Lotwick Reese - Obituary
Tuesday, July 1, 1930
Elderly Pioneer Dies in Idaho
Bloomington, Idaho; One of the oldest and most worthy pioneers, Lotwick Reese of Bloomington,
Idaho, died recently.
Mr. Reese was well known in Bear Lake Valley.
He was one of the oldest members of the Church, as his parents were
members of the church when he was born.
Lotwick Reese was born March 1,
1845, in Glamorganshire, South Wales, and in
the year of 1856, as a young lad of 11, he with his widowed mother, brother,
and sister, came to this country for the Gospel's sake.
They joined the Edward Bunker handcart company in Council Bluffs, and
crossed the plains, walking every step, with very little food or clothing. They landed in Salt Lake Oct 2, and later
moved to Willard. Then in the early
spring of 1864, he was called by President Brigham Young to come to Bear Lake
to help settle this country.
He came with ox team and camped on Paris
creek, then finally settled in what is now known as Bloomington.
Here he resided until his death.
Living in those early days was comparatively different from
life at the present time. His car in
those days was an ox team, which did all his work, breaking up the land,
freighting, farming, etc. Their clothing
consisted of wool; washed, carded and spun by he and
his mother.
Their food consisted of bread and mush made from frozen
grains which they ground and prepared themselves by means of a coffee mill.
When the deceased came to Bloomington there were only three other
families there. The land was covered
with sagebrush.
Mr. Reese carried mail from Bear
Lake to Franklin.
This was a very hazardous trip in winter, as they had to go over the
mountains on snow shoes.
These are only a few of the hardships this character has
gone through.
He was married to Mary J. Johns, Dec. 11, 1884. They have gone through many hardships
together and have lived noble lives.
They have been married 46 years and have reared six boys and
two girls; three have died.
He is survived by his wife and five children, A. V. Reese,
Bloomington; Mrs. J. A. Hunter, Los Angeles; Ivan T. Reese, Bloomington;
Merrill J. Reese, Heber City, Utah, and Eldon Reese, Bloomington.
