William Bona Thomas
by Mark G. Hodge
William Bona Thomas, was born in
Swansea, Glamorganshire, Wales, on
December 9, 1849, to William Thomas and Ann Bona. Father William Thomas was born June 26, 1826,
in Swansea and mother Ann Bona was born November
14, 1827, also in Swansea.
The family of William and Ann Bona Thomas set sail for America aboard the ship Jersey on
February 5, 1853, from Liverpool,
England. There were 314 Saints on board and George Halliday was their church leader. They arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana
on March 22. From there, they made their
way by boat to Keokuk, Iowa, where they joined the Saints. They then departed for the Salt Lake Valley with the Joseph W. Young Company,
June 1-7, 1853. There were 402 Saints in
about 54 wagons. They crossed the Missouri River on
July 11, and arrived in the Salt
Lake Valley
on October 10, 1853.
The family first settled in Spanish Fork and later moved
to Fairfield, both in Utah County. It was in Fairfield that William Bona Thomas met
Rebecca Ann Hodge, daughter of Abraham Close Hodge and Ann Dodd Butler
Hodge. Ann Dodd was also a Welsh
immigrant. William and Rebecca were
married in December 1873, in Fairfield. Two children were born to them. William Cluss
Thomas was born April 18, 1875, and Frederick Albert Thomas was born October
24, 1876.
William received his American citizenship on May1, 1888,
in the district courthouse in Provo,
Utah County.
Frederick Albert Thomas married Mary Eliza “Mazie” Thornley on December 27,
1904, in Ogden, Weber County, Utah. His brother William Cluss
Thomas married Hannah Walters on February 4, 1909.
William B. Thomas’ parents both passed away in Fairfield. His mother, Ann, died on July 9, 1886, and
his father, William, died on March 28, 1902.
They were both buried in the Fairfield
cemetery.
Rebecca Ann Hodge Thomas died on September 4, 1928, in Fairfield. William would faithfully visit her grave in Fairfield and leave a
Christmas tree branch at her grave every Christmas. William departed this life in Fairfield on February 1, 1935, and was laid to rest beside
his wife in the Fairfield
cemetery.
