Obituary for Charles Richard Vigstrom
CHARLES RICHARD VIGSTROM
October 30, 1940 - August 24, 2022
Charles Richard Vigstrom passed away on August 24, 2022, less than three months after the passing of his beloved wife Barbara.
Richard was born October 30, 1940, in Bakersfield, California. He was the oldest child of Sven Hilding Vigstrom and Rosalie Dover. He graduated from East Bakersfield High School in 1958. One day, cruising around in a 1952 Chevy with friends near Bakersfield High School, he was introduced to Barbara Sandberg. On January 14, 1961, Richard and Barbara were wed. Within the year they began their family. Although Barbara wanted a dozen children, they compromised and had four: Debbie, Billy, Cindy and Jennifer. Richard worked in the grocery business for over 20 years before transitioning into the construction and agriculture equipment industry. In 1984, Richard and Barbara started their own construction equipment business, Bakersfield Compaction Equipment. Initially, Richard ran it day-to-day while Barbara continued working as a grocery clerk at Thriftimart and Lucky's. Richard and Barbara worked hard and reinvested in their small venture and by 1998, they had four profitable companies: Bakersfield Compaction Equipment, Bakersfield Contractor Supplies, Bakersfield Ag Equipment and Bakersfield Trench Shoring. In 1999, Richard and Barbara sold their companies to United Rentals. Entrepreneurs at heart, they re-invested their returns from that sale in commercial real estate and built yet another profitable business which they owned and managed for the remainder of their lives. They never took the credit for any of their success, but instead they gave all the credit for their success to God.
Family was always important to Richard, and he was known to his children and grandchildren as Papa. Richard and Barbara were always together. They loved to travel, making over 20 pilgrimages to Israel, many with grandchildren whom Richard baptized in the Jordan River. Richard was a fan of Los Angeles Angels baseball and enjoyed having dinner weekly for 30 years with good friends Bob and the late Carol Langley and Bob's current wife Terrie, and Janet and the late Bob Goff. Richard was passionate about Israel and the Jewish community (Genesis 12:3), and he supported many organizations for over 30 years, including: Christian Friends of Israel, World Gospel Mission, Youth for Christ, Sunshine Acres Orphanage, Christian's Standing for Israel, Valley Bible Fellowship and Bridges for Peace, an international organization committed to building bridges of support, love and understanding between Christians and Jews.
Richard was preceded in death by his parents, Sven Hilding Vigstrom and Rosalie Dover, his sister Patricia Marshall and brothers John Vigstrom and Eddie Arnold. He is survived by sisters Julie Poston and Victoria Brown, daughter Debra and husband Glenn Nitayangkul, son Bill and wife Jacque (Endicott), daughter Cindy and husband Richard Sullenger, and daughter Jennifer and husband Russ Wilkins; he is also survived by his beloved grandchildren: Nathan Vigstrom Onesian and wife Kaylin (Kemper), Elizabeth (Vigstrom) Reed-Kraus and husband Ash, Hannah (Wilkins) Baker and husband Nick, Grace (Vigstrom) Champness and husband Sam, Juliana Sullenger, Victoria Vigstrom, Gigi Wilkins, Sarah Wilkins, James Sullenger, and Grayson Wilkins. Richard also leaves behind four much-beloved great-grandchildren, Charlotte and Colette Reed-Kraus and Theodore and Charles Champness.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Valley Bible Fellowship (VBF) Main Campus (2300 E. Brundage Ln. Bakersfield, CA 93307) on Saturday, October 1, 2022 at 11:00 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Bridges for Peace International in memory of Richard Vigstrom at https://www.bridgesforpeace.com/product/donation-usa/.
October 30, 1940 - August 24, 2022
Charles Richard Vigstrom passed away on August 24, 2022, less than three months after the passing of his beloved wife Barbara.
Richard was born October 30, 1940, in Bakersfield, California. He was the oldest child of Sven Hilding Vigstrom and Rosalie Dover. He graduated from East Bakersfield High School in 1958. One day, cruising around in a 1952 Chevy with friends near Bakersfield High School, he was introduced to Barbara Sandberg. On January 14, 1961, Richard and Barbara were wed. Within the year they began their family. Although Barbara wanted a dozen children, they compromised and had four: Debbie, Billy, Cindy and Jennifer. Richard worked in the grocery business for over 20 years before transitioning into the construction and agriculture equipment industry. In 1984, Richard and Barbara started their own construction equipment business, Bakersfield Compaction Equipment. Initially, Richard ran it day-to-day while Barbara continued working as a grocery clerk at Thriftimart and Lucky's. Richard and Barbara worked hard and reinvested in their small venture and by 1998, they had four profitable companies: Bakersfield Compaction Equipment, Bakersfield Contractor Supplies, Bakersfield Ag Equipment and Bakersfield Trench Shoring. In 1999, Richard and Barbara sold their companies to United Rentals. Entrepreneurs at heart, they re-invested their returns from that sale in commercial real estate and built yet another profitable business which they owned and managed for the remainder of their lives. They never took the credit for any of their success, but instead they gave all the credit for their success to God.
Family was always important to Richard, and he was known to his children and grandchildren as Papa. Richard and Barbara were always together. They loved to travel, making over 20 pilgrimages to Israel, many with grandchildren whom Richard baptized in the Jordan River. Richard was a fan of Los Angeles Angels baseball and enjoyed having dinner weekly for 30 years with good friends Bob and the late Carol Langley and Bob's current wife Terrie, and Janet and the late Bob Goff. Richard was passionate about Israel and the Jewish community (Genesis 12:3), and he supported many organizations for over 30 years, including: Christian Friends of Israel, World Gospel Mission, Youth for Christ, Sunshine Acres Orphanage, Christian's Standing for Israel, Valley Bible Fellowship and Bridges for Peace, an international organization committed to building bridges of support, love and understanding between Christians and Jews.
Richard was preceded in death by his parents, Sven Hilding Vigstrom and Rosalie Dover, his sister Patricia Marshall and brothers John Vigstrom and Eddie Arnold. He is survived by sisters Julie Poston and Victoria Brown, daughter Debra and husband Glenn Nitayangkul, son Bill and wife Jacque (Endicott), daughter Cindy and husband Richard Sullenger, and daughter Jennifer and husband Russ Wilkins; he is also survived by his beloved grandchildren: Nathan Vigstrom Onesian and wife Kaylin (Kemper), Elizabeth (Vigstrom) Reed-Kraus and husband Ash, Hannah (Wilkins) Baker and husband Nick, Grace (Vigstrom) Champness and husband Sam, Juliana Sullenger, Victoria Vigstrom, Gigi Wilkins, Sarah Wilkins, James Sullenger, and Grayson Wilkins. Richard also leaves behind four much-beloved great-grandchildren, Charlotte and Colette Reed-Kraus and Theodore and Charles Champness.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Valley Bible Fellowship (VBF) Main Campus (2300 E. Brundage Ln. Bakersfield, CA 93307) on Saturday, October 1, 2022 at 11:00 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Bridges for Peace International in memory of Richard Vigstrom at https://www.bridgesforpeace.com/product/donation-usa/.