Reunions are for embracing, remembering, reminscing and sharing!

This year's P.H. Rex Family Reunion was held Saturday, September 8 in the Randolph Ward at noon, and was no exception! Yearly it is the first Saturday following the Labor Day Weekend.  

Some of us traveled north and returned over Monte Cristo.

Cousins shared lunch, histories, artifacts, and memories. 

Yara and Flora Lee

Stanley and Nancy, Tom, and Jay.

Irene hosted and presented a Power Point presentation of early family reunions. It was so much fun. Pictures reminded us of our beginnings and those who weren't able to be with us. We missed them.

Stanley, Daniel, Nancy, Tom, Jay, and Michael

Richard, Bessie, Bob, and Judd

Stanely identified the mystery artifact. Tucked away in Helen Rex Frazier's cedar chest, I didn't see it my youth. Stanley recalled it hanging in Grandpa and Grandma Aunt Mary's home.  Near her little upstairs dressing room he thought.

 

Mary Elizabeth Herbert Rex

It's in my home now.  I'm so pleased to know who it belonged to, and that Helen chose to keep it after the final dispersing of Grandpa and Grandma Rex's treasures.



I'd snapped a picture of a very similar item five years ago when I traveled with D. U. P. daughters to central Utah and visited the Fairview Art and Pioneer Museum. I wonder if this was a popular pattern Grandma Aunt Mary or her mother tufted and sewed? 

Note:  Apologies to cousin Janeen for not posting a picture with her in it. She flew all the way from Arizona to be at our reunion. 

Percy Harold Rex Family Reunion September 8, 2018

L-R Grandpa P. H. Rex, Winifred Andrus, Glenn Frazier, Helen Frazier, 

Roscoe Andrus holding Millard; front, Bessie, Rex, Marilyn, Irene, Marlene, Ilene

Yesterday's note from Cousin Irene concluded her beautiful 2018 Rex Reunion tribute to Grandpa Rex.

In last October Conference Elder Bednar spoke of meekness, that often mis-understood and surely under appreciated attribute of our Redeemer. He gave a great description and as I read it afterward I immediately thought of how well it described our beloved Grandfather Rex. Hope it resonates with you. Elder Bednar said, "Meekness is strong, not weak; active, not passive; courageous, not timid; restrained not excessive; modest, not self-aggrandizing; and gracious, not brash. A meek person is not easily provoked, is not pretentious or overbearing and readily acknowledges the accomplishments of others," In the late 30's and early 40's, Grandpa lived through at least three heavy losses with courage, strength and modesty. I think his example is truly worthy of emulation.

Picture mid-1950

We enjoyed reunion pictures found here:  

Smiling Faces and Merry Hearts!

P. H. Rex Family Thanksgiving Celebration in the 1960's. Family gathered in P.H. Rex's Randolph home seated around wall to wall tables. 

Keepapitchinin's post this morning And there was Prayer and Thanksgiving

reminded me of this gathering over fifty years ago. 

Smiling Faces and Merry Hearts!

This last picture appeared here earlier.

A favorite Thanksgiving Day Post.

PH REX Family History Book. October 2014.

A couple of very nice pictures surfaced following 

the completion of our P. H. Rex Family History Book.

Here is Percy Rex with his horse Margo (I presume)

 in the driveway to the northeast of his home.

Five Rex Brothers at William's 50th Wedding Anniversary in 1949

Alfred, Percy, William, Sam, Arthur

from page 114 William Rex History Book

Bessie Morgan Rex letter to Harold. March 20, 1938.

Randolph, Utah

March 20, 1938

My dear boy,

Sunday afternoon. Conference is over, but I didn’t go. Have been a little under the weather, but Dr. Pyoth will take care of me just fine.

Well, it was Sunday & I thot I would hurry & write right then, but my good intentions fell thro. Guess I am lazy. Am feeling very much better now.

I had so many things I wanted to tell you but I expect your father told you some of them. Have felt so badly since Sun. to think I was not able to have Burdett’s & Fraziers up for dinner. They are always so nice to me. Sis. Burdett came up to see me between meetings and Clara and Glenn came up after meeting. I asked Clara if she heard from you, and she looked rather wistful as she said “Not very often.” Shame on you. Such a lovely girl too. And say, does Glenn treat his sister about right. He is a fine fellow. His mission has improved him. You know he is grown up.  

John Morgan, Percy Harold, Maeser Morgan Rex

They say he spoke fine in conference as did Phil Spencer. Now don’t be so stingy with your letters to Clara.

We haven’t had a letter for two weeks now. Whatever is the delay?  We received an invitation to the Brazilian mission reunion next Sat., but I think we shall wait until you come home. We have Winnie graduating soon & I have been such an expense with capsules money is at a premium.

Daddy has gone to feed to be back in time to work at the court house. He makes 4$ a day there. The boys are doing the chores.

Such a dark & dreary day. But think winter is behind us. How glad I am.

Well, dearie, I must close.

Morgan’s father asked him if it didn’t give him a thrill to hear his big brother’s name read out in the Brazilian mission. We decided it gave Morg’s father a bigger one.

Love & kisses from all

Lovingly Mother

Bessie Morgan Rex letter to Harold. January 19, 1938.

John Morgan, Percy Harold, Maeser Morgan Rex, 

standing in front of their Randolph, Utah home, prior to Morgan's deployment.

 Randolph, Utah

January 19, 1938

My dear dear boy,

Right now, I am going to sit down and write to you. It is nearly six o’clock and I am getting supper ready. Just received your letter of Dec. 17, and was, oh so pleased to get it. Of course it was written before your airmail letter, but nevertheless we enjoyed it very much, so I will chat about it first.

That is a lovely picture of Winnie, isn’t it. I have mine where I can see it all the time. I think my daughters are just grand but don’t say it’s too bad you are her brother. My dear, you have no idea how proud I am of my boys. Your work down there is a constant joy to me, and Morgan is growing into a fine serious fellow who loves things like physics and geometry. I do hope you can accomplish all the things you desire to so much. I am surely happy these days, especially when I think of my children. I received a letter from Helen also tonight

I am so glad she and Glenn are working [in] the ward. Have you heard from her? You should have by now.

Last night a young man came to see me. Do you remember those three salesmen you met in Evanston a day or two before you left. You know they sold Helen a couple of dresses. Well, one Karl Page, liked Helen very much, and so he came up to see me. He kept saying “She is one swell girl.” I should like to capture him for Winnie. He is the sweetest kid. He always wants to know all about you and is looking forward to seeing you when you come home. I like him because he is fine & clean looking, and does he love life.

You mentioned buying a camera. I do hope you were able to keep it. We are looking forward to seeing pictures of Brazil. I am wondering if you have enough money now. Do be very observing. We shall have many many questions to ask you. Did you write to Mr. D. P. Murray. Possibly you didn’t get my letter saying he was much interested in you and will help

you if you go the the A. C. [Agriculture College in Logan. Utah].

I have written a play for the R.S. today. It has been fun, but I do get tired. Myrtle Jones is the new R.S. Pres. And I still teach literature.

Have you decided to come straight home. Possibly that is the best. Daddy has some debts to pay and a hundred dollars is quite a bit right now. If you come home by N.Y. I shall send you Vash Young’s address and you can call on him. He gave me or my family a very urgent invitation.

They cleaned the church today to make it ready for carpet and drapes. Wont that be grand.

We have no snow so far, and a very mild winter. Different from any winter I have seen here so far.

And now my dear, you are much further away from us, but I’m so glad it is cooler. I looked it up on the map, and the weather, I judge, is about the same as our southern states. I do hope you like it. I think you have been rewarded for your good work.

Did I tell you Roy went back to his mission Monday morning. Bob W. will be home next month.

Did I tell you Helen found Aunt Lile. They didn’t know her.

Dear dear, I told you about the boy’s baby beef didn’t I. I am getting tired and sleepy, so I better be closing. There isn’t any news in town of any importance.

Keep up your good work, my son and the Lord will ever bless you. We wait for your letters each week and love to hear from you.

Love & kisses from all of us.

Lovingly,

Mother

Note: Eliza Ann Morgan Smith is Bessie's older sister born February 8, 1875. Vash Young is #8 in Bessie's classroom picture on this post.

Last week's visit to Randolph, Utah. July 9-11, 2013.

Last week I was invited to Randolph, Utah to visit and quilt with cousins. 

The outing was as wonderful as it sounds.

I thought you might enjoy walking some streets with me. 

I passed P. H. and Bessie and Mary Rex's home on Canyon Street several times.

 It looks very very nice. 

An evening walk through the cemetery revealed the  Church Steeple

 amid the pines and the Crawford Mountains in the distance.

Walking back down Canyon Street from Cemetery Hill

 you pass a new school complex on the right. 

The lights were on in the Chapel on Main Street that evening. 

It is built of bricks made by my great-great Grandfather Samuel Brough.

I visited the Old Town Jail where it is housed on a lot east of town next to the DUP Museum. Both buildings were moved there and are filled with Randolph and family memorabilia. Such a treat.

 This wall phone hung inside the jailhouse door and looked to me exactly like the one that hung inside of Grandpa P. H. Rex's front door. I remember watching the grown ups crank it up to use it. Grandmother Bessie Rex wrote to her mother in Salt Lake about her phone, saying she'd have called her with the news, except she can't hear on their new telephone.

This cream separator is similar to the stainless steel separator

 my Grandmother Emily Frazier used in Woodruff, Utah.

 She kept it on her back porch. 

This is the front door to the DUP Museum that formerly

 stood behind the church house.

 This bench  is familiar, and very like the one that once sat
 on Grandpa P. H. Rex's front porch.

 It is an early bench from the Randolph Church.

 This pressed glass pedestal cake plate and the green vase below it

 were donated by Grandmother Aunt Mary Herbert Rex.

Whoever the items originally belonged to isn't known. 

  

This chrome trimmed stove displayed a Brough cast iron cooking kettle

 on the left rear of the cook-top. 

This Honor Roll hung in an early Randolph Court House. 

It names John Morgan Rex and others

 who made the supreme sacrifice in service to our country.

The view to the East across the meadows is beautiful.

 The Crawford Mountains border the valley on the East.

The Randolph Recreation Hall was built by the community in 1936. 

P. H. Rex was the bishopric counselor over the work project. 

It now houses the Senior Citizens Center and Library. 

1930 SRHS Junior Prom - When Helen met Glenn.

Dance Program from Helen Rex's Scrapbook

Glenn Frazier met Helen Rex while she was still in high school. They each told their descendants the same story. They met at a South Rich High School dance--in those days everyone went. 

After sharing a few dances Glenn asked Helen if he could take her home. She said, “no,” and explained that she’d return home with the person who brought her to the dance—her father. The Rex home was nearby in Randolph, it was just down the street from South Rich High School, the Church, the old Opera House, and almost everything else in town.

Glenn Frazier’s family lived ten miles south of Randolph in Woodruff, Utah.

The Rex and Frazier families were some of the early 1870 Rich County settlers and each family helped settle their respective town; Randolph and Woodruff.

Both families are represented in this 1929 Rich County Fair Report.

Complete List of Winners at the Second Annual Rich County Fair--September 29, 1929

The Second Annual Rich County Fair and rodeo held at Randolph, Utah, Sept. 24 and 25, under the direction of the County Farm Bureau, was a huge success.

The exhibits of fruits, farm products, livestock and home economics were first class. The display would be a credit to a much larger county than Rich.

Interesting programs were held each morning in the ward chapel. Speakers from the Utah Agricultural College, State Farm Bureau and the State Board of Agriculture gave instructive talks.

The Rodeo held in the afternoon was as fine as any held in the west.

The whole affair showed what real cooperation can do.

Following is a list of the premiums and of those in charge: 

[I list only winners I know belong to my families.]

Saddle Horses--3d., Sam Rex—ribbon.

Mare and Colt--1^st A. G. Rex, 1-2--$1.25.

Yearlings--2d., Winnie Rex--$1.00

Boy Pony--2d., Maeser Rex--$1.50.

Dairy Cattle—Holstein

Grade Milking Shorthorns

Cow-1^st. prize, P. H. Rex.

Sheep Department

Harry Smith, Judge, Wm. Rees, Supervisor.

Registered Ramboulilet--Ram—1^st. Frank Frazier

Lincoln--Ram—1^st. and 2d., Frank Frazier

Columbia--Ram—1^st. Frank Frazier.

Grade Beef Cattle--Group 3 steers--2d. P. H. Rex

Bread

Cake—Mrs. Frank [Emily] Frazier, Woodruff, 50 cents.

Nut Bread—Mrs. Sam [Bess] Rex, Randolph, Utah, 50 cents.

Junior Prom February 28, 1930.

Helen's dance program and note at the bottom, A Wonderful time.

Helen was part of the Junior Class that year.

My guess is this is the dance when Helen first met Glenn!