Margaret Jenkins Rees
Margaret Jenkins was born December 16, 1837 in Carveleth, Pembrokeshire, Wales. Her parents were Martha John and Henry Jenkins. Margaret was fourteen years of age, her mother forty three when they were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her father was baptized October 16, 1851. One night when Elder Jenkins was discussing the possibility of emigrating to Zion, Henry said "Martha, we can't go to Utah, we haven't any money." She immediately left the room and came back carrying an old sock cointaining quite a sum of money. When her husband said, "Why, Martha, where did you get all this money," she replied, "It is from your earnings that I have been saving so that we could go to Zion." Immeditely they consulted those in authority as to what would be necessary for them to have in order that they might leave with the company Captain Dan Jones was then organizing.
The family left Wales on the 8th day of April 1856 for Liverpool and from there embarked on the ship Samuel Curling for America. Arriving in Iowa City they helped prepare their handcart and on June 23rd began the trek across the plains in the Edward Bunker Company.
Five wagons carrying provisions accompanied the handcart company but soon supplies were cut to a half pound of flour per person a day. One night, during a violent storm, Henry Jenkins became very ill and passed away at 4 o'clock in the morning. Four hours later he was buried and the company moved slowly on. A fire was built over the grave to protect it from wild animals and as Margaret looked back for the last time she could see the fire still burning. This happened near Fort Laramie, Wyoming.
After the arrival of the company in Salt Lake in early October, Margaret went to live with the Geroge Hale family. When Johnston's army came into Utah, Margaret and her mother moved to Spanish Fork. On March 29, 1859 Margaret Jenkins became the bride of Henry D. Rees, son of Thomas J. Rees. This courtship first began in old Wales when they sang together in Church. Margaret tells the story that Henry sold his gun of $30.00 to pay for a wedding supper and dance. in December, 1859 the young couple moved to Wales, Utah. Their first winter was spent in a dugout.
Under Church rule the people were told to select their lots "wet or dry" to build homes. The land was taken in large tracts, 10 acres to the person and this was fenced cooperatively. That accounts for the field below Wales being fenced together. It was twenty years later that the settlers got clear title to this land. Margaret's husband was called to go back to Iowa to help more Saints to Utah.
By the spring of 1864 Margaret and Henry had three children. They were called to move to Monroe to assit in laying out the town but returned to Wales the same year. During the year 1865 there was much Indian trouble, so they tore down their log house and hauled it to Moroni to rebuild. One child was born in Moroni. In 1866 peace was declared and the settlers moved back to Wales.
Henry was a hard working man doing many different kinds of work such as freighting, working in the coal mines, farming, raising sheep and Margaret was kept busy doing her part. When the sheep were sheared she sent the wool to Manti to have it made into rolls which were then spun into yarn. Clothing and stockings were made for all the members of the family. They were the parents of ten children.
On September 16, 1908 Margaret's good husband, Henry D. Rees passed away. After his death three of her children came to keep her company in the family home. In March, 1912 Margaret contracted penumonia and passed away after a short illness.
