As posted to FaceBook with some of the replies.
Fran Kirschner Petrella
One of the most difficult times in our lives, whether you are an only child or one of a number of siblings, is when a parent dies…having to deal with the “stuff” of their lives, tying up loose ends, deciding what to keep and what to let go of (be it to storage, Goodwill, the trash, or elsewhere). Recognizing that our parents actually had a life separate from ours, discovering things that are remembered and cherished from our childhood (“OMG, did they really keep that all these years?!” or “What were they thinking?” or “I wonder what they were doing/where were they when they picked this up?” or “That couch must be 40 years old.”) can be a sad and poignant experience.
We Kirschner “kids” have had to deal with the closing of both our parents’ chapters in life; our mom, in 2009, and now our dad, just a week and a half ago. There was one constant in these two events…Richard Old (Estate Services). I want to publicly thank this former classmate of mine, on behalf of my brothers and sister, for helping make those two experiences as painless as possible. “Keep everything you want and we’ll take care of the rest” is his mantra. And it’s true. He will find a home for those hundreds of books Dad had collected over the years, that we have no interest in, or the clothing, bedding, and shoes we didn’t know what to do with, or those tchotchkes or artwork that aren’t “our style” and have no sentimental value to us. He is the expert. He conducts his business and interactions with respect and compassion.
If you find yourselves needing to close a chapter in the Pullman-Moscow area, I strongly recommend you call Richard early in the process (509-332-2989). He helped us immensely and we greatly appreciate it. Thank you, Richard.
Fred K Lange Yep – our experience as well from last Fall. An invaluable resource at a difficult time.
Ross McIvor Richard was great after my 3 brothers and I were going through our house after our Dad died. One of those services that allowed us to focus on the personal time together and not have to spend time on how to deal with everything in the house we did not want.
Lois Acuff Richard was a god-send for our family. He is quick, organized, and professional. I too, urge anybody trying to settle an estate in Pullman to call him.
Kristi Smith When I had to bring my mother back to Nebraska about 15 years ago, I had to clean out her house, sent a lot back in a U-haul with my husband, I too am an only child and I was lost, also had to put the house on the market and our realtor told me about Richard. What a God Send, he brought me from tears and distraught to knowing he would absolutely take care of everything. I am forever grateful to him.
Judy Soule Hear, hear! Richard was priceless in helping my parents move from Side St to Bishop Place, and then my mom’s move to Portland in 2011.