Josephine Richards West (May 25, 1853 – April 23, 1933) was a leader in

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

(LDS Church) and was a

suffragist Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to vo ...

from

Utah Territory The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah, the 45th st ...

. Josephine Richards was born in

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...

, Utah Territory, to Franklin D. Richards and Jane Snyder. In 1873 she married Joseph A. West; they resided in

Ogden, Utah Ogden ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Weber County, Utah, Weber County, Utah, United States, approximately east of the Great Salt Lake and north of Salt Lake City. The population was 87,321 in 2020, according to the United States Census ...

. Richards was a member of the general board of the

Primary Association The Primary (formerly the Primary Association) is the children's organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It acts as a Sunday school organization for the church's children (ages 3–11). Purpose, objectives ...

of the LDS Church from 1893 until her death. In 1896, she succeeded Clara C. M. Cannon as second counselor to Louie B. Felt in the general presidency of the Primary. West served in this capacity until 1905, when she was succeeded by Clara W. Beebe. West was a suffragist and twice served as a delegate from Utah Territory to women's suffrage conferences in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

West was the mother of Franklin L. West, a leader and educator in the LDS Church. West died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

Logan, Utah Logan is a city in Cache County, Utah, United States. The 2020 United States Census, 2020 census recorded the population at 52,778. Logan is the county seat of Cache County and the principal city of the Logan metropolitan area, which includes Ca ...

and is buried in the Ogden City Cemetery.

References

Andrew Jenson Andrew Jenson, born Anders Jensen, (December 11, 1850 – November 18, 1941) was a Danish immigrant to the United States who acted as an Assistant Church Historian of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) for much of the ...

. ''

Latter-day Saints Biographical Encyclopedia ''Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia: A Compilation of Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men and Women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'' (abbreviated ''LDS Biographical Encyclopedia'') is a four-volume biographical di ...

'' 4:303. *

External links

*
State of Utah Death Certificate
{{DEFAULTSORT:West, Josephine Richards 1853 births 1933 deaths American leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Suffragists from Utah Counselors in the General Presidency of the Primary (LDS Church) Deaths from pneumonia in Utah Latter Day Saints from Utah Mormon feminists People from Ogden, Utah Primary (LDS Church) people Richards–Young family