Peter Azel Peel

Peter Azel Peel was born September 12, 1881 west of Mt. Pleasant, Utah in the bottoms--- as it was called.  He was the son of Christian Fredrick Peel and Mary Miranda Seely.  He attended elementary school that was also located in the bottoms.

Azel had three brothers and two sisters. They were Justus Wellington, Theressa, Orange Frederick, John Henry Lemuel and Jennie Eunice.  When Justus Wellington and Theressa were small children, they became ill with diptheria, and within a week's time of each other, both lost their lives.  They had nothing to give them to check the disease at the time.

Peel Homestead 

In 1894, when Azel was twelve, his father died of rheumatic heart condition.  This was very hard on the family.  Being the oldest son, he took over many responsibilities for a boy of his age.  His mother and all worked very hard to sustain a living on one farm.  Later they  moved to Mary Miranda's mother's home on 5th West and Main Street.

  P.A. Peel is the second from the left on the back row.  
Missionaries to Southern States Mission

Peter Azel attended Snow College for a short time, and then he was called on a mission for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints --- to the Southern States.  He left for the mission on November 5, 1902.  After serving an honorable mission, he returned home in March of 1905.

On March 18, 1908, he married Mary Margaret Ericksen in the Manti Temple.  They moved down to the farm and were very happy down there, but Mary Margaret's grandmother Morrison was very ill and she was needed to help take care of her.  So they moved to town before their first daughter, Margaret, was born, February 15, 1909.  They had three other girls.  Alice, Lois and Barbara.

In 1916 they bought 10 acres west of Mt. Pleasant, and they moved down there.  There was only a one-room frame building on the lot.  It was used for their bedroom, kitchen and living room  Mary Margaret's father was wanting to build a bigger barn; the one he had was too small, so he gave it to Azel if he could move it.  He moved it by team to their ten acres, putting it nest to the one room.  He built a platform that served between both barn and kitchen.  Azel put planks on half of the barn for a floor, and Mary Margaret covered it with home-made carpet, and that made their bedroom.  The barn was 30 ft by 20 ft.  It was very cold sleeping in the winter, but they all managed to get along.

In the spring and summer of 1923 Peter Azel and a neighbor , Charlie Peterson, Alice and Lois made twenty thousand adobes.  Then Azel dug a basement and made a foundation.  That fall he moved the barn onto the foundation.  He sold ten thousand of the adobes and made enough money for a mason to line the house with the remaining ten thousand adobes.  By winter they were in their new home, and what a happy day it was.

Pete Azel trained oxen to pull a wagon, and he would drive them in the 24th of July parade.  He tanned many different kinds of hides; he used the leather to repair harnesses, braid whip, and make many useful articles.

He purchased his first sheep dog directly from Scotland. He named Scottie.  He proved to be as useful as an extra farmhand.

Azel was also a butcher for Ericksen Meat and Grocery for many years; he also did butchering for many townspeople.  He raised bees; he kept about 20 hives.  He extracted the honey and sold it to help out with their meager living.

He was an assessor for Mt. Pleasant for many years.  He was ward clerk for four different bishops in the Mt. Pleasant North Ward.  He was bookkeeper for Farmer's Equity, the building where he worked was just west of the old D&RG Depot.  He kept beautiful books, he was a very good penman.

Peter Azel loved his fellow men.  He was never too busy to stop his work and help someone who needed something done.  H was always happy; he always looked on the bright side of life.  His nieces and nephews said he was a peacemaker.  He made the remark one time that he had heaven here on earth.  He loved to hunt and fish whenever he had any spare time. 

On February 14, 1954, at age 73, he died of a heart condition.  How we all loved him and revere his name.  (by Alice Hafen, a daughter)

Missionary Log Book  

If this book is lost, holder will please mail to Elder P.A. Peel, Mt Pleasant, Sanpete Co., Utah   For it is of value..