Alfred Rees was born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales on December 11, 1841. He was the son of Margaret Davis and Thomas D. Rees. He was baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on December 13, 1853 by Nathaniel Edmunds. His father was presiding Elder there before immigrating to America. His mother, Margaret Rees, was the first woman baptized into the Church in Merthyr Tidily, Wales. My father, his parents, brothers and sisters, numbering ten in the family left Liverpool, England in April 1856 on the ship Carlin with Dan McArthur Captain. The voyage on the ocean was somewhat long and rough and very tedious. They landed in Boston the latter part of May 1856. While on the ship, my father met with an accident that left a scar through life. In some manner he had a gash cut out over his left eye, putting his eye out on his cheek. His mother put it back and through prayers and faith his eye got better, only being a little crossed. From then on they called him the "cross-eyed Welshman."
Arriving in Boston the latter part of May, preparations for the journey West began. My father, being fifteen years old, shared the burden and shouldered the responsibility of making the trip across the plains as happy as circumstances would allow. They suffered many hardships, but on they traveled, pulling the handcarts all the way. [Edward Bunker Handcart Company arrived in Salt Lake City 3 October 1856]. They soon discovered that rations of food had to be meted out. They were given a certain amount of food each day, and later this was only a handful of flour for each person. They suffered all the hardships that most pioneers suffered. My mother fared better than father, as she had plenty to eat, but Father suffered the intense pangs of hunger.
Alfred married Emma David August 14, 1859. He [Alfred] was a guard in the Black Hawk War and was Indian Agent for a number of years on what was called the Old Indian Farm. While there he made many friends among the Indians. The area is called Lake Shore now. He spoke their language and sang their song. In 1861 and 1863 he went back to Fort Lawrence on the Missouri River where Omaha is now, to help the poor saints travel from Missouri to Utah.
During Indian troubles he had many narrow escapes. At one time he and Mother with two children were on their way to Sanpete County to visit his parents. They camped at a place where Mona is now and, looking up, my father spied Chief Black Hawk taking aim at them with a gun. He called the Indian in Indian language and asked him what he meant by such actions. Black Hawk replied that it was only in fun. Father thought differently as the red men were still hostile. Father was a good friend of Chief Wonduras. He called Father "spondoolix". During the troublesome times with the Indians, Chief Wonduras came to Mother and asked her where "spondoolix" was. She told him Father was away. Chief Wonduras had come to warn them that the Indians were on the warpath again, and wanted them and their friends to be on guard and seek safety.
Alfred was a member of the first choir that was organized in Spanish Fork and remained a member until his death. He was a fond parent, taking pleasure in a social way with his family around him, singing their songs and teaching them to be straightforward and honest. His strongest principle was "be honest and keep out of debt." He, like Mother, visited the sick, relieved the distressed and performed the service of laying out the dead. Father was stricken with diabetes and suffered untold agonies for eight months before dying on July 11, 1910.
Written by his daughter, Hannah Rees Phillips (1872-1959)
Arriving in Boston the latter part of May, preparations for the journey West began. My father, being fifteen years old, shared the burden and shouldered the responsibility of making the trip across the plains as happy as circumstances would allow. They suffered many hardships, but on they traveled, pulling the handcarts all the way. [Edward Bunker Handcart Company arrived in Salt Lake City 3 October 1856]. They soon discovered that rations of food had to be meted out. They were given a certain amount of food each day, and later this was only a handful of flour for each person. They suffered all the hardships that most pioneers suffered. My mother fared better than father, as she had plenty to eat, but Father suffered the intense pangs of hunger.
Alfred married Emma David August 14, 1859. He [Alfred] was a guard in the Black Hawk War and was Indian Agent for a number of years on what was called the Old Indian Farm. While there he made many friends among the Indians. The area is called Lake Shore now. He spoke their language and sang their song. In 1861 and 1863 he went back to Fort Lawrence on the Missouri River where Omaha is now, to help the poor saints travel from Missouri to Utah.
During Indian troubles he had many narrow escapes. At one time he and Mother with two children were on their way to Sanpete County to visit his parents. They camped at a place where Mona is now and, looking up, my father spied Chief Black Hawk taking aim at them with a gun. He called the Indian in Indian language and asked him what he meant by such actions. Black Hawk replied that it was only in fun. Father thought differently as the red men were still hostile. Father was a good friend of Chief Wonduras. He called Father "spondoolix". During the troublesome times with the Indians, Chief Wonduras came to Mother and asked her where "spondoolix" was. She told him Father was away. Chief Wonduras had come to warn them that the Indians were on the warpath again, and wanted them and their friends to be on guard and seek safety.
Alfred was a member of the first choir that was organized in Spanish Fork and remained a member until his death. He was a fond parent, taking pleasure in a social way with his family around him, singing their songs and teaching them to be straightforward and honest. His strongest principle was "be honest and keep out of debt." He, like Mother, visited the sick, relieved the distressed and performed the service of laying out the dead. Father was stricken with diabetes and suffered untold agonies for eight months before dying on July 11, 1910.
Written by his daughter, Hannah Rees Phillips (1872-1959)
Alfred Rees was born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales on December 11, 1841. He was the son of Margaret Davis and Thomas D. Rees. He was baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on December 13, 1853 by Nathaniel Edmunds. His father was presiding Elder there before immigrating to America. His mother, Margaret Rees, was the first woman baptized into the Church in Merthyr Tidily, Wales. My father, his parents, brothers and sisters, numbering ten in the family left Liverpool, England in April 1856 on the ship Carlin with Dan McArthur Captain. The voyage on the ocean was somewhat long and rough and very tedious. They landed in Boston the latter part of May 1856. While on the ship, my father met with an accident that left a scar through life. In some manner he had a gash cut out over his left eye, putting his eye out on his cheek. His mother put it back and through prayers and faith his eye got better, only being a little crossed. From then on they called him the "cross-eyed Welshman."
Arriving in Boston the latter part of May, preparations for the journey West began. My father, being fifteen years old, shared the burden and shouldered the responsibility of making the trip across the plains as happy as circumstances would allow. They suffered many hardships, but on they traveled, pulling the handcarts all the way. [Edward Bunker Handcart Company arrived in Salt Lake City 3 October 1856]. They soon discovered that rations of food had to be meted out. They were given a certain amount of food each day, and later this was only a handful of flour for each person. They suffered all the hardships that most pioneers suffered. My mother fared better than father, as she had plenty to eat, but Father suffered the intense pangs of hunger.
Alfred married Emma David August 14, 1859. He [Alfred] was a guard in the Black Hawk War and was Indian Agent for a number of years on what was called the Old Indian Farm. While there he made many friends among the Indians. The area is called Lake Shore now. He spoke their language and sang their song. In 1861 and 1863 he went back to Fort Lawrence on the Missouri River where Omaha is now, to help the poor saints travel from Missouri to Utah.
During Indian troubles he had many narrow escapes. At one time he and Mother with two children were on their way to Sanpete County to visit his parents. They camped at a place where Mona is now and, looking up, my father spied Chief Black Hawk taking aim at them with a gun. He called the Indian in Indian language and asked him what he meant by such actions. Black Hawk replied that it was only in fun. Father thought differently as the red men were still hostile. Father was a good friend of Chief Wonduras. He called Father "spondoolix". During the troublesome times with the Indians, Chief Wonduras came to Mother and asked her where "spondoolix" was. She told him Father was away. Chief Wonduras had come to warn them that the Indians were on the warpath again, and wanted them and their friends to be on guard and seek safety.
Alfred was a member of the first choir that was organized in Spanish Fork and remained a member until his death. He was a fond parent, taking pleasure in a social way with his family around him, singing their songs and teaching them to be straightforward and honest. His strongest principle was "be honest and keep out of debt." He, like Mother, visited the sick, relieved the distressed and performed the service of laying out the dead. Father was stricken with diabetes and suffered untold agonies for eight months before dying on July 11, 1910.
Written by his daughter, Hannah Rees Phillips (1872-1959)
Arriving in Boston the latter part of May, preparations for the journey West began. My father, being fifteen years old, shared the burden and shouldered the responsibility of making the trip across the plains as happy as circumstances would allow. They suffered many hardships, but on they traveled, pulling the handcarts all the way. [Edward Bunker Handcart Company arrived in Salt Lake City 3 October 1856]. They soon discovered that rations of food had to be meted out. They were given a certain amount of food each day, and later this was only a handful of flour for each person. They suffered all the hardships that most pioneers suffered. My mother fared better than father, as she had plenty to eat, but Father suffered the intense pangs of hunger.
Alfred married Emma David August 14, 1859. He [Alfred] was a guard in the Black Hawk War and was Indian Agent for a number of years on what was called the Old Indian Farm. While there he made many friends among the Indians. The area is called Lake Shore now. He spoke their language and sang their song. In 1861 and 1863 he went back to Fort Lawrence on the Missouri River where Omaha is now, to help the poor saints travel from Missouri to Utah.
During Indian troubles he had many narrow escapes. At one time he and Mother with two children were on their way to Sanpete County to visit his parents. They camped at a place where Mona is now and, looking up, my father spied Chief Black Hawk taking aim at them with a gun. He called the Indian in Indian language and asked him what he meant by such actions. Black Hawk replied that it was only in fun. Father thought differently as the red men were still hostile. Father was a good friend of Chief Wonduras. He called Father "spondoolix". During the troublesome times with the Indians, Chief Wonduras came to Mother and asked her where "spondoolix" was. She told him Father was away. Chief Wonduras had come to warn them that the Indians were on the warpath again, and wanted them and their friends to be on guard and seek safety.
Alfred was a member of the first choir that was organized in Spanish Fork and remained a member until his death. He was a fond parent, taking pleasure in a social way with his family around him, singing their songs and teaching them to be straightforward and honest. His strongest principle was "be honest and keep out of debt." He, like Mother, visited the sick, relieved the distressed and performed the service of laying out the dead. Father was stricken with diabetes and suffered untold agonies for eight months before dying on July 11, 1910.
Written by his daughter, Hannah Rees Phillips (1872-1959)
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