Richard Bird

Richard Bird is my great-great grandfather. He was born October 13, 1920 in South Port, New York. His parents were Benjamin Bird and Meribah Reeves. From their union came a very large family, nine sons and three daughters. Richard was their eleventh child.

At the age of twelve years his mother died. No doubt this was a very great trial and sorrow for a boy of that age. Soon after the death of his mother his father married Margaret Crane and three children were born to them. Richard, being a very industrious and energetic young man, did all he could to lighten the burdens of the family.

Just three years previous to the death of his mother, the Gospel of Jesus Christ had been restored to earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Members of the Bird family joined the church and when the call came in 1838 for the Saints to gather west, Richard Bird, then a young man of eighteen years, while not yet a member of the church, went with the Saints and shared trials in the State of Missouri. They were only there until December 1838, when they were ruthlessly driven out, suffering severely from cold and hunger.

Richard Bird remained in Caldwell County among the Saints until the spring of 1839 when he was compelled to lay down his arms and sign away his right and title to his property to his enemies to satisfy the mob. He stood by and saw members of that wicked crowd occupy that hard earned home while he, at the point of a bayonet, was forced to leave the State of Missouri and again seek another spot where they could build a home and live undisturbed and free from persecution. This time they sought refuge in Quincey, Illinois and settled in that new city which sprang up in a few months, the City of Nauvoo, Illinois. They lived in poverty for several years, but in spite of the trials, he found time to labor for months without pay in the shadow of the magnificent Temple in Nauvoo. He came personally acquainted with the Prophet Joseph Smith and between them grew a true and loving friendship.

After he had been in Nauvoo for about five years, he met Emeline Crandall. He said he only courted Emeline about two months when they were married, March 7 1845. Richard was twenty-four years old and his wife twenty-one years, a short courtship, which was custom with the Saints in those days, but a courtship which lasted all through their married life, for they were very devoted to each other.

Six months later, Richard Bird was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, September 21, 1845, by William Bird, his brother.

Richard and Emeline Bird made their home in Nauvoo and while they were being threatened by the mobs and times looked dark, yet they were very happy. February 10th, 1845 a baby girl was born to them, Amanda Fedilia, but she only lived until March 20th, 1846, a great sorrow for this young husband and wife. A short time after this the mob came upon them and Richard Bird described it thus: "In the Spring of 1846, we were expelled together with the Saints from the United Stated and in July landed in Pottawattamie, Iowa, and underwent many hardships such as sickness, cold, hunger and death."

The great desire of Richard Bird was to secure the comforts of life for his loved ones and to see them turned out into the wilderness was to him a very severe trial, this being the fourth time in eight years that he was compelled to leave all he had. They arrived at Council Bluffs where they worked hard to raise crops and teams and struggled four years to prepare an outfit to cross the plains.

While at Council Bluffs, two sons were born to them, Richard Leroy, September 11, 1848, and William Martin, December 1, 1849. What Pioneer Mothers had to be willing to bear children under such privations! They felt it an honor, a lesson to those who enjoy the fruits of their struggles and who have every comfort and convenience possible.

On May 15th, 1850, they began their long and tedious journey across the plains. They were in Aaron Johnson's Company which consisted of one hundred and thirty-five teams. Richard Bird says: "We passed through everything that mortals could endure." The trip across the plains was tiresome and monotonous and the spell was only broken by the dance and song and prayer around the campfire at night. They truly felt that they were blessed and were sustained by their cherished prospects of the future. After a long and dreary march of three months, they came into Salt Lake Valley, September 2, 1850. Although weary and tired they had no time to rest. Richard Bird went up north of Salt Lake into Davis County, where his brother James then lived, to seek a place to build his home.

Upon his return to Salt Lake he found that President Young had selected the first eight wagons from Captain Johnson's Company to go to Hobble Creek, afterwards known as Springville, to build their homes. On the first of October,1580 they commenced their little settlement. Before the winter set in they had built a fort of logs covering one and one-half acres. This was done to protect their families from the savage Indians. They built log and block houses around with clay roofs, windows and doors opening into the center. They had cut wild hay, which grew in abundance, for their cattle. They had gathered from the canyons service berries and choke cherries and dried them for winter and had brought wood and corded it for winter. While they had very little to eat, these Pilgrims were once more sheltered by a home, which to them, was a castle and they were relieved to have a place of their own, free from persecution.

As other families joined them they all worked and shared so each one was provided for. They felt that twenty families were all that could consistently live there, because of the limited supply of water in Hobble Creek.

In February 1851, Richard Bird was among those who did the first plowing in Springville. In fact, in all the pioneering of Springville, he was always found to the front, ready to lend his strength and substance for the upbuilding of his Church and his town. He held the office of Constable for many years. He was an active man in all military matters of the early days.

To the family of Richard and Emeline Bird were added seven more children as follows: Emeline Adelaide, October 25, 1851; Vernon David, April 26, 1853; Charles Monroe, June 15, 1856; Margaret Luella, November 5, 1857; Luanna Maria, Feb. 8, 1861; Amasa Crandall, July 20, 1863 and Arus Lavell, May 30, 1870, a family of six sons and four daughters, two daughters having died in infancy. As a father he worked unceasingly to provide for his family: he made their shoes; he raised the sheep and had his boys take them to the creek to wash them. Then, after they were sheared, the mother and daughters took the wool, corded, spun and wove it into the family's clothing. He raised flax and made their brooms. They manufactured their own candles and made most of their own furniture. He was happiest when his family was well provided for. He built a fine home in Springville.

In 1853, Richard Bird was called to help build up Fillmore, but was released at the end of one year and returned home.  
In March, 1855, he married his second wife, Laura Crandall Johnson, a sister of his wife Emeline, who had buried her husband while crossing the plains. She had a son who was loved as a brother by the children of Emeline, and he said, "Richard Bird was indeed a good father to me." To Richard and Laura Bird were born five sons, the last two sons died in infancy. So Richard Bird had two faithful wives who loved each other dearly, love and harmony existed in this large family.

In 1868, Richard Bird was called on a mission to Dixie to assist in establishing a town on the Muddy. He, together with his wife, Laura, moved to that desolate place. They did all they could to make that mission a success. They were forced to pass through many trials and hardships because the country was unfit for habitation and it did not produce enough for them to live on.

An incident occurred while on their journey to the Muddy that portrayed the presence of mind that Richard Bird possessed. A family by the name of Potter was traveling with them as they were crossing the Virgin River, a very treacherous stream because of quicksands. Richard crossed first. Then Potter drove in and unfortunately, in mid-stream, the back wheels of the wagon became stuck and began sinking. Potter panicked, but Richard took his long whip and sprung into the water up to his armpits and was able to pull the team out, thus probably saving the lives of that family.

This little group underwent many privations during their stay on the Muddy, as well as his first wife, Emeline, remaining at home. Emeline's older boys were away working on the railroad, leaving her home with the younger children. Charles, aged twelve, was the oldest boy left at home. He had to take care of the cows and pigs, and with his mother, they provided for the family as best they could. But the separation of the two families was not for long. President Young released them after two years, and they came home.

Richard Bird was a financier. He planned well and worked hard and was prosperous. He had good control over his children. He was kind, but firm. His daughter, Luella says: "Father never scolded nor whipped, but we always obeyed him." and his son Charles says: "When father sent us boys into the field to work we all felt it our duty to do a full day's work."

Richard Bird was a lover of horses and always drove a fine team. His grand children shall never forget the joyrides that they had behind Pet and Bird.

In 1872, Richard Bird, was again called on a mission, this time to the Eastern States, back to his childhood day home. Among his relatives he spent two years preaching the gospel. While not a good public speaker, he did much to alay the prejudices of his family in the east. He won the love and esteem of all he associated with. He also gathered, while there, an extensive genealogy that has been recorded, and hundred of names have been taken to the temple and work done for them. He, with his wives, did work in the Salt Lake, St. George and Logan Temples and that spirit of temple work has been handed down to his ancestors.

Of Richard Bird it can be said that all loved him who knew him, old or young. He was a comrade to his sons, a boy with the boys as long as he lived. He shared with the needy. He was a man free from malice. He had a forgiving heart and was a true friend and a fearless advocate of the scriptures. Any discord in his family was a source of grief to him.

He died February 27th, 1895, at Springville, Utah.

Ancestral Line: Janeal Kindred Smith... Kent Lewis Kindred... Fred Lewis Kindred... Luanna Mariah Bird... Richard Bird