World War I and Our Pierce Cousin

Vern Joslin, Private WWI

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Veteran's Day was November 11. It was once called Armistice Day, a commemoration of the day World War I ended with Germany's surrender. I was very please to receive the following email and pictures telling the story of a Pierce cousin that fought in The Great War. This information comes from Richard Carlton.

Thank you Richard.

Let's begin with a Relationship Chart so you can see how we are related to this Pierce "Dough Boy". As a side note, you'll read that he was in the Balloon Corps. During WWI the army would put people up in balloons to see where the enemy troops were located. He may have spent his time in the war dangling from a balloon making observations or he could have worked the winches that raised and lowered the balloons (the winch operaters made good yatchman because of their speed with the winches).

You see then that Vern Joslin was the son of our Great Great Great Aunt Jennie Pierce Joslin.

And Now Richard's Email:

Because he died so young, Vern is almost unknown.

Vern was taken ill with pleurisy in Jan 1916 and missed so much school that he could not graduate with his class that year. He graduated in May 1917 from Cassville (MO) high school (per Jenny Joslin's Journal and an article in Cassville Republican newspaper).

According to Jenny's Journal - in Oct. 1917 he went to Joplin, MO and enlisted in the Army Air Corps. His Soldier's Record says that he was actually inducted, subsequently, at the Jefferson Barracks Army Training Camp, near St. Louis, MO. He served in France as a private in Company A of the 3rd Balloon Squadron. It was organized on 11-04-1917 at Fort Omaha, NE. They were shipped overseas about the end of Jan 1918, first to England, and then to France in mid-Feb, and were renamed the 5th Balloon Company. Verne was still in France in April 1919, and according to an article in the "Cassville Republican" newspaper, he arrived back home on May 16, 1919. His Soldier's Record indicates he served from 1-31-1918 to 5-03-1919 and was honorably discharged.

After the war, Vern entered the University of Cincinnati in Sept, 1919 (according to the Cassville Republican) to study Mechanical Engineering. The family album has a several photos taken at UC, including one of a fire at UC Baldwin Hall that occurred in Jan 1920.

In Aug. 1920 Vern came home (to Rolla) from Cincinnati, and in Sept. entered the Missouri School of Mines at Rolla to continue his education in Mechanical Engineering. He finished in May, 1922, but was graduated with the Class of 1923.

Family lore was that the family moved to Rolla after the creamery burned down in Cassville. But I have found no reference in the Barry County GenWeb site of such an event, nor is it mentioned in Jenny Joslin's Journal. What I've found instead, is that George sold the business to a Mr. VanHorn, and according the the Cassville Republican (Nov 1919) the new proprietor reported that business was good. It also related that George was removing to Rolla, with DeVere to soon follow. In 1920 they established a creamery and ice plant business in Rolla.

Vern was taken seriously ill with back pain and fever on July 19, 1925 and died on July 31, 1925, just one week after Bobette was born.

Mother always said that he had bad kidneys, he also had contracted typhoid as a young teen, and that may have weakened them. The back pain he had the week before dying might have been symptomatic of kidney failure.

Richard Carlton

DeVere & Verne (Teens) c 1905 - 1910

Vern on Motorcycle. WWI

DeVere & Vern (Teen Photographer)

Luella Returns from the Hospital and Young Violet Pierce (Our Grandma Mattson) in 1926

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
A fine morning it is turning out to be. The weather is calm and warming, usual before a storm. The weekend will be windy with rain and snow. I'm not enjoying the snow as much as I use to. It's more of a bother now.

An update on Luella, the Queen Mother. She returned safely from the hospital on Tuesday. She has been pampered, waited on, coddled, hugged and 'listened to'. Believe it or not, it was difficult but we all tried our best to stay focused through entire conversations lasting minutes! ;)
Then yesterday, a possible set back.

Yesterday afternoon I got a phone call from my sister Jilane telling me mother might have a blood clot. She had one thousand things to do (and began listing them thinking I might not believe her) and wanted me to take her back to the hospital for an ultrasound. I stopped her in mid conversation and told her I'd be right there . Note: I said I would be right there so she could do her 1000 things. Ahemm. The good and dutiful son. Let's all make a note of that for future reference :)

We checked into the Emergency Room at 5:15 P.M. and left at 7:00 P.M. The ultra sound was good. There was no blood clot. I think she just missed the place and wanted to go back to see her the friends she'd left behind. Dad was there as well using the visit as his lunch break.

I sat totally engrossed (not) in Luella's conversation with the patient across the curtain. They were comparing injuries, treatments, doctors etc. I stepped from the curtain into the hallway and saw a buzz of nothing. Must have been six or seven nurses and orderly sitting at computers typing. I was disappointed. This wasn't what I thought an Emergency Room would be like. I imagined blood soaked tile and screaming and doctors shouting orders and nurses rushing with defibrillators and priests giving last rights and patients lining the hallways in cots reaching out to anyone passing for the smallest bit of human companionship. I was disappointed.
Well, enough of that. Luella is home and waiting for your phone calls. Don't let me down now.

Now an updated and new pictures from the Pierce side of our family.

Our cousin Len Pierce found the following photographs and sent them to me yesterday. I'm very pleased. We have so few pictures of Grandma Mattson as a young girl.


If you've been reading the blog then you'll be able to pick Grandma out right away BEFORE you look at the bottom photo and see the caption. Give it a go. Did you find her? Violet Pierce is the lower girl on the far right.



Here she is again and labeled for you. You'll notice that both pictures were taken in 1926, making Violet 8 years old. Don't know where her brother Walter was at the time. He doesn't appear in the photographs. Remember, Violet's mother Vesta and her father Walter (Eddy) separated around 1920.

Len sent the following information with the pictures:

Victor,

Attached are two photos from May Pierce Gadient's scrapbook. May references Violet in the 2nd picture and the first picture looks like it was taken at the same time in 1926. Again, this was in 1926 and May had her son Lester with Cousin Dora and her girls. This would take a comparison photo of Violet to check with but I will send the two photos to you anyway.

Len Pierce

FYI. May Pierce Gadient was Violet's aunt - sister to her father Walter Edwin Pierce (Eddy). She is here with her aunt and cousins.

Thank you Len for sending the pictures.

Simply,
Victor

Our Great Great Great Grandmother Isabella

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello,
Tonight we meet our Great Great Great Grandmother Isabella Segrems Pierce. She was Grandma Violet's Great Grandmother on her father's side of the family. Information on the Pierce family is now available thanks to Angie's hard work and the new family contacts she's made. A special thank you tonight to a Pierce cousin Richard Carlton for the pictures and additonal information.

Let's begin with a relationship chart to help you understand where Isabella fits into our family line.

Relationship Chart

Andrew Jackson Pierce b. 1835 New York. Married Isabella Pierce b. 1842 New York
to
Edwin Sherman Pierce married Eldora Elizabeth Fiddler
to
Walter Edwin Pierce married Vesta Althea Dennis
to
Violet Mae Pierce married Walter Albert Mattson
to
Luella, Linda, John, Marvin
to
US

GGG Grandmother Isabella and daughter Jenny Pierce about 1872.
Jenny is between 1 and 2 years old.

Our GGG Grandmother Isabella Segrems (Pierce) Stevens with daughters Jenny (11 years old) and Madge (Margaret. 14 years old). Taken in 1882.

Great Great Great Aunt Jennie Pierce Joslin in her later years. Jennie was the sister to our Great Great Grandfather Edwin Sherman Pierce

Andrew and Isabella were married in MARGARETVILLE, Delaware County, New York, on 21 Feb 1860.

The 1870 Census

Andrew and Isabella moved around a lot in the beginning of their marriage and settled in Hardin, Iowa about 1870, a few years before Jennie was born. Jennie was 5 years younger than Margaret. We assume Andrew and Isabella divorced after Jennie was born and before Isabella remarried. That would put their divorce between 1871 and 1880 in Hardin, Iowa. I'm thinking they waited until the boys were older, so more around 1878, which would make the boys around 16 and 14. Now we need to find out what happened to Andrew after about 1875.

GGG Grandmother Isabella Segrems (Pierce) Stevens later in life.


GGG Grandmother Isabella Segrems (Pierce) Stevens (seated left) with daughters and friend.

Richard Carlton wrote this about the picture above:

I'm guessing the photo is c. 1887 - 1890. The child looks to be about 2 yrs old. Dora & Edwin had children in 1885, '87, '89, '91, etc. Madge & John had children in 1888, '95, '08.

So I'm thinking that the child could be Walter Edwin Pierce b.1885, Ora Joslyn Pierce b.1887, Frances Herbert Pierce b.1889, or Lynn (male) Cowan - b. 1888.

The dress styles strike me as pre-1890.

According to this Census, Isabella remarried after the boys left home.

Our Great Great Grandfather Edwin Sherman Pierce must have lived in Hardin, Iowa for awhile, because that's where Eldora Fiddler lived and where they married in 1884. He was 22 and she was 25.

Great Great Great Grandfather Andrew Jackson Pierce died of a bad fall when Jenny was just three years old. He was buried in Iowa Falls, Iowa.

Richard Carlton also add with the photographs:

As to Isabella, I found this morning that I do have a note from my mother relating that Isabella's father was a Richard Segrems (now there are about 13 or more different ways (homonyms) to spell that surname and at last attempt I hadn't found any at Genforum.com).

All I have on Richard is that he is thought to have been born in 1817 in England and that he had at least 2 male children before Isabella. I don't have a name for his wife, but only that she was born in Scotland.

This would make Isabelle's father (Richard Segrems) our 4th Great Grandfather and another connection to England and Scotland through his unknown wife.

Have a Great Week!

Simply,
Victor

Our Early Life in Rapid City

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Just returned from visiting mother (Luella) at the American Fork Hospital. She was admitted for surgery on Friday (multiple hernias - "Comes from lifting and caring for eight children," she reminds me when I visit). She is doing well I'm happy to report and will return home on Tuesday. She has a nice room with a view of a field with horses, surrounded by tall trees dressed in their finest Autumn colors.

She's been upgraded to oatmeal. The liquid diet was not to her liking. To celebrate this milestone in her recovery, I stopped at Walkers Gas Station and bought her favorite - a 32 ounce gut buster diet Mountain Dew with one squirt of cherry flavoring. Once she discovered I was out and about she called and mentioned how much she enjoyed her Sunday crossword puzzle found in her favorite magazine "Woman's World" purchasable only at our local WalMart. What's a good son to do? I agreed to make an additional stop.

She called me in the WalMart check out line to ask me to purchase an erasable pen with the magazine. I stopped her as she was explaining where in the football field sized Walmart the erasable pens were located. "I'm already in the parking lot heading your way," I lied.
"Never mind then," she replied.
"You could use a pencil," I suggested.
"Yes, you're right. I just like my erasable pens."

When I got to the hospital I found her sitting in the room's recliner. She told me the gruesome story of getting out of the bed and into the chair. The hero of the tale was the large 'burly' orderly that 'hoisted' her up with the help of a 'trapeze' - a hoisting device over her bed.

"I'm slightly embarrassed," she mentioned while she nursed her Diet Mountain Dew. "He saw my back side in all its glory." The twinkle in her eye was noticeable.
"They tell me I'll be up and walking later this morning," she added.

"Well, he won't be the only one that sees your 'backside' then will he?" I said while conjuring up a vision of my 70 something year old mother parading up and down the hospital hall, clutching a walking frame and IV with full moon in sight. I started laughing. She knew what I was thinking and joined in. The pain from the stitches brought the laughter to a quick end but it was entertaining for a moment or two.

She asked if there was anything new with me. I tried to think if anything extraordinary happened to me since I visited the previous day.
"Nope" I replied - my mind was drawing a blank. A nurse came in to swap her pain meds. A moment after that the physical therapist popped his head in.
"Are we ready to take that walk?" he asked.
"Can we give the pain meds a chance to kick in," she answered.
"I'll come back in 30 minutes then, shall I?" He disappeared.
Mother seemed concerned.
"Do you have something to cover up by backside for that walk?" she asked. I chucked again with the vision's return. The nurse told her they had a gown that would do the job. Mother went back to her Diet Mountain Dew content in the knowledge her backside would remain a private affair.

I tracked down a pencil at the nurses station for her crossword puzzle and bid adieu. I left her happy in her chair with magazine, crossword puzzle, pencil and drink. What more could a person want?

________________________________

Today I have a short slideshow with pictures from our family's early years in Rapid City. It's set to a piece of music I enjoy - the Lord's Prayer sung in Aramaic. Have a great Sunday.

Simply,
Victor

P.S. Mother was afraid I might post something about her hospital stay in this blog and made me promise not to do so. I promised with fingers and eyes crossed then quickly changed the subject to her automatic foot inflaters. They inflate every fifteen seconds or so and assist in circulation. She loves them and loves to describe how they work.

So, let's keep this post a secret between us - shall we :)

The Fine Print.
Automatic Curse. And if you rat me out, may you be infested with the fleas from a thousand camels.

Great Great Grandfather Whitty Victor's Obituary

Obituary, March 1903
Click to Enlarge.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
A short post today displaying the obituary of our Great Great Grandfather, Whitty Victor. Whitty and Nancy are the parents of our Great Grandmother Effie Helen Victor who married William Jonathan Williamson. This is the Relationship Chart:

Whitley "Whitty" Victor was born 18 Feb 1818 in Delaware, and died 17 Mar 1903. He is buried in Methodist Grove, Nodaway, Adams county, Iowa. He married Nancy Morris on 6 Nov 1845 in Indiana. Nancy Morris was born 22 Feb 1822 in Ohio, and died 22 Apr 1886. She is buried in Methodist Grove, Nodaway, Adams county, Iowa.

Children of Whitley Victor and Nancy Morris are:

• Labitha Eunice Jane Victor
• Benjamin C. Victor
• Amanda A. Victor
• Sarah Emily Victor
• Effie Helen Victor

The Pierces at Cascade Springs, South Dakota. Violet's Father

The Pierce family in 1909 at Cascade Springs, South Dakota (near Hot Springs).

Great Great Grandmother Dora is Eldora Elizabeth Fiddler. Violet's Grandmother. She and Edwin Sherman Pierce divorced leaving her with the children. The family is pictured above with a few friends.

Great Grandfather Walter Edwin Pierce was the first born child of Eldora and Edwin Sherman Pierce. He is "Edd" in the picture above. Edd was Violet's father, making him my Great Grandfather.

Great Great Uncle Ora Joslyn Pierce was the second born. He is "Ora" in the picture above.

Great Great Uncle Frances Herbert Pierce was the third. He is "Bert" in the picture above.

Great Great Aunt Mattie May Pierce was the fourth. She is "May" in the picture above.

Great Great Uncle Henry Raymond Pierce was the fifth. He is "Ray" in the picture above.

Great Great UncleDallas Glenn Pierce was the sixth. He is "Glenn" in the picture above.

Great Great Aunt Eldora Rose Pierce was the seventh. She is "Nelle" in the picture above.

In this Pierce family photo taken in 1909. Top left is our Great Great Aunt May (sister of Walter Edwin Pierce). Bottom left is our Great Great Great Aunt Mattie Fiddler Simpson. She is a sister of our Great Great Grandmother Dora Fiddler Pierce (Eldora Elizabeth Fiddler), Violet Pierce's Grandmother. Our Great Great Aunt Nelle (sister of Walter Edwin Pierce) is seated in the lower center. Top right is Dora Simpson, a first cousin to our Great Grandfather Walter Edwin Pierce. Eldora (Dora) died in 1912 so this is the last known photography we have of her.

Aunt Mattie Fiddler Simpson and our Great Great Grandmother Dora were sisters and children of Henry Fiddler and Frances George.

Walter, Violet and Family. Over the Years

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Everyone,
I just returned from a celebration at Autumn and Derrick Turley's home in American Fork. Their new baby Lydia was blessed earlier in the afternoon and what better reason to gather and feast than a baby blessing?

The family grows every year with new arrivals. And with each new arrival another chapter is added to the story of this American family. Today we celebrated the chapter named "Lydia" daughter of Autumn and Derrick, grandchild of Kim and John, Great Grand Daughter of Charles and Luella. Charles is the son of Charles and Elda. Luella is the child of Violet and Walter and so on and so forth.

It is the circle of life.

I've returned to the Fortress overlooking Utah Valley. The sun is low in the sky. It will be dark soon with the return of standard time. In an hour or so I'll drive up the mountain to Jilane's home for another celebration. Her son Brayden returned on Wednesday from doing missionary work in Argentina for the past two years. He is taller and thinner than when he left. He speaks perfect Spanish and has a maturity about him we didn't see before.

Before I say goodnight, I'd like to post this collection of photographs of Walter, Violet and family, parents of Luella.

And, as Always.

Simply,
Victor

Welsh Culture. Suo Gan. Traditional Welsh Lullaby

The recent discovery of our Pierce family history resulted in the addition of the Welsh flag in this blog's sidebar. I visited Wales several years ago. It is a beautiful part of the United Kingdom, green with tree covered hills and very interesting road signs (referring to the Welsh language).

Today we begin exploring our Welsh culture by listening to this traditional Welsh lullaby sung by the King's College Choir, Cambridge England.

The Marriage Certificate of our Great Great Grandparents.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Williamsons,
Something for the Williamson side of our family tonight. Let us begin with a Relationship Chart.

Tonight I'd like to share the document that contributed to the creation of this family we call Williamson. I'd like to show you the Marriage Certificate of our Great Great Grandparents Whitley and Nancy Morris. They were the parents of our Great Grandmother Effie Helen Victor. Effie married William Jonathan Williamson and of course - here we all are.

Please click on the image to enlarge.

You've noticed the posts to this family blog are not as frequent as they once were. The cause is understandable. Up until recently I've been posting the 'easy' family history. Think of it as the low hanging fruit on the family tree. It is becoming more difficult to find information the higher (or further back) we go. This means that instead of spending 30 minutes to one hour gathering information for a post, I'm now spending hours and hours - resulting in a few posts per week instead of one per day as I was doing.

Regardless, please rest assured that although the frequency of my posting has diminished, the enthusiasm is still there. I'm researching and searching every possible lead and will continue to do so until this American story is told.

Perhaps a goal that will never be reached but well worth the effort.

Simply,
Victor

Our 14th Great Uncle. Sir Edward Lake (Pierce Line).

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
The exploration of the Pierce family line continues. Be sure to check out the additions to yesterday's post on our 6th Great Grandfather, Nathan Pierce (Pearce) Jr. You'll learn more about the attack on his person and his brother's revenge.

Today we go back further in history along the Pierce line and meet an interesting 15th Great Uncle, Sir Edward Lake. Our blood runs thick with English history. Have a great week!

Simply,
Victor

Sir Edward Lake

Sir Edward Lake was born in 1600 or 1601 and was baptized on February 22, 1600 or 1601 in Tetney, Lincolnshire.

• He died on July 18, 1674 and was buried in Lincoln Cathedral.
• He married Anne Bibye a daughter of Simon Bibye (or Biby or Bybye).
• He received the degree of B. A. at Oxford in 1627.
• He was an eminent lawyer, becoming advocate general for Ireland.

On the outbreak of the English Civil Wars, he both fought and wrote on the King’s side. At the battle of Edgehill he received sixteen wounds, and having lost the use of his left hand by a shot, he placed his horses bridle between his teeth and fought with his sword in his right hand.

He was promised as his reward a barony and an augmentation to his arms by King Charles I, in 1643. But since the King was beheaded and the period of the Commonwealth intervened, nothing was done until 1661. King Charles II then made him Chancellor of the Diocese of Lincoln, and the augmented coat of arms promised by King Charles I was in 1661 formally authorized by the College of Arms.


From Burke’s Peerage and Baronetage (1905) comes the following:

"Edward Lake, L.L.D. Chancellor of the diocese of Lincoln, was a devoted adherent of Charles I, for whom he fought at the battle of Naseby and received no less than sixteen wounds. He was by Charles I, in consideration of his zeal and loyalty, given a coat of augmentation, and an additional coat, and was named a baronet, with the privilege of nominating his successor to the title, but no patent was taken out at the time. Sir Edward, dying without issue in 1674, was succeeded by his grandnephew."

The will of Sir Edward Lake is dated April 8, 1665. In the will he leaves a bequest to the Church at Normanton near Pontefract in Yorkshire, because it was the home of his paternal ancestors. He mentions his kinsman and servant Christopher Lake, his brother John Lake (Our Great Grandfather), his nephew Francis Lake of Hatcliffe, the eldest son of his brother Luke Lake, and Stephen, eldest son of his brother Thomas Lake. He named his half-brother Thomas Lake, Jr. executor.

Relationship Chart

14th Great Grandparents. Richard Lake and Anne Wardell
to
13th Great Grandparents John Lake and Elizabeth Sandell 14th Great Uncle Sir Edward Lake
to
John Lake and Margaret Reade
to
Hannah Lake and John Gallop
to
Elizabeth Gallop and Henry Stevens
to
Elizabeth Stevens and Maurice Tucker
to
Elizabeth Tucker and Daniel Pearce
to
Nathan Pearce Sr. b. 22 April 1705 d. 15 March 1789/ 90. married Abigail Spink b. 1704. d. 7 Jan. 1790/91.
to
Nathan Pearce Jr. b. 17 Jan 1740/41 d. 19 Dec. 1781. married Elizabeth Culver b ? d. 30 March 1832.
to
Robert Gilbert Livingston Pearce b. 1771 married Eunice Worden b. 1777 d. 20 Jan. 1840.
to
William Pearce b. 1805 d. 2 Apr. 1889 married Catherine Morse b. 1811 d. 14 Dec. 1885.
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Andrew Jackson Pearce b. 1835 New York. d. ? married Isabella Pearce b. 1842 New York
to
Edwin Sherman Pierce married Eldora Elizabeth Fiddler
to
Walter Edwin Pierce married Vesta Althea Dennis
to
Violet Mae Pierce married Walter Albert Mattson
to
Luella, Linda, John, Marvin
to
US