| OCR Text |
Show Woman Waits Honors On 80th Birthday Still alert despite four score years, Sarah W. Rees, known to all her friends and relatives as "Aunt Sally," probably .vill be the life ol the party when her 80th birthday is celebrated Sunday Sun-day at the home of Mrs. Ken W. Clark, a grandnicce, and Mr. Ciark, at 1225 South Twentieth East street in Salt Lake City. Open house in honor of the occasion will be held from 1 p. m. to 8:30 p. m. Miss Rees 'was born November 23, 1801, in what was then known as Coal Bed, Utah, but which is now known as Wales, Utah. She was the youngest o: seven sons and daughters of Jonn K. and Mary W. Rees, who with John Price, 'were the first settlers in that area in the late 1850's. Her father and Mr. Price discovered the first . coal and opened- the first mine in ' the community. Mr. Rees was bishop of the Wsles ward for thirty-three ears. During that time the Rees -home was visited frequent- ly by the uirst presidency of the L. D. S. church. Tne Rees home was always open to travelers in that sparsely spars-ely settled area in pioneer days, and Aunt Sally recalls that stranger or friend felt equally free to stop there. -; . . ff Governor Simon Bamberger stayed there intermittently- during dur-ing the first five years he was t in Utah, and he and BisQiop ' Rees -were the operators - of Utah's first coal mines. Aunt Sally was president of I the Mutual Improvement asso- ciation in the Wales ward, and -.vent ot as a practical nurse whenever her services; were needed. M-any times she-attended the L. D. S. church conference confer-ence in Salt Lake City, the 120-mile 120-mile trip by wagon requiring i'ou! days. . j? During the past year she do- nated the ground on which the old family home stood to the L. cl D. S. church, and in the near a future a new ohiurch -will . be a elected on the site. 1" She still enjoys good . health ' fl and does a great deal of cro- " dieting and reading. She lives c' with a niece, Mrs. ISazie E. ' Thomas, at 241 East Fifth South 31 streets in Salt Lake City. . s' |
