1913-10-Improvement Era-President Ben E Rich

Improvement Era, v16 n12, October 1913, pp. 1244-1245.

President Ben E. Rich of the Eastern States Mission died Saturday night, September 13, in New York, from the effects of a stroke of apoplexy which was the culmination of an illness of long duration. During the past year President Rich had experienced a nervous breakdown, and for four weeks prior to his death he was critically ill. At his bedside when he died was Mrs. Diana F. Rich, Benjamin L. Rich of Salt Lake, and Dr. Lorin Rich of Ogden. The body left New York for Salt Lake City on Tuesday, 16th, and the funeral services were held in the Tabernacle in this city on Sunday, September 21.

President Ben E. Rich was the son of Charles C. Rich, a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles from 1849 to 1883, and was one of the early settlers in Utah, arriving here October 3, 1847. President Rich was one of fifty-two children. He received his education in the Salt Lake City Schools. For twelve years he was employed as salesman in Z. C. M. I. When twenty years of age he removed to Ogden, and later became manager of the Equitable Co-op. On December 7, 1877, he married Diana Farr, daughter of Lorin Farr. In 1880-83 he filled a mission to England, returning with a party of 700 emigrants for Utah and Idaho. He labored in Ogden for himself in a variety of activities, on his return from his mission, mingling religion, politics and business and becoming prominent in each. In 1893 he removed to Rexburg, Idaho, where he edited the Rexburg Press, and the Silver Hammer. Later he removed to St. Anthony. In 1893, he published Mr. Durrant, That Mormon, and later wrote numerous pamphlets and booklets which were widely distributed, among them Scrapbook of Mormon Literature, two volumes.

January 10, 1898, he was set apart to take charge of the Southern States Mission and there founded the Elders Journal which was later combined with Liahona and called Liahona the Elders' Journal. Since that time he has been continually engaged in missionary work making frequent visits to Utah. For eleven years his home was in Chattanooga. On July 21, 1908, he was called to the presidency of the Eastern States Mission, where he was engaged at the time of his last illness. In both these missionary fields he became widely known, and his work has been an important factor in the growth and spread of the work of the Church. By his courage, loyalty and independence he won friends in every locality he visited. He was one of the most fearless expounders of the principles of the gospel, and in his career, beginning at Ogden, he has met and debated frequently with active anti-"Mormons", always leaving a strong impression with the hearers in favor of the truth. One of his strong characteristics, aside from his courage, was his great fund of humor, which gave him prestige wherever he appeared.