.  They were married in September 1963.  LaNay was working for BYU when LaVell Edwards was hired as Assistant Coach for BYU.  Richard and LaNay bought their home in Salem in 2005. 

            Richard has worked for several companies associated with the egg and poultry industry.  He worked for John Huntsman Sr. when he invented the Styrofoam “clam shell” containers first used by McDonalds.  Later Richard and his brothers started a hog ranch on the family’s 200-acre ranch in San Diego.  Of course LaNay was involved with this.  The agriculture business was dying down in California because of regulations so in 1995 Richard became a consultant for the egg and poultry industry.  He and LaNay traveled for 10 years with his work.  She said it was a perpetual vacation for her.  Richard said LaNay was a very good secretary and excelled in shorthand.  She was an office manager for an insurance company in El Cajon, California. 

            LaNay said this last year they were able to complete an item on their “Bucket List” and that was to visit all 50 states.  They often stayed in the “Wal-Mart” campground.  LaNay said Richard is a good handyman.  Richard  likes anything athletic and physical.  LaNay enjoys music, having been an organist all her life and singing in the choir.  She crochets, sews and is an avid reader.  Richard and LaNay enjoyed serving an LDS mission to Cape Town, South Africa from 2005-2007.  There is not room to expound on all their experiences.  LaNay did teach Key Boarding in the townships so they could have music for their services.  She received a box of sock dolls which she was able to donate to a shelter for abused women and children.  They were so appreciative of them.  When they got home LaNay helped do a Humanitarian Project making sock dolls to send to the branch in Grahamstown, South Africa.  They left with a special word from their mission:  SACTM – “South Africa Cape Town Mission” and “Serve Always Christ The Master”.  LaNay is proud of her Mormon heritage.  Her 5^th Great Grandfather, Emer Harris, was a brother to Martin Harris.  Martin gave Emer the first Book of Mormon that was printed.  It is now in the LDS Church Archives in Salt Lake.  . 

            Richard and LaNay, may you continue to share your exciting life stories.

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Salem City Newsletter, Senior Spotlight, May 2017, page 3.