Reunion News and Report

President's Message

It's been nearly two months since our reunion in St. George. I believe it was a wonderful time for all that were able to attend. At our next reunion we will plan for a full day. This year it was sandwiched in between Mountain Meadows activities.

The Reunion in St George

• We enjoyed hearing from the great grandson of Isaac Morley. He talked about his relationship with John D. Lee. They worked together at Farr West, Nauvoo, and at Summer Quarters. Isaac had also given John his patriarchal blessing.
  
  
• Jackie Coleman, a great granddaughter of Aggatha Ann, portrayed Aggatha. She told of having their cabin burned while John was helping at Farr West. How she and her daughter, Sarah Jane, had survived under a quilt for several days in November. They didn't know if John was alive or dead, and then the happy reunion, when John rode back to find them.
  
  
• Joan Landes thrilled us with her portrayal of Rachel. Joan is a great granddaughter of Rachel. We all laughed and enjoyed her story. It was the highlight of the afternoon.
  
  
• Renee Durfee and Stella Shamo gave an update on our family geneology research.
  
  
• Lyman Platt was our keynote speaker. He lives in New Harmony. He and his wife Karen are spearheading the re-building of Old New Harmony Fort. Also they plan to have a museum there with artifacts of John D. Lee and others that lived at the fort.
  
  
• The Lee family donated eight pictures of family members for the museum. We need more of the pictures of some of the wives and of the children born in New Harmony and Kanarra.
  
  
• Stella Shamo plans to give several antique furniture pieces to the museum. If you are interested in helping with the building of the museum or in donating artifacts, please call or write to me.

New Harmony
Monday, September 10, 2007 we met at the New Harmony Library located just north of the foundation of Fort Harmony. At this time there is an archaeological dig being done by BYU at the Fort. If the money can be obtained from grants and donations the fort will be rebuilt. Also the museum will be built there.

• After touring the fort area, we then drove the five miles into the town of New Harmony and went to the LDS church. Several ladies from New Harmony put together a lunch for us, we had chili with all the trimmings and hot, home-made bread and rolls. Rolaine King had displays for us in the cultural hall.
  
  
• Rolaine King's group is also planning another small museum in the town of New Harmony. As a Lee family we will want to donate money and artifacts for their museum also.
  
  
• We then had a tour of John D. Lee's farm. It is much like it was 150 years ago. The corral is in the same place. The houses are gone, but the bricks are still being plowed up in one field. We were all able to either bring home a brick or part of a brick made by John D. Lee.
  
  
• We saw where their houses would have stood. We saw where they baptized and also where the fishing pond was. The mulberry trees and wild roses that John planted are still there.
  
  
• We then went to the old cemetery where Aggatha Ann is buried. Caroline's children that were killed when the fort caved in are buried there too..

There were 80 of us that took the tour. We were all thrilled with what we were able to see.

The Statue of John D Lee
Also the seven foot bronze statue of John D. Lee was bought by several family members. It now belongs to the Lee family. The statue is in storage at this time. When the museum is built it will be placed there.

Again we do ask for family donations to help put together this museum which will honor our grandfather, John D. Lee.

Checks should be made out to the Lee's Ferry Foundation. Include which museums that you want your donation to go to, Lyman Platt, or Rolaine King.

Address the checks to my address:

Leslie Moon
241 N. Vine St. #1102 West
Salt Lake City, Utah 84103

Donate for the next Lee Reunion
It cost the Lee Ferry Foundation $800.00 to put together our reunion in September. We will probably not send out flyers for the next reunion in two years. The postage was our largest expenditure.

We would encourage a $10.00 membership fee from each family to be used for future reunions.

• Checks should be made out to the Lee Ferry Foundation.
  
  
• We need your e-mail addresses so we can keep you updated on what is happening. Please send e-mail addresses for other family members you are aware of. We would love to hear from you with your ideas for the John D. Lee family.

Leslie Moon - President of the Lee Family Organization.
e-mail – moonpower@peoplepc.com