Canaan Lewis and Sarah Rees

Parents of Ray Lewis

(1841-1909)

Canaan's mother, Elizabeth Jones Lewis, brought him and his five siblings to America in 1849 from the country of Wales. She became the second wife of Captain Dan Jones. After Canaan's first wife Sarah died, he married Mary Nelson twelve years later. She came into the marriage with a five year old daughter named Josephine. To this marriage four other children were born: Sarah, Thomas, Earl, and Mearl. Canaan was described as a typical Welshman, full of humor and a love of music. He also loved horses and was a sheepman, owned a small farm, and a forty-acre meadow in Wales. During the years 1864-1868 he served in the Black Hawk War; he spoke three different Indian dialects.

(1855-1880)

Sarah Rees was born in the small mining town of Wales, Utah. She and Canaan lived on "Brigham's Farm" in Sugar House in Salt Lake City as newlyweds, but when their first son was almost two years old they moved to Wales, Utah permanently.