OCR Text |
Show Well Known Pioneer, Father of Local Doctor, Honored At Last Rites One of the few remaining Utahns to have witnessed the growth of the state from early beginnings, Willard Brigham Richards, 95, widely-known resident re-sident of Salt Lake City, died Saturday at 11:50 p.m. at his home at 935 Hollywood avenue. He had suffered a heart attack while in his garden May 28. He was the father of Dr. Paul S. Richards of Bingham hospital. Up to the last minute of his life Mr. Richards retained a vivid memory of a full, long life. He was a man of intelligence and personality and these attributes won mm a nost oi mends. He was a son of Dr. Willard and Sarah Longstroth Richards, born January 25, 1847, in Winter Quarters, near Omaha, Neb. His father, second counselor to Brigham Brig-ham Young, was with the first band of pioneers entering Salt Lake valley in July, 1847. Due to the child's birth, Mrs. Richards Rich-ards stayed in Nebraska until 1848 and then joined Mr. Richards, Rich-ards, i The Richards home occupied the ground where the Deseret News now stands. Dr. Richards, at the time of his death March 11, 1854, had served as secretary of state in the provisional government gov-ernment of Deseret from 1849 to 1851; was editor and proprietor of the Deseret News from its beginning be-ginning (June 15, 1850) until his death; and he was also the first postmaster in Salt Lake City, a position held at his death. Young Willard was seven when his father died. Four years later, when his mother died, he went to Farmington and lived three years. At the age of 14 he was doing a man's work and soon became be-came one of the west's outstanding outstand-ing horseback riders. He served a mission for the LDS church in Europe, walking across the plains with 26 other missionaries and spending one year in England and one in Switzerland. Swit-zerland. On his return he became well known as a breeder of thoroughbred thorough-bred horses. He married Anne Doremus, daughter of Dr. Henry Doremus, a leading educator, on August 22, 1877. She died in 1888 and in 1890 Mr. Richards married Louie Snelgrove, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Snelgrove. Surviving are his widow; four sons, Willard B. Jr., and Albert Z. Richards of Salt Lake City; Preston D. Richards of Los Angeles, An-geles, and Dr. Paul S. Richards of Bingham; five daughters, Mrs. A. C. Gunderson of Holladay; Mrs. J. Bryant Barton of Albuquerque, Albu-querque, N.M.; Miss Mary Joie Richards and Mrs. Benn E. Broad-bent Broad-bent of Salt Lake City, and Mrs. George L, Eldredge of San Fran- Cisco; two sisters, Mrs. PhoeDe Richards Peart of Salt Lake City, and Mrs. Pauline Richards Doremus Dore-mus of Los Angeles; 31 grandchildren grand-children and 12 great grandchildren. grandchild-ren. Another sister, Mrs. Mary Anne An-ne Richards Van Fleet, died May 28. Funeral services were conducted conduct-ed in Salt Lake City Tuesday at 12:15 p.m. in the Lincoln LDS ward chapel, 1989 Ninth East street. C. Laird Snelgrove, bishop, presided. Burial was in Salt Lake City cemetery. Heber J. Grant and other officials of the LDb church attended the impressive funeral rites. o - |