Richard Morris was the son of Richard and Elizabeth Alexander Morris. He was born in Vernon, England, on the 24th of June, 1835. Not too much information is available relative to the early life of Richard Morris. We do know, however, the family, while not wealthy, were in comfortable circumstances. They welcomed the Mormon Elders in their home in England, and most of the family became members of the church. Richard was converted while yet in his teens, and he was very active in the branch in the vicinity of his home. He was instrumental in converting our grandmother, Emma Packer Morris.
Emma Packer was the daughter of Isaac and Sophia Packer, and was born April 22, 1833, in Reading, England. She was the only one in her family that was interested in the Mormon church. They were people who lived in some degree of comfort, though like our grandfather's people were not wealthy. They were rather haughty toward the Mormon Elders and never changed their way of thinking even though Emma joined the Church.
Emma was, perhaps, especially interested because she was suffering from rheumatism of some sort and was crippled to the extent that it was necessary for her to use crutches all the time. I think we are safe in supposing that Emma Packer, was a very attractive young girl, because she was just that as she grew older.
She became interested in the gatherings conducted by the Mormon Elders and no doubt it was because they taguht that through faith and prayer so many miracles had been wrought. She attended their meetings and because they appealed to her so much she told her mother and sisters about how she felt toward the Mormon Elders. She was met with such bitter opposition that she no longer confided her feelings to them, but she continued to go to the meetings without them knowing just where she was. This information was gathered when Emma's son, David H. Morris, was in England on a mission, as Emma was very quiet and said very little about her home life.
One can readily understand that when there was no one at home in which she could confide, it was only natural that she look elsewhere for companionship, and she found that much needed companionship in Richard Morris, who had joined the church prior to this time and he did all in his power to bring Emma into the fold. At length she was converted and at the appointed time she went with others for baptism. She went up to the waters of baptism using her crutches. She was promised that if she had sufficient faith she would never need them again, and much to the astonishment of all who witnessed, she walked without her crutches from the waters of baptism and never again did she need them.
When her son, David, was in England on his mission, one of the sisters of Emma asked if his mother was still lame. When he told her that his mother had never been lame she could scarcely believe him. When he asked her how she accounted for the miracle, about which she gave him the details, she answered, "Nothing but the spirit of the devil."
Emma suffered with a very distinct relationship of members of her family who could not bring themselves to understand her devotion to this new religion, and in a short time she and Richard made secret palsn to leave England with other Saints and come to America. They left England, November 30, 1855, on the boat, "Emerald Isle, in company with 349 converts. The following day, December 1, 1855, Richard and Emma were married as the boat moved quietly across the English Channel. They arrived in New York, December 29, 1855, and made their first home in Williamsburg, New York, New York, where their first child, Richard Alexander, was born, November 27, 1856.
The family continued to live at this place until the year 1860. Richard and his brother Joseph, engaged in their trade as shoemakers. Being quite successful in their business, they saved their money and sent to England for their father, mother, two brothers, William and Robert, and their three sisters, Elizabeth, Susan and Mary. A second son was born to Emma, April 6, 1858, and they named him David Henry.
In May 1860, Richard and Emma and their two sons, along with brother Jospeh, left New York for Utah. A third son, John Hope, was born in Florence, Nebraska, and we are not surprised to learn that he was a very delicate child. June 19, 1860, two weeks after the birth of the baby, they left Felorence, Nebraska, and began the trek across the plain to Utah. J. E. Murphy was captain of the company, and said company consisted of 38 wagons, 164 oxen, and 39 cows, and 279 saints. No doubt their trip across the plains was very similar to that of many others. Little recorded history of the Morris family was left to posterity, but tradition reveals that Emma prayed each day, as she walked the long miles, that she would not have to bury her infant on the plains. The baby died the day they arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, August 30, 1860.
Again, Richard and his brother, Joseph established their shoemaker business. Later, they built their own tannery, and still later entered into the mercantile business known as the Morris Feed and Produce Exchange. It was the first store of its kind opened on State Street. Again they were prosperous and invested some of their profits in real estate. Continuing their trade for seven years in Salt Lake, their property was then valued at $20,000 according to the tax roll. In 1937, the business was still being operated by a son of Joseph in the original location.
Richard and Emma were sealed in the Endowment House,
November 29, 1861, and four girls were born to them while living in Salt Lake City: Dora, 1862; Esther, 1864; Eva, 1865; and Ida, 1867.
In the semi-annual conference of the LDS Church in October of 1867, Richard Morris and his family were called with many others to the Dixie Mission in the southern part of the state. The move began immediately, and they arrived in St. George, November 19, 1867, where they spent their remaining days.
Richard began buying farm land in Santa Clara and Washington. Richard Alexander, now age eleven and his brother, David, worked diligently on the farm. In common with the settlers in Dixie, the Morris family's food supply was meager, and often the boy's lunch consisted only of a slice of bread, or lacking wheat flour, cornmeal biscuits. During the first years in Dixie, molasses provided their only sweet, but as time passed the many peach trees bore fruit, and peach preserves was made by adding the whole fresh peaches to the boiling molasses.
As time passed, Richard, acquired more land in the fields and added a goodly number of livestock to his possessions, all of which made a great deal more work for his two sons. Four more children were added to the family: George, 1869; Orpha, 1872; Isabelle, 1874; and Mary, 1877.
Their father continued with his trade as shoemaker, and farmed, or rather he purchased a farm and his sons did most of the farming, and later, he went into the mercantile business.
Emma, was a very quiet, aristocratic lady. She was always a devoted soul to her church, an obedient, helpful wife, and a most unusual mother. She was a very capable homemaker, being gifted in the arts of cooking and sewing and she taught her daughters these things and all of them were known for their ability in these lines. She was president of the Relief Society for many years and did much to cheer the sick and weary hearted, and was loved by all who knew her. She was always ready to prepare meals for any number of people, for she never knew how many Richard might invite for meals.
A family story about Grandma Morris, is when she was in church at a Sacrament Meeting, and felt something in her blouse. She grabbed onto whatever it was, and held it until the meeting was over, not making a move or a sound. When she left the meeting, she found it was a small lizard caught in her blouse.
Alfalfa or lucerne hay was planted on the farm lands, and large crops were produced, much of which was hauled to Silver Reef Mining Camp for the feed of the many teams which hauled freight to the mining town, and ore from the mine to the mills. A high price was received for this hay, at time up to $40 per ton. For best feeding results for hay, the crop was allowed to grow until in full bloom. When this occurred, which was often four times a year, the alfalfa bloom provided bees with nectar which produced great amounts of honey. The honey gathering was taken over by Richard Morris and Sons, and they established a large apiary. As the planting of the alfalfa crop increased in the fields, so was increased the gathering of honey, to such an extent, that between 300 and 400 stands or hives were kept. One of the pleasures of the boys and girls of that time was to gather at the Morris home and be served with a piece of bread and honey.
From the time of his arrival in the Dixie Mission, Richard Morris, was a pioneer in work pertaining to the growth and development of the younger generation. His first public service was as trustee of the Fourth Ward School Board at the time that school house building was erected. In 1882-83, he served on the city council under Henry Eyring, Mayor.
He served the Church as Sunday School superintendant and later as Stake Sunday School Superintendant. To fill this office the duties and work required a great amount of time and travel. At that time the Stake extended from Springdale, at the entrance to Zion National Park down the Rio Virgin River to St. Thomas, and up along the Meadow Valley (Panaca area) to as far as White River settlement at Lund and all places between. This travel was all done by team and buggy.
He and his boys built a nice rock home in the Washington field. It was this investment and their farm interests that impelled them and other farmers to look for some permanent way of diverting the waters of the Virgin River to their lands, and made possible the building of the Washington Field Dam, spillway, and canal that now stands as a monument to their industry and foresight.
Richard and Emma were most generous. They were mindful to those less fortunate than they. Richard was often seen carrying a basket of goodies to those who were ill. He was known on various occasions to take people to his store and fit them up with clothing, or to pack a box of food for them if they were in need. Richard and Emma were not among the rich, but they were very comfortable, in their latter years and having known all the trials of the early pioneers of this valley, they never forgot to be kind to those in need.
Richard Morris died December 12, 1901 in St. George, Utah.
Emma Packer Morris died November 15, 1916 in St. George, Utah.