Thomas Levi Reese

GEDCOM Note

I have another birth place as Merthyr Tydfil, Wales.

He died in Castle Gate mine explosion. I think he was married to Margaret Ann Davies and Hannah Rees Phillips.

<b>Edna May Reese Hardee Sorensen </b>A Brief History of the Life of Edna May Reese Hardee Sorensen - Written 1980-1981 I was born in the town of Castle Gate, Utah (in Carbon County) to Thomas Levi Reese and Margaret Ann Davis (Davies) Reese on May 1, 1905. My mother and father were born in Wales. My father came to settle in the United States. He then sent for my mother, whom he married after her arrival here. They were married in Emery County near Price, Utah. They lived in Winter Quarters, Utah for a short time and then settled in Castle Gate. My father was a coal miner. He told of his father carrying him on his back to help him the mines in Whales. He was only eight years old at the time. My mother and father had seven children. Glyndur Davies, Theodore, Levi, Annie, Thomas, William, and Edna May. My brother, Glen, was the first baby born in Castle Gate. He was born in a tent, as they had not yet built homes there. My brothers, Levi, Thomas and William died at an early age. Levi fell from a load of hay and his neck was broken. Thomas had a heart condition and William died from complications caused by and infected tooth. I can't remember my sweet mother. She died when I was two years old on July 12, 1907. I have been told that she may have had leukemia. I went to live with my Aunt Mary and her daughter, Vannie. They took care of me until my sister, Annie, was old enough to take over the responsibilities of the family. They have told me how much they loved me and how hard it was for them to give me up. My sister took the place of my mother and gave up so much to help raise all of us. I loved her very much. I have faint recollections of living in Wyoming as a child. My aunt tells me that we lived there two different times. My brother, Levi, was killed there and my sister, Annie, was born there. She was the only on in our family that was not born in Utah. My father was a kind, loving man. He did all he could to keep us together after the death of my mother. He spoiled me terribly. The members of my family have all passed away now, but I have many happy memories of them. Mine was a happy childhood in the small town where I grew up. I remember the band and orchestra my brother, Glen, directed. He was such a fine musician. My father played the flute and piccolo. My brother, Bill, played the trombone. My brother, Theo, played big base and Glen also played the trombone. My father and Glen directed a choir in our church. They all sang so beautifully. I remember the bandstand in the middle of town. We had a band concert there every Sunday. The ladies would serve cookies and punch to everyone. We had a dance in our big hall every Saturday night. People would come from all over the county to attend. I remember on Halloween when we had a costume ball. Everyone was supposed to make his or her own costumes. I made a dress and called it "Night". It was black and had a net overskirt held out at the hips by a hoop with silver stars and moons sewed on the net. I wore a big silver crown with a big star on it, with net hanging down my back from the star. I won first prize! I also won first prize for a dress I made for another contest. It was brown satin, hand embroidered in silk thread on the skirt and sleeves. It was so pretty. I have always loved to embroidery, crochet and knit. In the summer of 1923, my sister Annie, was sent to Wichita, Kansas on a mission for the LDS Church. She was unable to finish her mission as my father was killed in an explosion at the Castle Gate mine, along with 173 other men. This happened on March 8, 1924. It wiped out almost every man in town. My father had married Hannah Philips of Spanish Fork, Utah just the year before this happened. He had taken me to Spanish Fork to go to High School and live with her in her home there. They had known each other for many years. She was a beautiful seamstress and she made me such beautiful dresses. After the explosion, she moved back to Spanish Fork to live with her married daughter. After my father was killed, I was sent to Salt Lake City, to go to beauty school to learn how to finger wave and pin curl. After I finished, I went back to Castle Gate to open a beauty salon. It was at this time that I started to go with Welber Hardee, a hometown boy who had helped save me from drowning in the Price River some years before. We were married on December 22, 1925 in Price, Utah. We have had six lovely children. Margaret Elaine, Dorothy May, Joyce Ann, Wilbur Clydell, Deanna Gwendolyn and Douglas Reese Hardee. My two little boys passed away when they were just babies. Clydell at seven months and Douglas at 5 days. They were such choice spirits of our Father in Heaven. I hope that I might live my life to be worthy of raising them in Heaven as we are promised. In 1959, I had a mastectomy and a nervous breakdown. My husband died on August 12, 1964 in the Dragerton Hospital. He had cancer of the pancreas. A year later, I took out his temple endowments and we were married for time and eternity in the Salt Lake Temple. I hope he will accept this work. I became more active in the Church and held offices as Relief Society chorister, Mutual counselor and Relief Society visiting teacher, a position I have held for 40 years. In November of 1968, I sold my home in Castle Gate and moved into an apartment house in Salt Lake City as all of my children had moved here. I was again asked to be the Relief Society chorister and a visiting teacher. I also joined the Welsh Ladies Auxiliary, as I am full blooded Welshman. I have lived in the same apartment house for 19 years. They call me the "decorating lady" here. I decorate my door in the hallway and windows for each holiday of the year. I have learned to make pretty roses and other kinds of flowers and put them in flower arrangements. Here, I met and married James P. Sorensen on December 12, 1973. He was a good, kind man and very handsome. He had many health problems caused my diabetes. He passed away on January 27, 1980 after many operations and much time in the hospital. At the time of his death, he had both legs amputated and was confined pretty much to a wheel chair. He loved my family and they loved him very much. All of my daughters and their families live nearby. Elaine married Bruce Johnson. Dorothy married Mike Vlamakis. Joyce married Boyd Newbold and Gwen married Henry Coleman, but was later divorced. Never has a mother been shown so much love and kindness by her family as I have. I hope that some day my family might have a desire to serve the Lord and keep His commandments so that we might all be together again in Eternity. I love you all very dearly. <i>Story donated by <u>Julie Withers <mailto:REELJ544@aol.com> </i></u>