History of
Elizabeth Rees. Daughter of Henry Thomas Rees and Elizabeth Powell
Elizabeth Rees was
born April 16, 1846 at Pontypool, Monmouthshire, South
Wales, the daughter of Henry Thomas Rees and Elizabeth
Powell. Little is known about her life
in Wales,
except that family members recall hearing her tell that her father was a coal
miner, and that her mother used to do big washings for her family and
others. She did not even have a wash
board to get the clothes clean, only her bare hands.
As soon as Elizabeth was big enough,
she was hired out to the neighbors to tend and rock their babies in the
cradles. she must have received quite a lot of schooling in her youth, because
her daughter, Mary Alice, remembers what a good reader she was, and she was
considered a pretty good writer, using of course, the old fashioned method. Her
knowledge of arithmetic was outstanding, especially figuring in her head,
without hesitation she could give you the answer to any simple everyday
problem.
The Rees parents
joined the Mormon church in 1847. Elizabeth
was baptized 23 June 1858 by her father. Elder Richard Palmer of Cedar City, Utah,
was a missionary who visited the Rees home often and taught them more of the
beautiful truths. When he was released, in 1863, he offered to bring two of the
girls, Johanna and Martha, to this country, He later married Johanna, and Martha married Woodruff Alexander.
The girls worked
hard to earn money to add to what Uncle “Palmer” was able to sent to bring the rest of the family to Utah. When Elizabeth was about 22
years old, (in 1868), it was her turn to come. The returning missionary in
charge of the company of saints was Elder Barry Rhye of Payson, Utah. There was an old lady who wished to come with
this group. She had two sons who previously had come to America and settled in Salt Lake City, Utah.
She was quite well to do, so she sold her property and belongings and prepared
to come if she could get someone to look after her during the journey, Elizabeth graciously
consented to take full care of this good sister.
When the company
reached New York,
Elder Rhye was anxious to show some of the most interesting places in this new
land to them. He invited Elizabeth, along with others, to go to Niagara Falls;
but on account of the old lady, she could not go unless she could be taken too
so that arrangement was agreed to and all went and had a good time.
When the point was
reached when the people were to be fitted out to continue the journey ox teams,
Lizzie, along with the other able-bodied ones, were expected to walk, which she
did most of the way across the plains. The Benson Boys were very shy but once
in a while they would ask her to ride.
On arriving in the
valley of the Great Salt Lake, she left her
old lady friend in the safe care of her sons.
There to meet her
from Cedar City were her sister, Johanna, and her
Husband Richard Palmer, ready to take her back home with them.
An interesting
little side story was told in which James Butler was called from Iron county
with others to take supplies back across the plains to assist this immigrant
company from Wales.
As he left, Jim jokingly told Jonathan Prothero that he would bring him back a
wife. So, when he got back to Paragonah, he told Prothero that he had kept his
part of the bargain and brought the girl for him, a young welsh lassie,
Elizabeth Rees by name, who was now in Cedar City,
and now the rest was up to him. Jonathan needed no more urging and immediately
got in the hob and won the fair lady and brought her to Paragonah to live. They
were married in the endowment house in Salt
Lake City, Utah, May
31, 1869. Jonathan's father, John, and
his stepmother, Mary went with them. Their first home was a little log house.
At first, Elizabeth was very lonesome and homesick for her parents,
brothers and sisters still in Wales.
As she would stand at her cabin door and look up toward the mountains to the
east, they seemed like a barrier between her and her loved ones, but she soon
learned to love them as she did the picturesque valley and the Little Salt Lake
lying away to the west.
For something to do
more than because it needed it, Elizabeth used to remove her meager furnishings
and everything out of the house and give the house a thorough cleaning and
whitewash job every few weeks. When they were finally able, they built a four-room
adobe and lumber home on the corner, which had more and nicer furnishings.
It was an exciting
day for the Rees sisters, Elizabeth and Johanna and Martha, when they learned
that their dear father, mother and sisters, Amelia and Mary, and brothers,
Hyrum and Joseph, would soon be arriving at the end of the railroad in Ogden,
Utah, One sister, Sarah never came; she married, raised her family and died in
Wales. Richard Palmer and wife Johanna, were in Ogden
to welcome the family to their hew home in Zion. But , alas, their joy and happiness was
darkened by a terrible accident. Joseph was taking in the sights from the train
platform when a train came too close, crushing and killing him instantly. He
was buried at Ogden
among strangers. The family journeyed sorrowfully on to Cedar City.
They all lived, died and were buried in Cedar
City, except Hyrum, who was buried in Mount Carmel, Utah and Elizabeth in Paragonah,
Utah.
Elizabeth was not too much of a public woman; she was happy to
spend most of her time in her own home, unless it was helping her neighbors in
some act of kindness. She was always kind and thoughtful of the many children
who came to her home, and always had cookies and other good things for then,
She did enjoy going to relief society meeting, however, and she and her husband
never missed a church meeting.
The first child
born to this couple was Margaret Elizabeth, June 6, 1870. When she was a just a
small baby she met with a serious accident. Elizabeth was busy that day doing the family
washing, and the baby was being tended by a young neighbor girl who
accidentally dropped her down the cellar steps. At that time it was not
considered serious, but the baby kept crying as if in terrible pain. Finally,
it was noticed that the trouble must be a broken hip, and they immediately set
out for Salt Lake City,
where they could get the aid of a special doctor. The mother carried her baby
on a pillow to Salt Lake City
and back, which took six weeks. The young parents were heartbroken when the
doctor told them that he could not do anything for the baby at that late date,
and that she would be obliged to go through life with one leg about two inches
shorter than the other.
Other children were
John Henry, David Jonathon, Joseph Rees (who died in infancy), Mary Alice,
Johanna Rees, and George Stanley.
Eventually the
children married and made homes of their own, Margaret married Thomas William
Jones, who was bishop for 23 years. John Henry married Mary Ellen Robb. David
married Amy Barton and Johanna married
Thomas William Robb.
Johanna’s untimely death from a ruptured appendix when she was
just 25 years old was just more that Elizabeth
could bear. She opened her arms and heart to her eight month old grandson
LaGrande, and gave him loving care as long as she lived.
When LaGrande was
four years old, Elizabeth, still grieving for their lovely daughter, passed out
of this life, March 25, 1915, at the age if 69 years old to join her loved ones
who had gone before.
Her daughter, Mary
Alice, married Thomas William Robb when LaGrande was eight years old and
continued to care for him. They moved to the big house which had stood for so
long as it was at the death of Johanna. Thomas William and Mary had one
daughter, Joann who married a Davenport.
George Stanley
married Isa Stones and lived in the old Prothero home, which was modernly
remodeled and improved.
Ship: Colorado
Date of Departure: 14 Jul 1868 Port of Departure: Liverpool, England
LDS Immigrants: 600 Church
Leader: William B. Preston
Date of Arrival: 28 Jul 1868 Port
of Arrival: New York, New York
Source(s): BMR, Book #1049, various pages; BMR, Book #1041, pp.21-44
(FHL #025,692); Customs #798 (FHL #175,655)
Notes: "DEPARTURE. -- The steamship Colorado
left this port for New York,
on Tuesday, 14th instant, having on board a company of Saints numbering 600
souls. At 11 a.m. a meeting was called
on deck, when President F. [Franklin] D.
Richards addressed the Saints upon the great blessings conferred upon them by
the Almighty, in delivering them from bondage and opening the way for their
escape to Zion. They had long talked of the changes and
difficulties which would attend their journey, and had been exhorted to prepare
for them by laying by a good stock of patience; they were now beginning to
experience the realities of the journey, and had an opportunity to exercise
their patience and all those good qualities which should be possessed by Saints
of God. He exhorted them to cleanliness,
order, forbearance, and obedience to proper authority. Said this was the last company of Saints for
the season, and expressed his gratitude to God for the great deliverance which
had been wrought out for so many of his people, this company swelling the
number to about 3,170 souls. He then
appointed Elder William B. Preston president of the company, and the returning
missionaries on board his counselors.
This appointment was unanimously sustained by the vote of the
people. Elder W. B. Preston made a few
remarks, congratulating the Saints upon their present favorable position. Elder C. [Charles] W. Penrose dedicated the
ship and its company to the service of God on this voyage, by prayer. Several hymns were sung, many cheers were
given, and all on board seemed filled with joy and gratitude. The following named returning missionaries
took passage on the Colorado: -- Elders William B. Preston, Aurelius Miner,
Griffith Roberts, Moses Thatcher, Richard Benson, Barry Wride, John D. Rees,
and John Barker. About 4 p.m. the noble
vessel steamed out to sea, the sun shining brightly, the sky without a cloud,
and no sadness appearing on a single countenance, except of those who returned
to shore after bidding their friends farewell.
By letters from Queenstown, dated 15th July, we learn that all on board
were well, the sea was as calm as a mirror, and no one had experienced any
symptoms of seasickness."
"Tues. 14.
[July 1868] -- The steamship Colorado sailed
from Liverpool, England, with 600 Saints, under the
direction of William B. Preston. It
arrived at New York, July 28th, and the
company reached Benton,
Aug. 7th."
