Loyia T. Rees

Bicknell, Utah - Our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, aunt and friend, Loyia Torgerson Rees, age 92, passed peacefully from this life December 16, 2017 in Loa, Utah. She was born February 24, 1925 in Bicknell, Utah, the youngest of 4 girls born to Wilford Andrew and Lucy Sorensen Torgerson. Loyia married her high school sweetheart, Kenneth B. Rees May 11, 1943 in the Manti LDS Temple. During the war, while Kenneth was serving in the navy, Loyia lived in Salt Lake City, working at Western Union working primarily in communication with soldiers and their families. She then worked in the campaign selling war bonds for the country. For most of their married life, Ken and Loyia lived and raised their family in Bicknell where she was a homemaker and master gardener. She liked traveling and seeing new places but loved staying home, spending time with family and tending her garden. Loyia was active in church and community. She fulfilled many church callings, but especially enjoyed working in the scouting program. Kenneth and Loyia served over 14 years as Ordinance Workers at the Manti Temple. She dedicated many years serving in the DUP Organization and was also a member of the Utah Centennial Committee. Along with her daughters and son, she was a trained EMT and served on the Wayne County volunteer ambulance service for many years. Loyia is survived by her children: Gaylen and Nancy Rees of Grover; Kathleen King of Bicknell; Deann Frazier and Lynell Rees, both of Bountiful; McKay Rees of Aurora; and Connie Rees of Syracuse. She is also survived by 18 grandchildren; 48 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandson, as well as two sisters-in-law: Luzenia Rees and Nola Myrl and Ted Christensen. She is preceded in death by her husband; her parents; her three sisters and their husbands: Maida and Jim Grace, Ilene and Norman VanDyke; Jean and Denzel Taylor; a daughter-in-law: Sandra N. Rees; son-in-law: Ronald Blackburn; and two grandsons: Gerald Rees and Billy Jeffery. Funeral services will be held Saturday, December 23, 2017 at 1:00 P.M. in the Thurber LDS Ward Chapel, where friends may call for viewing Saturday morning from 10:30 to 12:30 prior the services. Burial will be in the Bicknell Cemetery under the care of the Springer Turner Funeral Home of Richfield and Salina, Utah.