Rex Family Memorial Day Gathering. May 27, 2013.

William and Mary Elizabeth Brough Rex buried six of their thirteen children, as children, here in the Randolph, Utah Cemetery. Visit this beautiful updated William and Mary Rex Gravesite at the cemetery on Memorial Day, May 27, 2013! One month from today!

Flora Lee extended an invitation to interested family members to drop by her childhood Randolph home at 85 W. Canyon Street on that day. There will be visiting and refreshments and she will hold a P.H. Rex Family meeting there at 2:00 p.m.

The William and Mary Rex children are:

William Thomas Rex (1875-1962)
Charles Rex (1877-1882)
Alfred George Rex (1878-1956)
Mary Elizabeth Rex (1880-1880)
Olive Celeste Rex (1881-1882)
Samuel Rex (1883-1967)
Arthur H. Rex (1884-1952)
John Osland Rex (1887-1967)
Percy Harold Rex (1889-1977)
Ada Estella Rex Jackson (1892-1974)
Myrtle Rex (1894-1894)
Alfreda Rex (1895-1901)
Hyrum Mack Rex (1901-1902)

There is a footstone with each child's initials on it. They were leaning around the main Rex headstone for years. That too was deteriorating. Last year William and Mary Rex descendants, Nancy and Flora Lee, set out to “fix” that. They solicited support and donations from other family members. As you can see, the upright, repaired stones are completed and ready for you to view in the Randolph Cemetery.

I haven’t seen many grave footstones. Some graves in the 18th century contained footstones to mark the foot end of the grave. Footstones were rarely annotated with more than the deceased's initials. Many cemeteries and churchyards have removed those extra stones to ease grass cutting by machine mower. In some United Kingdom cemeteries the principal, and only marker, is placed at the foot of the grave.  

It appears that the first William and Mary Rex baby was buried in 1880. Perhaps thereafter they placed a small footstone for each child. Or sometime later other descendants may have  added all of the footstones.

I know of only one other family grave that has a footstone. The picture below is poor and crooked. It does, however, show Myrtle Morgan's grave on the left with her footstone further on at the foot of her grave. Myrtle Morgan is John and Annie Smith Morgan's daughter. She died July 28, 1890 and is buried in the Manassa, Colorado cemetery. 

I took this picture to illustrate what had happened to her grandfather's headstone to the right. It appears a truck backed into it and the corner of the nearby plot. It is a project that needs attention.

2012 Springtime visit to Manassa, Colorado. Part 2.

Continued from here.

The engraving above the door identifies this as the San Luis Stake Office. 

Cousin Flora Lee visited here in 2008 and was told it had been the tithing office.

This building is kitty-cornered through the block from the plaque

marking the first church and school building.

An online picture of the grounds in summer green is here.

The Old Manassa Cemetery is about five blocks south of

Main Street on 5th Street, just as the instructions I found online here said.

This plaque lists those buried in the cemetery,

 but does not give directions to their grave sites.

There is not water at this cemetery. 
It rests beneath the hill to the south of town marked by  an M.

The mold used for John and Annie Morgan's daughter's headstone

is a popular one in the cemetery, and appears to be made of concrete.
You can find John Morgan's journal entries about Myrtle's passing here. 

 

This gravestone marks Myrtle's grandfather's grave site and is next to hers. 

The row these two graves are on is P, 17.

Looking north from the cemetery are groups

of large trees, remnants of early farms.

Looking South from Manassa

Looking from about the same spot as above, this time to the East,

 where I imagine John Morgan's ranch, over the river, might have been.

The large cranes in this picture give away

 the present use of John Morgan's corner.

The John Morgan corner is tightly concealed

from the west by the trees he planted there.

This is a nice online picture of Manassa, 

green trees concealing all but the top of one crane. 

Two of John Morgan's Springtime journal entries while at Manassa, Colorado:

1886 - April 12, Planted thirty-nine fruit trees today. A very cold windy day.

1888 - March 17, Annie, Ray, brother Jackson and myself drove across the river this a.m. and visited brother Beecroft's place. In the p.m. we drove to Ephriam calling at Brother Corays. From there to Sanford where we bought some trees of brother Jones. Returned late in the evening.

Part 1

Part 3

Part 4

John Hamilton Morgan, Manassa, Colorado, July 5-August 17, 1890, 1 of 2 parts.

John Hamilton and Annie Smith Morgan with their family; Annie Ray, Myrtle in front, and John Albemarle on his mother’s lap. This picture was taken June 19, 1890, at Marshall’s Gallery, Denver, Colorado.

Because of the John Morgan journal we know more about this 1890 picture of John Morgan’s family. His journal offers glimpses into family life such as this one, and the passing of Myrtle five weeks later. Perhaps they typify events, even pictures, with other family members that are yet to be discovered.

It is evident that John Morgan “catches up” at different times in his journal. These entries are exactly as they appear in the typed version of his journal at the Marriott Library, University of Utah. This 2 part post begins the day after John Morgan returned from a trip to the Manti Temple that is posted here.

1890
July 5
Have finished tearing down the old building and the men are getting out the cellar for the new rapidly. [The old building is the Morgan Commercial College. John Morgan will build the Morgan Hotel on the same site.]

July 6 to 22
Have been busy with my building work and other duties. On the 22 started for Colorado over the U. P. at 5 p.m.

July 23
Had breakfast at Rawlings. Changed cars at Cheyenne and arrived at Denver at 7:45 p.m. Left for Manassa at 11:30 p.m.

July 24
Arrived at the crossing at 12 m. Team met me and learned that little Myrtle had the measles and was quite sick. On arriving home found her very sick with pneumonia. Labored with her the rest of the day and night. She suffered severely but was very patient.

July 25
Continued nursing Myrtle who seemed satisfied only on my lap. She showed some better indications today.

July 26
No improvement in our little one’s condition. Still we are doing everything we can to help her.

July 27
Myrtle worse this a.m. and very seriously sick. Have had her administered to and doing everything in our power.

July 28
As the first rays of the sun shone through the window our darling died in my arms, quietly and peacefully falling asleep. A dear gentle good spirit, all too good for this world of sin and misery. The friends and neighbors came in and did all they could for us showing every kindness.

July 29
Funeral at 2 p.m. today. Brother [probably Brigham Henry] Roberts and [probably William] Spry were the speakers, having arrived on the noon train. A large attendance and everything that loving hands could do, done.

July 30
Rained and very wet so that it is almost impossible to do anything.

July 31
At work trying to get the weeds out of the trees and garden that are about to take everything.

August 1
Still at work with the weeds, and received a telegram notifying me of brother [probably George] Goddard coming.

August 2
Both the other children taking down with the measles, the baby breaking out heavy. Ray complaining.

August 3
Both children in bed with measles, but doing well.

August 4
Ray, up and about the house. Got the trees plowed out and trimmed.

August 5
At work about the corrall [sic] and making hayracks, preparatory to haying.

August 6
Plowed the potatoes and hoed them. The children much improved.

(To be continued.)

John Morgan Journal and picture from John Morgan collection at the Marriott Library, Special Collections, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.