CARL GENE RIDER WAS BORN JULY 4th 1950 TO EDNA (BARRETT) AND GARVIS RIDER IN MUSKOGEE OKLAHOMA. WE WILL FORGIVE HIM FOR STARTING OFF AS AN OKIE. HE HAD AN OLDER BROTHER, CHRIS AND A BELOVED YOUNGER BROTHER DOUGLAS. WHEN CARL WAS FIVE YEARS OLD THE LORD SHOWERED THIS FAMILLY WITH GRACE AND PLACED THEM IN DENISON, TEXAS. AT THE AGE OF SIXTEEN HE MET CONNIE SIMS AND THREE YEARS LATER THEY WERE MARRIED. THE LORD BLESSED THEM WITH A GOLDEN-HAIRED LITTLE BABY GIRL NAMED CARLA. TWO YEARS LATER THEY WERE BLESSED WITH A CHUNKY RED-HAIRED SON NAMED MICHAEL, WHO CARL ALWAYS CALLED HIS SUNNY BOY.
CARL STARTED TO WORK AT AGE NINE THROWING NEWSPAPERS AND HE NEVER STOPPED WORKING. HE WORKED AT JM FOR 18 YRS. IN 1985 HE STARTED THE CARL RIDER INSURANCE AGENCY. HE STARTED AT THE BOTTOM AND MADE A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS. HE WAS WELL RESPECTED BY OTHER AGENTS AND HIS CLIENTS. NO MATTER WHERE HE WENT SOMEONE WOULD KNOW HIM. HE RETIRED IN 2010 FOR HEALTH REASONS.
CARL WAS A CHRISTIAN MAN. HE WAS NOT ONLY AN EXAMPLE FOR HIS CHILDREN BUT TO MANY OTHERS. HE DIDN’T JUST GO TO CHURCH TO ENJOY HE WENT TO WORK FOR THE LORD. HE SERVED ON THE BOARD FOR MANY YEARS. HE WAS HEAD OF BUILDING AND GROUNDS. HE DROVE THE CHURCH BUS AND DELIVERED MANY CHILDREN TO THE CHURCH TO LEARN OF GOD’S GOODNESS. HE LOVED GOD AND WAS DEVOTED TO THE CHURCH.
CARL LOVED SPORTS. HE PRACTICED WITH CARLA AND MICHAEL SO THEY COULD PLAY AT THEIR BEST ABILITY. HE COACHED BOYS BASEBALL, BASKETBALL AND SOCCER. HE ALSO COACHED GIRLS SOCCER. HE ALWAYS PLAYED EVERY CHILD BUT ALWAYS WENT FOR THE WIN. HE WAS VERY COMPETITIVE. HE ALWAYS WATCHED THE RANGERS, MAVERICKS, AND COWBOYS. HE SAID “CONNIE YOU LIVE IN TEXAS, YOU SUPPORT TEXAS TEAMS, NONE OF THIS OUT OF STATE STUFF.”
CARL WAS A BIG DEER HUNTER AND NEVER MISSED A HUNT. HE ALWAYS SHOT HIS LIMIT. HE TOLD MICHAEL “SON, DON’T KILL ANY OF GOD’S ANIMALS UNLESS YOU PLAN TO EAT THEM.” HE SPENT MANY DAYS ON THE LAKE FISHING WITH HIS SON, MICHAEL AND GRANDSON, RIDER. THEY SPENT MOST OF THEIR TIME ROWING BACK TO THE SHORE BECAUSE THE OLE BOAT WOULD POOP OUT 98 PERCENT OF THE TIME. THEY LOVED IT.
CARL’S IDEA OF A VACATION WAS PULLING THE TRAILER TO ARKANSAS TO CAMP WITH THE FAMILY. HE LOVED THE HILLS OF ARKANSAS AND ALL OF CONNIE’S GREAT BIG FAMILY. THERE WAS ALWAYS LOTS OF FOOD AND MANY LAUGHS. JUST SIT BACK AND ENJOY LIFE AND ALL THE GOODNESS AND LOVE BEING WITH FAMILY, THAT WAS HIS TIME OUT.
ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF HIS LIFE WERE HIS VISITS FROM HIS BROTHER, DOUG. AFTER THE DEMENTIA DOUG WOULD COME BY AND PICK CARL UP AND OFF THEY WOULD GO TO WHATABURGER. CARL HAD DEMENTIA FOR EIGHT YEARS, THAT WAS A LOT OF HAMBURGERS. WHEN THE COVID HIT, DOUG WOULD CALL EVERY TWO WEEKS TO TALK TO CARL. CARL WAS BLESSED TO BE LOVED BY SUCH A WONDERFUL BROTHER.
CARL IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE OF 52 YEARS, CONNIE; HIS BEAUTIFUL DEVOTED DAUGHTER, CARLA AND HER HUSBAND, RICK WHO TOOK SUCH GOOD CARE OF CARL; HIS SWEET BELOVED SUNNY BOY, MICHAEL AND HIS WIFE, MELISSA ANN WHO WAS SO LOVING AND KIND TO CARL; HIS GRANDCHILDREN THAT ADORED THEIR POPS, RIDER, CONDEY, AND BARRETT CALHOUN, EMMA AND EVA RIDER; HIS BELOVED BROTHER, DOUG (TAMELA); HIS BROTHER- IN- LAWS WHO HE CALLED HIS BROTHERS, KEITH (BRENDA), JOHNNY (JUNELLE), MILLARD (DARLA) AND BARRY (TEMPIE). 48 NIECES AND NEPHEWS; 4 AUNTS AND 1 UNCLE AND WAY TOO MANY COUSINS TO COUNT.
The family requests that this be a private service. Thank you for your understanding.
