From THE HISTORY OF the JOHN REES FAMILY;
PIONEERS OF UTAH
Records compiled by Jesse T. Rees 1956
"John Rees was born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, on March 15, 1834. He was the son of William Rees(1) and Maria Mason Rees. His father was an unusually large man, being about six feet tall and weighing a little more than two hundred pounds. His mother was a small, gentle, tenderhearted, and liberal-minded woman. They were both moderately religious and worshiped at the Wesleyan Church, then the dominant church of Wales.
There were three children in the family: Naomi, Maria, and John. Their home was located at 102 High Street, Merthyr Tydfil. Due to the remoteness of the family from schools and the reduced condition of their finances, the children had very meager facilities for securing an education. About the only sources left to them through which they could acquire learning was the teaching of the parents, and their own personal experience. Unfortunately for them, the father’s time was fully employed in providing a living, and the mother, frail and sickly, could do little more than care for the children during the day, and attend to the other household duties.
The children’s education was somewhat limited and their difficulties were many and hard. The family, however, found much to live for and experienced a great deal of happiness until misfortune brought to them the greatest sorrow of their lives - the death of the wife and mother. This left the care of the children to the bereft father. Sorrow came again in the death of Naomi at Merthyr Tydfil in 1849. Maria and her daughter Naomi are buried near the front walk of the Old Church at Merthyr Tydfil.
John Rees, the subject of this history, related that he and his father were converted to Mormonism by hearing a song. He said they were on their way home from work one evening when they chanced to pass a small church in which some Mormon preachers were holding a meeting. The preachers were just beginning to sing and John and his father stopped to listen. The song was so uplifting and impressive that they were impelled to remain until the song was finished, then they continued their journey home. They could not forget the song. It was so inspiring that they were sure the preachers were the servants of God and were preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The song was “The Resurrection Day.” John claimed that this was the first time the song was sung in Wales. The father joined the church in 1850, and the son was baptised by Orson Pratt in 1852 at Liverpool.
At a very young age John lost the sight of his left eye. He often related the incident that caused him to go through life with this handicap. It was customary in Merthyr Tydfil for the children coming home from school to stop at the village blacksmith shop to see the hot sparks fly as the smith pounded the red hot metal into horseshoes and ploughshares. On one such occasion, a hot piece of metal flew into John’s left eye causing immediate blindness. While this was a great disadvantage, it was often said that John Rees saw more with one eye than most people do with normal sight.
William Rees became well versed in the scriptures and was an eloquent preacher of Mormonism. He and his companion, Elder John Thain, also a prominent and eloquent preacher of Mormonism, brought many converts into the church and added greatly to the membership of the branch where they were working.Shortly after his baptism, John Rees, with his father and sister Maria, immigrated to America. They crossed the ocean in a sailing vessel named “Josiah Bradley” and landed at New Orleans after a voyage of two months and three days. It was a long, tiresome journey. They had to cross the Belt of Calms, which caused everyone much anxiety and concern. John Rees often told of one experience when their vessel drifted into the calms, where there was not a breath of air stirring. Everyone anxiously waited, sincerely praying that sufficient wind would blow so they could continue their journey to America, but not a breath of air stirred. The minutes grew into hours, the hours grew into days, and it began to look like the days would grow into weeks. Everyone secretly harbored the thought of being left there to perish. After several days, when all hope had vanished and everybody was at the height of despair, an Elder called in a clear voice, “Calm your nerves. There is no cause for worry. God will not leave us here to perish. This vessel will start moving at 10 o’clock tomorrow morning.” This positive declaration gave a faint hope, though strong doubts were harbored by most everyone. All through that long night the murmur of passengers could be heard praying that God would give aid and comfort to these forsaken few. The following morning was calm and silent as usual. The faint ray of hope had vanished long before the crucial hour. At 10 o’clock everyone had gathered on deck in anticipation of a miracle which they knew would not occur. But to the wonder and astonishment of all, a gentle breeze did begin to blow at exactly 10 o’clock and the vessel soon began to move and gracefully continued moving westward until arrival at New Orleans, Louisiana, after a voyage of two months and three days as stated above. The ship’s records are located in the office of the LDS Church Historian, Salt Lake City, Utah, and show as passengers William Rees age 49, boiler maker, Maria Rees age 19, and John Rees age 15.
From New Orleans they sailed up the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers to St. Joseph, Missouri. From there John and his father walked 150 miles to Council Bluffs, where they secured employment a number of miles apart. They began to work to get means to go on to Utah. In the meantime, Maria, who was staying with Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Rogers, took ill and died in St. Louis. (The Rogers later owned the adjacent farm to John Rees in Benson, Utah.) The funeral was held at the Rogers’ home. Her father and Mr. and Mrs. Rogers were the only persons present. John heard nothing of his sister’s death until he again visited his father.
John and his father continued their work. The son went over every two weeks to visit the father. You can imagine how much he must have enjoyed those visits. The last one he made, he was somewhat discouraged and downhearted. He anticipated the happiest visit of his whole life. He longed for the encouragement and good advice of his dear father. He knocked at the door and waited for his father’s loving greeting. Instead, a stranger met him at the door to inform him that his father had died and had been buried ten days previously at Bellville, Illinois. How do you think the poor boy must have felt? Perhaps you rather not think about it. He probably thought,
“Life has been rugged and hard at best,
With little time to repine
Yet, I’ll try to feel with a hearty zest
That truly this life is mine.
Yes, this is my life and I must live
The very best I can
And give to the world all I have to give
For the love of God and man.”
The young man was left an orphan without anyone to look to for council and protection, and not a single relative on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. He did not lose courage, however, but persevered and in 1853, came to Utah. The company in which he came consisted of 14 wagons. On the way, John Rees saved Mariner W. Merrill from drowning in the Platte River. Merrill had swum the river for an ox that had been left behind and, in returning, became exhausted. John being an expert swimmer, went to his assistance and brought him safely to shore. The following description of this event is taken from Apostle Merrill’s diary:
“We arrived at Council Bluffs June 17, 1853, with our company of eight wagons, and camped near the Missouri River. We made our arrangement to be ferried across on a large flat boat managed by oarsmen. In a few days we succeeded in all getting across the river safely with our wagons, teams, and outfit. On the first day of July, we left the Missouri River with 73 wagons in our company and winded our way slowly to the Rocky Mountains, nothing serious occurring to impede our progress. However, some little incidents occurred occasionally to cause a sad feeling in the camp. On one occasion I came near being drowned in the Platte River, but through the blessings of the Lord and the kind aid and assistance of one Brother, John Rees, a Welsh Brother with one eye, and who lives in Benson Ward, Cache Stake. He being an excellent swimmer saved me from a watery grave by assisting me from the middle of the river, where I had lodged on a sandbar. Being thus saved, we proceeded on our way with joy and thanksgiving.” (Page 30 in the book Utah Pioneer and Apostle Mariner Wood Merrill and family.) John Rees saved two other men from drowning after coming to Utah.
The trip across the Plains was made in two months and four days, just one day longer than the trip across the ocean.
In Utah, John Rees worked for Gaudy Hogan for some time, and also worked in Bountiful for William Muir for four years. He loved and respected both of these men. He went to Green River to meet the hand cart company in 1856 and in 1857 he went with others to meet Johnson’s army, which was coming to Utah to destroy the Mormons. He often related how they each held up several hats on sticks to give the army the impression that they had great strength.
In 1860, John Rees moved to Hyde Park and made his home with Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Rogers until he married Sophronia Molen on July 31, 1862. This was the first marriage ceremony performed in Hyde Park. They first lived in a dugout, as many others did in the early settlement of that town, however, later they erected a very neat two-roomed log house. To them were born 11 children, two of whom are still living, viz., Jesse T. Rees, and Dr. G. L. Rees. Four of the children died very young, and five died after reaching maturity: Naoma, Mary, Inez, John, and Florence. The children were all born at Hyde Park with the exception of Florence and Leroy who were born at Benson. The farm at Hyde Park consisted of 52 acres of A No. 1 farm land and 20 acres of meadow or good grass land. It was in seven separate pieces. When Hyde Park was settled the Indians were hostile, therefore, the land was cut into small tracts so the farmers could work close to the town and be quickly assembled in case of an Indian attack. The Reeses, by their industry and perseverance, made a good livelihood and were well thought of and respected in their first home. A few years later, desiring to better their financial conditions, they procured three hundred twenty acres of land in Benson, a new settlement four miles west of their Hyde Park home. (One hundred sixty acres of this amount was obtained thru the Desert Act.) Here they engaged in farming and dairying. John Rees and his good wife were successful in their new venture. They built a large comfortable home and supplied it with the best furniture of the times. At this home everyone was welcome. There was always plenty of good food and no one was ever turned away from the door if he were hungry or cared to eat. The children of John and Sophronia were all given a college education and three of them chose teaching as their profession.
It is a little difficult to give the history of one person without giving some of the family history, but let us now go back to the subject of this article. John Rees was not a large man. In stature he was about five feet, seven inches tall and weighed on the average about 160 pounds. He was very strong in the prime of life and possessed greater endurance than any other man your historian has ever had the chance to accurately test. No one, I am sure, could do more physical work in a day than he. Before binders came in use, men went in groups to bind the grain by hand. He had the reputation of binding as much grain as any two men in the group in which he worked.
Now let us close this article about John Rees, a great and good man whom to know well was to respect and love. Dr. George Thomas once said, “He was a man of few words, but what he said he meant, and what he thought, he was not afraid to say.” He was very courageous. No one ever heard him complain; no one ever heard him boast of what he had done. With steadfast purpose he pursued the even tenor of his way, doing good wherever he could. His motto was “Sacrifice anything rather than principal.” He was straightforward in all his dealings with his fellow men. The businessmen of the town where he traded gave him the name of “Honest John.” Who can say anything better of a man than, “He was honest?”
Sophronia R. Molen was born on December 16, 1837, at Springfield, Bureau County, Illinois. She was the daughter of Jesse Molen and Laurany Huffaker, who owned a valuable farm near Nauvoo. In the Fall of 1846, when the mob was causing so much trouble, they tried eagerly to dispose of it that they might purchase an outfit to go with the Saints to the West. No one would buy, so he traded the farm for an old wagon and two yoke of oxen, and started west. About this time, a number of the family took the chills and fever. He went into Iowa where they wintered with his wife’s sister, Mrs. Majors and family. Jesse and sons worked here during the winter and spring and, by this means, obtained food for the family and provender for the stock. In June 1847, they continued their journey arriving at Winter Quarters just in time to find the company there starting out to follow the pioneers. A few days before arriving at this place, Mrs. Molen gave birth to twin girls on June 12, 1847. At 4 P.M. the next day her little daughter Nancy Jane was run over by a wagon and killed. She was buried at Kegcreek on the 13th at 10:00 o’clock A.M. Her coffin was a feed box which had been used to feed the horses grain. The next night one of Mr. Molen’s beautiful dapple gray horses was stolen. Although the Molen’s were meeting with much trouble, and had a poorer outfit than many of the others, they decided to continue on with the companies to find a home in the West. He sold a cow to get a few bushels of corn to add to the scanty supply of flour. After a long, tiresome journey of almost five months, they reached the Valley of Great Salt Lake on October 6, 1847. They found they had only 1/4 pound of breadstuff for each member of the family per day to last until the next June, so they were put on rations. After a long winter of cold and hunger, spring came and they could get some thistle roots and Sego Lily bulbs. This, with the milk from five cows, furnished the family’s entire living until they harvested all the grain the crickets had left.
During the spring and summer of 1848, Mr. Molen made adobes and built a large two story house about nine miles southeast of Salt Lake City on land he had drawn for his farm. In the spring of 1849, he moved his family from Pioneer Square to their new home (now South Cottonwood). From exposure to cold, he contracted a severe sickness (possibly arthritis) from which he never recovered, although this was not the cause of his death. Soon thereafter he was called on a mission to the Eastern States. However, he became ill in route and had to return. He died from erysypelas March 15, 1852, at the age of 46. His faithful wife, Laurany, died on March 7, 1854, also at the age of 46. This good couple raised a large family - 13 children, 8 girls and 5 boys. Jesse and Laurany Molen are buried near the main gate of the Salt Lake City Cemetery. Their graves are marked with a brass plaque. Sophronia Rosannah Molen was one of the children mentioned above, and was nine years old when she came with her parents to Utah. It was an experience she never forgot and one she always delighted to tell. From it she learned many useful things that were readily applicable in all the verities and realities of a pioneer home. She often related interesting experiences of things that happened on the way across the Great Plains, such as: digging segos and thistle roots in Utah; harvesting the crops that had not been devastated by the crickets; gleaning every head of grain dropped in the fields by the harvesters; and other ways by which they added to their diminishing supply of food.
After the death of her parents, Alexander went back to the States and Simpson went on a mission to the Sandwich Islands. Sophronia then had the responsibility of taking care of the family. This responsibility she carried for a number of years and carried it very well. She saw that the children, including herself, got what education they could in the early pioneer schools of South Cottonwood. She was an expert reader and story teller and later in life became a teacher in the elementary schools of Utah.
In 1860, Sophronia and other members of the Molen family moved to Hyde Park, in northern Utah, where she became the faithful wife of John Rees on July 31, 1862. They first lived in a dugout, as many of the people did in the early settlement of Cache Valley. They later lived in a very neat two-roomed log house, which the author feels must certainly have inspired the poet to write:
“I remember, I remember,
The house where I was born,
The little window where the sun
Came creeping in at morn;
He never came a wink too soon,
Nor brought too long a day,
But now, I often wish the night
Had born my breath away.
I remember, I remember,
The roses, red and white;
The violets and the lily-cups,
Those flowers made of light!
The lilacs where the robins built,
And where my brother set
The peach tree on his birthday,
The tree is living yet!
I remember, I remember,
Where I was used to swing;
And thought the air must rush as fresh
To swallows on the wing;
My spirit flew in feathers then,
That is so heavy now,
And summer pools could hardly cool
The Fever on my brow!
I remember, I remember,
The fir trees dark and high;
I used to think their slender tops
Were close against the sky:
It was a childish ignorance,
But now tis little joy
To know I’m father off from heaven
Than when I was a boy.”
Sophronia Molen was a professional cook, an expert with the needle and thread, a champion knitter, and a unique story teller. She also taught in the elementary schools. She could hold you spellbound while she told one of her famous stories. Her puddings and preserves tasted just a little better than anyone else’s. She could make more rolls, batts, or yarn, and could knit more socks, gloves, mittens, wristlets and caps, than anyone of the neighbors. She could knit these articles single, double, without patterns or with them, better than anyone in the community. She could make you a dress out of woolsey-linsey or a suit of clothes out of bluejeans better than any tailor in the city. She was an enchanting conversationalist and her ludicrous and effective comparisons enthralled everybody. Mrs. Rees told many interesting stories about harvesting, or collecting the sap from the sugar maples that grew on their farm near Nauvoo. This was made into syrup and sugar, and was the greatest source of revenue on the farm. This farm, one of the most valuable farms in Bureau County, Illinois, was traded for an old wagon and two yoke of oxen when the Mormon people were driven from Nauvoo by the mob. Their other farm, worth at least $13,000 was sold for 1/10 of that amount. These pioneers made great sacrifices for their religion.
Let us take a quick glance now at the Rees home in Benson. It was a two story seven room farm house with three porches. Properly painted and trimmed on the outside, it was classed as one of the beautiful houses of the Valley. Inside it was furnished with beautiful rugs and carpets, and as high a class of furniture as could be obtained here at that time. The family was prosperous and comfortable, although at that time prosperity and comfort were the products of much hard labor. John and Sophronia Rees operated a farm of more than 300 acres and seldom milked fewer than twenty dairy cows. There was little machinery in those days (a milking machine was unknown) and practically all the work was done by hand. Farm and dairy products were cheap. Wheat brought from 50 to 65 cents per bushel, eggs from 10 to 15 cents per dozen, and butter from 10 to 20 cents per pound. Under these prices, you can see that the farmers paid a high price for all the comforts they enjoyed.
The Reeses were well acquainted around the valley, had quite a number of relatives, and knew practically all the high church officials. The last named group had a standing invitation to come to the Rees home for a meal whenever they were in Benson at mealtime or any other time, if they were hungry or had time to make a visit. People had time to visit before the automobile came into use and they made good use of their time. Sunday was always a lively day at the Rees farm. Practically all of the official church visitors to Benson on Sunday, or other days, such as the Presidency of the Stake, Stake Sunday School Superintendents, or other appointed visitors, dined at the Rees home.
Mrs. Rees was for many years President of the Primary Association of the Benson Ward where she did a most excellent work. This was the first Primary Association organized in Benson. She was the first school teacher, and although her methods and the schoolhouse (George Thomas’ log granary) did not measure up very favorably with those of today, she fully realized her objectives and gave the students a firm foundation for their later educational work. Her motto seemed to be:
“I will follow the upward road today:
I will keep my face to the light.
I will think high thoughts as I go my way;
I will do what I know is right.
I will look for the flowers by the side of the road;
I will laugh and love and be strong,
I will try to lighten another’s load
This day as I fare along.”
On January 19, 1911, at the age of 75, Sophronia died of pneumonia, bringing great sadness to her family and her numerous friends. She was buried in the Hyde Park Cemetery. After the death of Sophronia, John continued to operate his farm for a number of years. Although his health was such that he had difficulty performing the many chores associated with the operation of a farm, he managed to harness his three old horses (Colonel, Major, and Josey) and do much of the planting and harvesting work.
In about 1914, however, it became evident that he could no longer operate the farm alone. Consequently, it was leased to his son John. Also in 1914, he had his son Jesse and family move into the old Rees home to provide the needed care in his aging years. The adjustment from a life of quiet and loneliness to the noise and activity associated with a house full of children must have been quite difficult for “Grandpa Rees,” which he was now called. Since children are more impressed by idiosyncrasies than character or accomplishments, they did little to ease the adjustment. Consequently, the countryside often rang with “Grandpa’s” booming voice calling one or another of his grandchildren to task for some perpetrated mischief.In the winter of 1918-19 he contracted pneumonia. He was almost 85 years of age, and since the “wonder drugs” had not then been discovered, little hope was held for his recovery. After an illness of a few weeks he died on February 6, 1919.
Although on that bleak winter day of 1919 the life of John Rees ended, his characteristics and ideals have and will continue to live on in his children and his children’s children. John Rees was a Mormon Pioneer who left his indelible mark along the trails of the great Plains and upon the everlasting hills of Utah.
(1) William Rees’s parents were John Rees and Mary Jones Rees. They had the following children: John, William, George, Evan, Benjamine, Elizabeth, Mary, Ann, Sarah, Ruth and Suzanne. Some of the brothers and sisters of William Rees came to America and settled in Pennsylvania. However, their names are not known."
