Richard Cleveland James' Obituary
Richard Cleveland James (Dick James) of South Weber, Utah, passed away in the early morning hours of Friday, March 10, 2023, at the age 89. Richard was born in Los Angeles, California on August 8, 1933, to Addie Lucy and Corbin Lee James. When he was just 3 years old his mother contracted tuberculosis and he was sent to live with his grandmother, Susie Cleveland, in Evanston, Wyoming. He graduated from Evanston, High School in 1951 and helped rebuild the Aspen Tunnel. He attended BYU and later volunteered for the draft and served in Korea and Japan. Richard served an LDS mission in Virginia and North Carolina. As a graduate accountant he worked at Hill Airforce Base for 32 years.
Richard grew up with a fascination for armory, guns, Native American Indians, history and was a very accomplished and beautiful pianist. His talent of calligraphy was known to all. He was a guest twice of Chief Edgar Red Cloud at the Sioux Sun Dance in South Dakota. He was a life member of the American Mountain Men and started the Annual Fort Bridger Rendezvous in Fort Bridger, Wyoming. He later sponsored the first Fort Buenaventura Rendezvous in Ogden, Utah. Richard appeared in mountain man films and was a consultant/coproducer of films on archaeology and the Bear River Massacre. Attired in “buckskins”, he modeled for the artist, Michael Coleman, and was featured on the cover of Sport and Field magazine September 1983. Richard crafted many prized items including hand-made moccasins, knife handles, muzzle loaders, and primitive attire. Dick James was known locally and nationwide as a vendor of goods relating to The Fur Trade, a topic of which he was an expert. A life-time member of The American Mountain Men, he organized, and participated in, countless rendezvous around the West, and was widely known and respected. He was a key figure in the establishment of The Fort Bridger Rendezvous, which started small in the early 1970‘s, and has become one of the largest in the country, drawing tens of thousands of participants and visitors every Labor Day weekend. And, of course, he attended every year and could be found making his beautiful brooms and selling authentic-style Mountain Man goods. In 1974, The grave of John “Liver-Eatin’” Johnson was to be moved from California to Old Trail Town in Cody Wyoming. Dick helped with that move and became one of the pallbearers along with Robert Redford on June 8, 1974, and assisted with the plaque on the monument. Among Dick’s skills were moccasin-making, broom-making, beadwork, tomahawks and knives, creating period buckskin clothing, making hand-lasted shoes, restoring Early American firearms, and tipi construction and lore. He was a devoted friend of members of the Ute Tribe of Native Americans going back many years. In later years, Dick taught Early American Crafts and lore to the children at Another Way School in Park City, which blended Native American and Frontier knowledge. He was a favorite of the students, and encouraged them not only to love history, but provided hands-on experience in making and understanding crafts of long ago.
Richard married Gail June Farber and they had four children: Chris James, Jeff James, Keith James, and Susie (James) Hatch. They later divorced. Richard married his sweetheart Carol Linda Behunin, March 20, 1997. They were married for 26 years. Both were dedicated members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Together they enjoyed rendezvous, gun shows, and most favorite-all of their grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday, March 22, 2023, at the South Weber Stake House, 7989 South 2250 East ~ South Weber, Utah, 84405. There will be a viewing beginning at 9:30 am with services at 11am. Burial to be at the Evanston City Cemetery, Evanston, Wyoming. For all those interested, there will be refreshments served back at the Stake House at 3:30 pm.
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