Percy Harold Rex, Part 1

Percy Harold Rex
b. 30 Sep 1889, Randolph, Utah
p. William Rex, Mary Elizabeth Brough
m. Bessie Morgan, 12 Jun 1912, Salt Lake City, Utah
d. 20 Mar 1977, Salt Lake City, Utah
b. 25 Mar 1977, Randolph, Utah Cemetery

Percy Harold Rex was the youngest of William and Mary Elizabeth Brough Rex’s six sons. William Thomas (1875), Alfred George (1878), Samuel (1883), Arthur Henry (1884), John Oseland (1887). His only sister is Ada Estella [Jackson] (1892). Six of his siblings died as infants or children; Charles, Mary Elizabeth, Olive Celeste, Myrtle, Alfreda, Hyrum Mack.

Percy Harold was born in a three room log house in Randolph, Utah. His mother kept a large south window full of flowers. He and his brother Ose slept in a trundle bed in the bedroom under their parent’s bed. When Ose grew out of the bed, Ada was moved in to share it with Percy.

Percy’s favorite school teacher was Mrs. Rhoda Cook from Logan. The year she taught him he played the part of George Washington in a school production. His hair was curled with a curling iron and he dressed the part in a long tailed coat, with vest, knee pants, and long white socks.

At twelve he was ordained a Deacon in the Aaronic Priesthood and was secretary of his quorum. He was president of his Teacher’s quorum, and ordained an Elder by his brother Samuel.

Percy helped his father on the farm from the time he finished the 8th grade until he was eighteen years old. On one winter day Percy was helping his father take a load of grain to Laketown to have it chopped. His father always let his children drive the team and Percy was driving. They were going on the “old road” west from Randolph and he was trying to keep one of the runners on the snow. He got a little too far up on the hillside, tipping the load of grain over. The team was frightened and broke loose, running away. Father William Rex was completely buried under the grain and sleigh box and Percy was pinned under from his knees down. In some miraculous way his father pushed him free and Percy ran for help down to the McKinnon home. Uncle Arch McKinnon was in the house for breakfast and ran with Percy back to the overturned sleigh. He was able to free William Rex from the accident. The sleigh was up-righted, the grain reloaded, and the trip to Laketown began again. Father William Rex showed signs of being quite stiff and sore for some time.

When he was eighteen years old Percy joined his five brothers and bought the Ford Sheep Company along the foot of the Crawford Mountains. It was comprised of 3,700 acres of ranch land, 14, 000 acres of range ground, 1, 025 cattle, 300-400 head of calves, and equipment.

In the beginning many big grey wolves ran in packs on their land. The wolves were vicious and killed the cattle. One Christmas time Percy and Ose and Sam had been into Randolph for the Christmas dance and were riding back to the ranch. Percy rode Dutch, a roan-colored saddle horse, Ose rode a little brown horse named P.R. (the brand) and Sam rode a bay horse named Jake. It was a beautiful bright moonlit night.

As they approached the Randolph-Sage Creek canal they heard the wolves howling. As the brothers started down the road they could see the wolves' eyes shining in the moonlight. There was a pack of 8-10 wolves, each could weigh 200 pounds.

As they rode on down the lane, one of the wolves went through the fence into a field and Ose went through the gate after him. His horse was the fastest, and he hoped to lasso it. Percy rode on down the lane through the wolves, scattering them. Sam’s horse was slower, not sharp shod, and the road was very slick. Down by the river gate, two wolves came back from the south and Ose and Sam started to chase them. Percy went on over to the adobe house where they were living to get the three greyhound dogs they had there to come and chase the wolves. He couldn’t get the dogs to follow him.

When Percy went back to help his brothers the wolves ran south into the fields and were lost in the cattails. For that night the brothers gave up the chase and went on home to bed. That winter they trapped and shot six wolves. Everybody carried his rifle. In a few years the wolves moved on.

(To be continued)

Picture of Alfreda, Percy, and Ada Rex from Helen Rex Frazier collection. History, Descendants, and ancestry of William Rex & Mary Elizabeth Brough of Randolph, Utah, compiled by Ronald D. Rex, 1999, pgs, 206, 207, 266.