Obituary of Rebecca Pierce, Richmond (Indiana) Item, June 27, 1893

Recently came across the obituary of my maternal 4th-great grandmother, Rebeccca (Page) Pierce, in the Richmond (Indiana) Item.  Rebecca was the widow of Francis Smalley Pierce.

Obituary of Rebecca Pierce
Richmond (Indiana) Item
June 27, 1893, page 1

Mrs. Rebecca Pierce, widow of Francis Pierce and sister of John C. Page of this city, died yesterday at 12 o'clock, at the home of A.O. Pierce, her son, near Greensfork.  Funeral at Sugar Grove on Wednesday, June 28, at 10 a.m. Services at the house by Rev. Colvin.  Her father moved to this city sixty-eight years ago.

The A.O. Pierce listed in the obituary was her son, Albert Orlando Pierce.  This obituary confirms that her maiden name was Page, and helps collaborate a bit of the history previously blogged about of the Pierce family.

I'm still working off and on on the origins of the Page family - who I believe to be Quaker - and that Rebecca's father was also named John.  I'm still trying to tie all of the members of the family together.  The brother, John C. Page, was a noted police detective of Richmond, Indiana and a friend of the governor, Oliver P. Morton.

The burial plot of Francis and Rebecca at the Sugar Grove cemetery was also the subject of a previous post.

Sugar Grove Cemetery, Wayne County, Indiana : Pierce Family

Francis S. Pierce (1806-1881) my 4th-great grandfather

Rebecca (Page) Pierce (1806-1893), my 4th-great grandmother

Stone sans aluminum foil

Albert O. Pierce and wife Sarah.  Albert was son of Francis & Rebecca (Page) Pierce

View looking back towards the church

These photos were taken earlier this year on a visit to the Sugar Grove Cemetery in Wayne County, Indiana.  My mom, dad & I headed there and into the courthouse in Richmond while working on documentation for mom's application for the Daughters of the American Revolution.

The cemetery was found relatively easily, and is located in a rural area next to the church, which appears to still be in use.  The church was a United Brethren in Christ church.

I have not been able to determine that Francis or Rebecca ever attended this church, but it is possible.  More likely they were living with their son, Albert, at the time of their death and this was the nearest community cemetery.  From what I have found, there are no surviving records of the early church.  

For more on the cemetery, read here.

In order to get a better picture of the tombstones, we used aluminum foil to help bring out the inscriptions.  I feel that this didn't work out too badly.

History of Francis & Rebecca Pierce

The following is a transcription of the handwritten "History of Francis & Rebecca Pierce" located at the Wells County Public Library in Bluffton, Indiana.  The document is located in their genealogy section in the family files under Pierce.

The document was all in the same handwritting, and appears to have been taken from an interview of India (Pierce) Leavell.

History of Francis & Rebecca Pierce

Written 1939 by grand-daughter India Pierce Leavell whose parents were Henry E. Pierce who was born oct 10, 1833 and died July 1, 1901.  He Simeathy Smelser, born April 10, 1834 and died Jan 29, 1918.

"From my earliest recollection until about years of age we lived within about one half mile of their home which was on a farm.  The frame home in which they lived consisted of four large rooms with a front portico, a back porch covering the well.  They must have been in their seventys when I knew them best.  Their seven children were all married and had families of their own.  William Hickey, a foster son resided with them until he married.

Their childrens names were Henry, Frank, Edmond, Albert, Margaret (Burr Simermans grandmother), Minerva and Elmira.  Grandfather Pierce always called the children by their full name.  Grandfather Pierce was a tall slender man and was rather round shouldered, and was never very strong.  He had a smooth face with the exception of side burns.  He was a cabinet maker by trade.  He was a well educated man.  He was born May 9, 1805 in New Jersey and died ____ near Greensfork in Wayne county Ind.  

Grandmother Pierce' name before marriage was Rebecca Page.  She was rather low (short) and not heavy.  She had very black hair that never turned gray.  She was a graduate of a Philadelphia Academy.  She had a wonderful memory and remembered all important dates.  During the Civil War she would read the war news to people who come on horse back for miles to hear the news, as they were the only ones in the neighborhood that received a newspaper.  She was born in Greenbrook Pa. Aug 18, 1806.

Her own father's given name is not known, but her grandfather was Dr. John Page.  She had 2 sisters and 3 brothers, one of them was John, noted detective of Richmond.  She was a Graduate from a college in Philadelphia, and a great reader.  She had the habit of combing her hair afresh, changing to a clean dress, and sitting, each day, down by the window - to read.  She was an expert in yeast rolls and bread, and they were very fond of tea. (May have been of English origin)

Grandfather Pierce was a great reader, well informed.  After their marriage, they resided in Piqua, Ohio where their first son was born Oct 10, 1833.  His name was Henry Aldred Pierce.  Margaret Pierce (Burr's grandmother) was born Oct 17, 1840.  She was married to Wm. Henry Summers Sept 3rd, 1868.  They were the parents of nine children, Lulu (Burr's mother), Park, Edwin, Gurdon, Florence, Chancey, Mina and Ira.  She died Dec. 17th, 1930.

When the foster son, Wm Hickey, left them, they broke up their home and went to live with son, Albert.  Soon after, they all moved to Wayne county, Indiana.  India says that in all the times she was with them, she never saw either of them out of humor or speak a cross word.  Francis died first, of tuberculosis.  She lived a few years longer.

----

At the bottom in another handwriting : Burrs Great Grandfather Abraham Summers Home place was the corner of Wells and Allen County line and 750.
----

Searching for the Smoking Gun In Madison County, Indiana

Mom searching Miscellaneous Records books, Madison County, Indiana

Spent today researching family history in Madison County, Indiana with mom today, working on trying to find clues on her Pierce line so we can button up the application for the DAR.  While we did make some interesting finds, there was no smoking gun today linking Edmund G. Pierce to his parents, Francis & Rebecca (Page) Pierce to be found.

In the 1850 census, when Edmund should be living with his parents in Wayne County, Indiana - he was enumerated in another household.  He wasn't the only one, as brothers Henry and Francis N. were not in the household either.  I'm sure that a search in Wayne County, Indiana records will need to be done to solve the whys and wherefores.  In the meantime, I was hopeful that something could be found in Madison County.

I knew that Edmund and his brother Henry were found in Madison County, Indiana circa 1863 based on a Civil War draft record, and that the family farm was purchased circa 1870 from the county history biography.  Edmund and wife Catherine were listed in the 1870 census in Lafayette Township as was Francis and Rebecca in the same township.  Edmund died January 8, 1875 in Madison County. My hope was that sometime between the period of 1863-1875 we would find a deed or record that would tie the families together.

We started out our day at the Recorder's office, searching through the Grantor and Grantee Index books (the big ones) writing down the page and book numbers so that we could later get copies.  We ended up finding several records to have copies made, but none of them contained anything about Francis.  Apparently, his time in Madison County was spent without buying or selling land.  There were, however, many records between Edmund and his brothers, Albert O. and Henry E. to be found in Madison County.

A stop at Central Records for a copy of the marriage license for the second marriage of William F. Pierce to Vida Maddox revealed that his birth date on that record was July 10, 1866, not 1865 as is found on his tombstone.  While we were there, I had asked about another marriage record on James F. Wright who I was trying to verify was a relative, and asked about the divorce records for Chester Wright and his father John Wright.  Since I don't have too many opportunities to have the day off to research, I took my chances, but unfortunately, the Central Records couldn't find the divorce cases.  I will continue to search other sources and come up with an exact date before trying again, as I'm not sure they searched that hard for them.

On our way out of the courthouse, we stopped by the Auditor's office, which had the records of the County Commissioners during the time period when William F. Pierce served as County Commissioners.  We found the original minutes where he signed his name, records show he served from January 1, 1918 through December 31, 1923.

Signature of my maternal 2nd-great grandfather, William F. Pierce

Had to stop and get something to eat before heading out to the West Maplewood Cemetery to find the Pierce plot.  It had been awhile since I had been there, but we were able to find it.  I was hoping to get a picture of Clara Pierce's marker, as I realized that I didn't have it.  When we found the plot we realized that Clara didn't have a marker.  There is the big family marker that has "E.G. Pierce" on one side and "W.F. Pierce" on the other; markers for Edmund and Catherine Pierce; one for James L. Pierce and one for infant Chad Pierce, and then a marker for William F. and Vida Pierce.

We next headed over to the Anderson Public Library to see if by chance there were any contemporary newspapers that they had on file that might have a mention of the death of Edmund on January 8, 1875.  Fortunately, they did have the Anderson Democrat on microfilm, and I was able to find mention of his death.  Unfortunately, it wasn't much of an obituary, and made no mention of who his parents were.

The library was able to give us the contact information for the cemetery and we called and made arrangements with the office to come over and view their records.  Of course, a fire had destroyed many of the older records.  They didn't have a card on file for Clara's burial, but in the record of the family plot, there is mention of "1 adult", which we are pretty sure is Clara.  I know in the past I had seen a map of the family plot, but right now cannot locate in my files.  Rather than make copies of the records, I took pictures with my cell phone, and will be able to examine later and will make another post on them.

There were many records to digest which will provide me with some blog fodder for future posts.

Overall, the day had some positives, but at the end of the day we still have no concrete proof to supply on the DAR application that Edmund G. Pierce was the son of Francis & Rebecca (Page) Pierce.  The hunt continues!

Mom's DAR Process - Picking an Ancestor

Met with mom on Monday to discuss the process for DAR membership and talked about which Patriot ancestor to choose from.  

Decided to use Francis Smalley-A105541 as the Patriot ancestor to start the process with for a number of reasons.  One reason is that his line comes through our Pierce line which should allow us to gather the necessary documentation.  Another reason is that Francis' father, Joseph Smalley and Francis' father-in-law Samuel Hutchinson Sr. are both recognized as Patriots by the DAR, so mom could later do supplemental applications for them.  Additionally, it is through the Smalley line that mom has a connection to the Mayflower and Stephen Hopkins, a future project.  So if we can get all of the documentation together on the descent from Francis Smalley we can take care of several things at once.

Mom filled out the contact form on the DAR main website and within a few hours was already contacted by the local chapter.  She has given the registrar a line of descent from Francis Smalley and hopes to meet with her next week for initial discussions on how the application process works.

In the meantime, I'm putting together a list of documents that I'm sure we will need and will work with mom on collecting the birth/death certificates, etc. 

If you have experience with this process and have any advice, I'd appreciate hearing it.

If you are related to any of the families on the line, I'd love to share information and update my database.

Our line of descent from the Patriot ancestor, Francis Smalley :

Francis Smalley & Sarah Hutchinson
Thirsa Smalley & Gurdon Pierce
Francis S. Pierce & Rebecca Page
Edmund G. Pierce & Catherine Groenendyke
William F. Pierce & Clara A. Penisten
Edna M. Pierce & Virgil L. Wright
William L. Wright & Bonnie M. Lambertson
mom

DNA: Mom's Cousin Jack - Fourth Cousin

Mom's 23andMe cousin Jack matches her on two chromosomes, and matches me as well.  He is predicted to be my 3rd to 6th cousin.

Jack was quick to write back that he took a look at the family tree, and only saw one name, William Henry Summers that matched.  William Henry Summers was the husband of Margaret P. Pierce.  We traded more information, and I was able to view his family tree at Ancestry and confirm that we are fourth cousins, once removed, through the most recent common ancestors of Francis Pierce and Rebecca Page.

Francis Pierce
Rebecca Page

Margaret P. Pierce               Edmund G. Pierce
William H.H. Summers                Catherine Groenendyke

Francis P. Summers               William F. Pierce

Katie ________                     Clara A. Penisten

Glee William Summers               Edna M. Pierce
Mary J. Hunter                          Virgil Lee Wright

his parents                             my grandparents

Jack                            my mom

                               me

This is the second DNA connection through the MRCA Francis Pierce and Rebecca Page I've discovered through 23andme.  Earlier, I had made a connection with cousin Raj through Margaret Pierce and William H.H. Summers.  Raj and Jack would be 3rd cousins once removed.

Note: This post was drafted before the recent changes to the 23andMe site.

My Mayflower Connection

With today being Thanksgiving, several Geneabloggers have been participating in the meme of listing their Mayflower ancestors.  I discovered a couple of years ago that my family has a direct connection to the Mayflower through the Hopkins line.  I'd appreciate any additions/corrections to this line.

1. Stephen Hopkins (1581-1644) and wife Mary (  -1613).
2. Constance Hopkins (1606-1677) and Nicholas Snow (1598-1676)
3. John Snow (1638-1703) and Mary Smalley (1647-1703)
4. Rebecca Snow (1676-1753) and Benjamin Smalley (1664-1721)
5. Joseph Smalley (1712-1783) and Jemima Ordway
6. Francis Smalley (1744-1811) and Sarah Hutchinson (1750-1780)
7. Thirsa Smalley (1771-1861) and Gordon Pierce (1773-1865)
8. Francis S. Pierce (1806-1881) and Rebecca Page (1806-1893)
9. Edmund G. Pierce (1837-1875) and Catherine Groenendyke (1843-1913)
10. William Francis Pierce (1865-1950) and Clara A. Penisten (1869-1906)
11. Edna Muriel Pierce (1897-1968) and Virgil Lee Wright (1894-1972)
12. William Lee Wright (1919-1973) and Bonnie Mae Lambertson (1924-1984)
13. My mother
14. Me

Stephen Hopkins has an interesting story, his page at Wikipedia gives more detail.  Apparently, he was previously shipwrecked in Bermuda, and was the inspiration for Shakespeare's The Tempest.  Tried for treason, found guilty and sentenced to hang, sounds like my kind of ancestor.

DNA Match : Cousin Raj

Made a DNA connection with a public match at 23andMe, Raj, who is not currently sharing genomes with me.  Because we are not sharing genomes, I'm unable to compare him with others to see where we match. We share 1 segment, or 0.31% DNA and was a predicted 4th cousin. Raj was listed as my mother's predicted 3rd to 4th cousin, sharing 3 segments and 0.59% DNA.

Looking at his profile at 23andMe, there was no family tree listed, but he did list family surnames and locations, though none of them looked familiar to me.

Because he has a rather unusual name and surname (at least to my ears), I decided to see if I could "reverse engineer" a solution to seeing exactly how we were related.  With the help of Google, FindAGrave and some genealogical intuition, I was able to successfully tie cousin Raj into the family tree.

Using Google, I located him listed as a survivor in his mother's obituary that had been posted to the Iowa Gen Web.  Likewise, his father's obituary had also been posted to the same site.  His father immigrated from India, so I made the deduction that we must be related through his mother's line.

I found the listing for his maternal grandmother's obituary that had been posted to Legacy.com and FindAGrave.com  I also found his maternal grandfather listed at FindAGrave.  There was not much biographical information listed at FindAGrave for his maternal grandfather, but his maternal grandmother's obituary at Legacy.com had her dying in Ft. Wayne, Indiana about 60 miles away from where I live.  Armed with that information, I made an assumption that our connection came from the line of his maternal grandmother's side.

Fortunately, his maternal grandmother lived to be 101 years old and her obituary at Legacy named her parents and stated that she was a native of Ossian, which is just south of Ft. Wayne in Wells County.  I remembered that I had one branch of the Pierce family that had migrated there.

Through the FindAGrave website, I was able to connect Raj's maternal great-grandfather to his maternal 2nd-great grandparents, John H. Simerman and Mary Lula Summers of Ossian, Indiana.  That's when I knew we had a connection.  Mary Lula Summers was in my database (though I had the surname as Sommers), the daughter of William Henry Harrison Summers (1844-1911) and Margaret P. Pierce (1840-1920).

Margaret P. Pierce was the daughter of Francis S. Pierce (1806-1881) and Rebecca Page (1806-1893) and the younger sister of my 3rd-great grandfather, Edmund G. Pierce (1837-1875).  I had found the connection!

I quickly sent a note to Raj through 23andMe, and he wrote me back.  We've begun exchanging information, and I've kick-started my research on these branches of the family that I previously had left blank.

Knowing that I was able to make a connection where one didn't appear possible right away makes me confident that with a little persistence and as complete of a family tree as possible, I can make connections to some of these other DNA matches at 23andMe.  There are so many descendants of my 4th-great grandparents that I need to track down, as that is where many of the connections will be found.

Gedmatch Cousin : Distant Match but no shared DNA

Cousin Dave reached out to me after seeing a match with the GEDCOM file I had posted at GEDmatch.com.  Though we are not closely related, and shared no DNA, I found it interesting to make another connection.

Dave and I are 9th cousins once removed on the Jewett and Parratt lines. Ezekiel Jewett (1643-1723) and Faith Parrat are my paternal 9th great-grandparents and Dave's 8th great-grandparents.  My line is as follows:

Ezekiel Jewett (1643-1723) and Faith Parrat

Francis Jewett (1665-1751) and Sarah Hardy (1673-????)

Samuel Jewett (1694-????) and Ruth Hardy (1699-1737)

Samuel Jewett (1725-1791) and Sarah ________

Sally Jewett (1749-????) and John Philbrick (1748-1840)

Joel Philbrick (1781-1846) and Sally Fox (1788-1868)

Emeline Philbrick (1817-1881) and Albert Moulton (1819-1864)

Clara Moulton (1843-1899) and John Adam Metzner (1840-1895)

Cora Belle Metzner (1868-1955) and Eli Weldon Haley (1866-1957)

(my paternal great-grandparents)

Dave and I also connect as 9th cousins twice removed. on the Spofford and Burpbee lines.  Samuel Spofford (1653-1744) and Sarah Burpbee (1660-1729) are my maternal 9th great-grandparents and Sarah is the child of Dave's 8th great-grandparents. My line is as follows:

Samuel Spofford (1653-1744) and Sarah Burpbee

Thomas Spofford (1678-????) and Bethiah Hazeltine (1682-????)

 Elizabeth Spofford (1715-1772) and Bennett Field (1709-1770)

Bethiah Field (1746-1807) and Seth Pierce (1744-1835)

Gordon Pierce (1773-1875) and Thirsa Smalley (1775-1861)

Francis S. Pierce (1806-1881) and Rebecca Page (1806-1893)

Edmund G. Pierce (1837-1875) and Catherine Groenendyke (1843-1913)

William Francis Pierce (1865-1950) and Clara A. Penisten (1869-1906)

Edna Muriel Pierce (1897-1968) and Virgil Lee Wright (1894-1972)

(my maternal great-grandparents)

Both sets of these families were early settlers of Rowley, Essex County, Massachusetts.  

Cousin bait : Pierce

A cousin bait posting on the Pierce brought me an email this week from Dea, whose great-grandmother, Sarah, was the second wife of Albert Orlando Pierce (1839-1920), my maternal third great-uncle.  Albert was the son of Francis S. and Rebecca (Page) Pierce.

Dea had her maiden name and the name of Sarah's first husband, who died during the Civil War, as well as a clue as to how they met and where Sarah was living during the 1880 census.  Sarah's first husband was Thomas Wilson.

Hopefully, Dea can fill me in with some more details as we make another connection.

Surname Saturday : Page

The PAGE surname is in my maternal line.  The origins of the surname are unknown at this time.

Stories and history : 

Ahnentafel # 105 : Rebecca Page (1806-1893).  Rebecca was born August 18, 1806 in New Jersey.  She married October 25, 1831 in Wayne County, Indiana to Francis S. Pierce (1806-1881).  Francis was born June 8, 1806 in Vermont.  They raised 13 children in Wayne County, Indiana.  Francis died August 5, 1881 in Wayne County, Indiana.  Rebecca died June 26, 1893 in Wayne County, Indiana.  Both are buried in the Sugar Grove Cemetery, Wayne County, Indiana.



Surname Saturday – create a post in which you discuss a surname and mention its origins, its geographical location(s) and how it fits into your genealogy research. Surname Saturday is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

On This Day : August 18

1667 - Ann MARIS born in Inkborough, Worchestershire, England.  Ann was the daughter of George MARIS and Alice ________.

1745 - John DAVIS died in Squam, Monmouth County, New Jersey.  John was the son of William DAVIS and Elizabeth BRISLEY.  John was my 7x-great grandfather.

1758  - Anna Maria Elisabeh KAHRE born.  Anna was the daughter of Johann Jurgen KAHRE and Anna Catherine Elisabeth OBERMEIER.

1765 - Prudence MAXSON born.  Prudence was the daughter of Torey MAXSON and Martha LANPHERE.

1766 - Christian ERB born.  Christian was the son of Jacob ERB and Magdalene SCHRANTZ.

1768 - Hannah MILLS married Elijah STANLEY in North Carolina.  Hannah was the daughter of John MILLS and Sarah BEALS.

1773 - Abel MAXSON died.  Abel was the son of Matthew MAXSON and Martha POTTER.

1789 - Barbara ANTONIDES married William ALGEO.  Barbara was the daughter of Vincentius ANTONIDES and Anjte BENNUM.

1805 - Phoebe SUMNER died in Surry County, North Carolina.  Phoebe was the daughter of John BEALS and Sarah BOWATER.

1806 - Rebecca PAGE born in New Jersey.  Rebecca was my 4x-great grandmother.

1816 - Horace BURDICK born.  Horace was the son of Samuel BURDICK and Laura BROWN.

1822 - Mary JESSOP died in Jackson County, Indiana.  Mary was the daughter of Thomas BEALS and Sarah ANTRIM.

1825 - Susan JACOBS born in Warrington Township, York County, Pennsylvania.  Susan was the daughter of David JACOBS and Barbara BYERS.  Susan was my 3x-great grandmother.

1830 - Jesse REYNOLDS married Mary PUTMAN in Monroe County, Indiana.  Mary was the daughter of James PUTMAN and Elizabeth KENDRICK.  They were my 5x-great grandparents.

1840 - Alfred JACOBS married Rebecca Ann ELLIS in Brown County, Ohio.  Alfred was the son of James Thomas JACOBS and Isabella FEILY.

1843 - Lucinda HEATON born in Iowa.  Lucinda was the daughter of Alexander S. HEATON and Jemima SHAW.

1845 - Amanda Matilda SHERRICK born in Ashland County, Ohio.  Amanda was the daughter of David SHERRICK and Susan JACOBS.

1864 - Joseph BOND died.  Joseph was the son of Edward BOND and Elizabeth Ann MILLS.

1872 - John Arthur LeMASTERS born in Jay County, Indiana. John was the son of William Wesley LeMASTERS and Milinda Margaret HALFHILL.

1877 - Dessie May LEE born in Ray County, Missouri.  Dessie was the daughter of William Burrell LEE and Margaret Jane SWAFFORD.

1879 - Esther MILLER died in Shelby County, Ohio.  Esther was the daughter of Charles YOUNG and Catherine Elizabeth KINT.

1885 - Jane FURNIER died.  Jane was the daughter of Jesse STOUT and Sarah MORRISON.

1889 - Eliza Margaret DWIGGINS died in Orestes, Madison County, Indiana.  Eliza was the daughter of Daniel KING and Elizabeth SHAW.

1896 - Johannes Heinrich WILD died in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. Johannes was the son of Friedrich WILD and Henriette GONDOLF.  Johannes was Corinne's 3x-great grandfather.

1896 - Emilie WILD died in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky.  Emilie was the daughter of Johann Joseph DEUTSCH and Doris Elisabeth SCHUTTE.  Emilie was Corinne's 3x-great grandmother.

1898 - Landon Marselles SWAFFORD born in Lomax, Illinois.  Landon was the son of Landon Marselles SWAFFORD and Bertie Belle MARSH.

1909 - Charles Russell SWOFFORD married Katherine Belle WEBB in Richmond, Missouri. Charles was the son of James Calvin SWAFFORD and Louisa Catherine LEE.

1913 - Christina MATTHEWS died.  Christina was the daughter of Martin BOYER and Anna BENNETT.

1914 - Melissa Jane AILES died in Montra, Shelby County, Ohio.  Melissa was the daughter of Phillip YOUNG and Keziah CURTIS.

1930 - Levi W. PETRY died in Jay County, Indiana.  Levi was the son of Charles PETRY and Susannah WEHRLY.

Tombstone Tuesday: Edmund G. & Catherine (Groenendyke) Pierce

Source: Maplewood Cemetery (Anderson, Madison County, Indiana), E.G. Pierce family monument, photographed by Travis LeMaster, 23 June 2009.

 Source: Maplewood Cemetery (Anderson, Madison County, Indiana), Edmund G. Pierce marker, photographed by Travis LeMaster, 23 June 2009.

Edmund G. PIERCE is buried in the Maplewood Cemetery, Anderson, Madison County, Indiana.  Edmund is my maternal 3rd-great grandfather.

Edmund was born April 30, 1837 in Wayne County, Indiana, the son of Francis S. and Rebecca (PAGE) PIERCE.  His first marriage was October 17, 1858 in Preble County, Ohio to Lydia P. DUELL (1838-1860), daughter of Joshua and Abigail (BORTON) DUELL.  After her death, he moved to Madison County, Indiana, where he married May 5, 1864 to Catherine GROENENDYKE, daughter of Elias and Nancy (JENKINS) GROENENDYKE.

Edmund and Catherine were the parents of 5 children.  Edmund was a farmer in Lafayette Township, Madison County, Indiana.  I have not discovered any record of Civil War service.

Edmund died January 8, 1875 in Madison County, Indiana.

Source: Maplewood Cemetery (Anderson, Madison County, Indiana), Catherine Pierce marker, photographed by Travis LeMaster, 23 June 2009.

Catherine GROENENDYKE was born February 4, 1843 in Madison County, Indiana, the daughter of Elias and Nancy (JENKINS) GROENENDYKE.  

After her marriage to Edmund, she lived out her life in Lafayette Township, Madison County, Indiana.  Her biography was printed in the 1914 history of Madison County by Forkner.  

Catherine died December 10, 1913 in Lafayette Township, Madison County, Indiana.

Tombstone Tuesday – To participate in Tombstone Tuesday simply create a post which includes an image of a gravestone of one or more ancestors and it may also include a brief description of the image or the ancestor. This is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

Surname Saturday : PIERCE

The PIERCE surname is in my maternal line.  The origins of the surname are English.


Stories and history:


Ahnentafel # 13: Edna Muriel Pierce (1897-1968).  Edna was born February 7, 1897 in Madison County, Indiana.  She married June 19, 1915 in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana to Virgil Lee Wright (1894-1972).  Virgil was born July 6, 1894 in Orestes, Madison County, Indiana.  They raised three children in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana where Virgil was a farmer.  Edna's nickname was "Peach".  Virgil died March 25, 1972 in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana.  Edna died March 3, 1968 in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana.  Both are buried in the Park View Cemetery, Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana.


Ahnentafel # 26: William Francis Pierce (1865-1950).  William was born July 10, 1865 in Frankton, Madison County, Indiana.  He married January 14, 1892 in Madison County, Indiana to Clara Penisten (1869-1906).  Clara was born March 1869 in Madison County, Indiana.  They had 7 children, 3 living to adulthood.  Clara died September 26, 1906 in Lafayette Township, Madison County, Indiana.  William married secondly March 4, 1909 in Madison County, Indiana to Vida Maddox (1886-1968).  Vida was born October 6, 1886 in Owingsville, Bath County, Kentucky.  They had 7 children.  Vida died November 19, 1968 in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana.  William died September 21, 1950 in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana.  All are buried at the Maplewood Cemetery, Anderson, Madison County, Indiana.


Ahnentafel # 52: Edmund G. Pierce (1837-1875).  Edmund was born April 30, 1837 in Wayne County, Indiana.  He married October 17, 1858 in Preble County, Ohio to Lydia Duell (1838-1860).  Lydia was born March 26, 1838 in Pilesgrove, New Jersey.  She died September 14, 1860.  She is buried at the West Grove Monthly Meeting Burial Ground, Wayne County, Indiana.  Edmund married secondly May 5, 1864 in Madison County, Indiana to Catherine Groenendyke (1843-1913).  Catherine was born February 4, 1843 in Madison County, Indiana.  They had 5 children in Richland and Lafayette Townships, Madison County, Indiana.  Catherine died December 10, 1913 in Lafayette Township, Madison County, Indiana.  Edmund died January 8, 1875 in Madison County, Indiana.  Edmund and Catherine are buried in the Maplewood Cemetery, Anderson, Madison County, Indiana.


Ahnentafel # 104: Francis S. Pierce (1806-1881).  Francis was born June 8, 1806 in Vermont.  He married October 25, 1831 in Wayne County, Indiana to Rebecca Page (1806-1893).  Rebecca was born August 18, 1806 in New Jersey.  They had 13 children in Pickaway County, Ohio and Wayne County, Indiana where Francis was a farmer.  Rebecca died January 26, 1893 in Wayne County, Indiana.  Francis died August 5, 1881 in Wayne County, Indiana.  Both are buried in the Sugar Grove Cemetery, Wayne County, Indiana.


Ahnentafel # 208: Gordon Pierce (1773-1875).  Gordon was born August 31, 1773 in Hardwick, Worchester County, Massachusetts.  He married in 1796 in Thetford, Orange County, Vermont to Thirza Smalley (c1775-1861).  Thirza was born circa 1775 in Thetford, Worchester County, Massachusetts.  They had 5 children.  Thriza died in 1861 in Pitcher, Chenango County, New York.  Gordon died February 7, 1875 in Pitcher, Chenango County, New York.


Ahnentafel # 416: Seth Pierce (1744-1835).  Seth was born September 12, 1744 in Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.  He married on April 17, 1767 to Bethiah Field (1746-1807).  Bethiah was born April 8, 1746 in Stafford, Windham County, Connecticut.  They had 12 children.  Bethiah died September 18, 1807.  Seth married secondly in 1813 to Patty Rindge (    -1829).  Seth died in 1835 in Homer, Cortland County, New York.


Ahnentafel # 832: Seth Pierce (1716-1794).  Seth was born November 30, 1716 in Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.  He married November 10, 1743 to Elizabeth Nye (1720-1749).  Elizabeth was born December 14, 1720.  They had 4 children.  Elizabeth died May 14, 1749 in Mansfield, Windham County, Connecticut.  Seth died December 5, 1794.


Ahnentafel # 1664: Samuel Pierce (1681-1774).  Samuel was born November 25, 1681 in Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.  He married June 14, 1705 in Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts to Abigail Johnson (1674-1787).  Abigail was born October 4, 1674 in Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.  They had 6 children.  Abigail died March 16, 1787 in Mansfield, Windham County, Connecticut.  Samuel died January 26, 1774 in Mansfield, Windham County, Connecticut.


Ahnentafel # 3328: Samuel Pierce (1656-1721).  Samuel was born April 7, 1656 in Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.  He married December 9, 1680 to Lydia Bacon (1656-1717).  Lydia was born March 6, 1656 in Newton, Suffolk County, Massachusetts.  They had 9 children.  Lydia died December 5, 1717 in Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.  Samuel died July 5, 1721 in Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.


Ahnentafel # 6656: Thomas Pierce (1608-1683).  Thomas was born in 1608 in England, one source says Norwich.  He married May 6, 1635 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts to Elizabeth Cole (1608-1688).  Elizabeth was born March 5, 1608.  They had 13 children.  Elizabeth died March 5, 1688.  Thomas died November 5, 1683 in Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.


Ahnentafel # 13312: Thomas Pierce (c1583/4-1666).  Thomas was born between 1583 and 1584 in England. He married Elizabeth ________ (c1586/7-1667).  Elizabeth was born between 1586 and 1587 in England.  They had 8 children.  Elizabeth died in 1667 in Charleston, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.  Thomas died October 7, 1666 in Charleston, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.


Related blog posts:

• The First Wife of Edmund G. Pierce (1837-1875)

• William Francis Pierce (1865-1950)

• Edna Muriel (Pierce) Wright (1897-1968)

• Marriage: William Pierce to Vida Maddox

• Marriage: William Pierce to Clara Penisten

• Tombstone Tuesday: William Francis & Vida (Maddox) Pierce

• Tombstone Tuesday: Virgil Lee & Edna Muriel (Pierce) Wright

• William F. Pierce household : Madison County, IN

• Francis S. Pierce household : Wayne and Madison Counties, IN

• Edmund Pierce household: Madison County, IN

• Today in my database: Gordon Pierce (b. August 31, 1773)

• Today in my database: William Francis Pierce (b. July 10, 1865)

Surname Saturday – create a post in which you discuss a surname and mention its origins, its geographical location(s) and how it fits into your genealogy research. Surname Saturday is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

Fearless Females: Thirza

March 3 — Do you share a first name with one of your female ancestors? Perhaps you were named for your great-grandmother, or your name follows a particular naming pattern. If not, then list the most unique or unusual female first name you’ve come across in your family tree.


Probably one of the most unusual female names in my family history is Thirza SMALLEY (c1775-1861), who was my maternal 5th-great grandmother.  According to the website, Behind the Name, the name is the Dutch variation of the name TIRZAH.  Tirzah comes from the Hebrew meaning of 'favourable'.  It occurs in the Old Testament as the name of a daughter of Zelophehad; also as a place name for a residence of the kings of the northern kingdom.  I have seen the name spelled as both Thirza and Thirsa.


Thirza was born circa 1775, probably in Thetford, Worchester County, Massachusetts.  She was the daughter of Francis and Sarah (HUTCHINSON) SMALLEY.  Thirza married in 1796 in Thetford, Orange County, Vermont to Gordon PIERCE.  They had 5 children together, and she died in 1861 in Pitcher, Chenango County, New York.


My line of descent from Thirza is as follows :

Thirza SMALLEY m. Gordon PIERCE

Francis S. PIERCE m. Rebecca PAGE

Edmund G. PIERCE m. Catherine GROENENDYKE

William Francis PIERCE m. Clara PENISTEN

Edna Muriel PIERCE m. Virgil Lee WRIGHT (my great-grandparents)

Once again, in honor of National Women’s History Month, Lisa Alzo of The Accidental Genealogist blog presents Fearless Females: 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women’s History Month.

Tombstone Tuesday : Henry Pierce Family Plot

Source: Maplewood Cemetery (Anderson, Madison County, Indiana), Pierce family plot, photographed by Travis LeMaster, 23 June 2009.

The PIERCE family plot in the Maplewood Cemetery in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana contains the following stones: Eva PIERCE (1877-1949), Frank PIERCE (1862-1919), Simeathy PIERCE (1834-1918) and Henry E. PIERCE (1833-1901).

Source: Maplewood Cemetery (Anderson, Madison County, Indiana), Eva Pierce marker, photographed by Travis LeMaster, 23 June 2009.

Eva PIERCE was born June 21, 1877, probably in Madison County, Indiana, the daughter of Henry Eldred and Simeathy (SMELSOR) PIERCE.  Eva died in 1942.  Nothing further is known at this time.

Source: Maplewood Cemetery (Anderson, Madison County, Indiana), Frank Pierce marker, photographed by Travis LeMaster, 23 June 2009.

Franklin T. PIERCE was born August 21, 1861, probably in Madison County, Indiana, the son of Henry Eldred and Simeathy (SMELSOR) PIERCE.  He died in 1919.  Nothing further is known at this time.

Source: Maplewood Cemetery (Anderson, Madison County, Indiana), Simeathy Pierce marker, photographed by Travis LeMaster, 23 June 2009.

Simeathy (SMELSOR) PIERCE was born in 1834 in Indiana, to unknown parentage.  She married Henry Eldred PIERCE on February 14, 1855.  They resided in Lafayette Township, Madison County, Indiana.  Simeathy died in 1918.

Source: Maplewood Cemetery (Anderson, Madison County, Indiana), Henry E. Pierce marker, photographed by Travis LeMaster, 23 June 2009.

Henry Eldred PIERCE was born October 10, 1833 in Piqua, Miami County, Ohio, the son of Francis S. and Rebecca (PAGE) PIERCE.  He and Simeathy raised six children in Lafayette Township, Madison County, Indiana.  Henry died in 1901.

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Henry was the older brother of my Edmund G. PIERCE, and I have much more to discover about his family.  

Tombstone Tuesday – To participate in Tombstone Tuesday simply create a post which includes an image of a gravestone of one or more ancestors and it may also include a brief description of the image or the ancestor. This is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

Family Milestones: September 3rd

My maternal 3rd-great grandaunt, Almira P. PIERCE, married on this date in 1868 in Madison County, Indiana to Andrew Jackson SIGLER, son of Daniel and Elizabeth (SHANK) SIGLER.  Almira was the daughter of Francis S. and Rebecca (PAGE) PIERCE, and the younger sister of my Edmund G. PIERCE.  Almira was born March 8, 1849.  Andrew was born March 8, 1846.  They had 4 children and lived in Pipe Creek Township, Madison County, Indiana.  Almira died July 24, 1926 in Elwood, Madison County, Indiana.

My maternal 3rd-great grandaunt, Margaret P. PIERCE, married on this date in 1868 in Madison County, Indiana to William Henry Harrison SOMMERS.  William's parentage is unknown. Margaret was the daughter of Francis S. and Rebecca (PAGE) PIERCE, and the younger sister of my Edmund G. PIECE.  Margaret was born October 17, 1840.  They had 8 children.  Nothing further is known at this time.

My maternal 3rd-great grandfather, Daniel KING, was born on this date in 1820 in Ohio.  Daniel was the son of William and Sarah (SULLIVAN) KING.  Daniel married December 5, 1847 in Madison County, Indiana to Elizabeth SHAW, daughter of William and Mary (HECK) SHAW.  Elizabeth was born October 1827 in Ohio.  They lived in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana and had 10 children.  Elizabeth died October 10, 1900 in Frankton, Madison County, Indiana. Daniel died February 24, 1876 in Frankton, Madison County, Indiana.  Both are buried in the Howard Cemetery, Pipe Creek Township, Madison County, Indiana.

My paternal 4th-great granduncle, Jesse C. CHEW, was born on this date in 1788 in Gloucester County, New Jersey.  Jesse was the son of Nathaniel and Sarah (SPRINGER) CHEW, and the younger brother of my Nathaniel CHEW.  Jesse married April 7, 1806 to Martha DRIVER.  Martha's parentage and dates of birth and death are unknown.  Jesse died April 18, 1846.  Nothing further is known at this time.

My paternal 4th-great granduncle, John PHILBRICK, was born on this date in 1771.  John was the son of Deacon John and Sally (JEWETT) PHILBRICK, and the older brother of my Joel PHILBRICK.  John married Anna MELVIN.  Anna's parentage and dates of birth and death are unknown.  John died December 8, 1825.  Nothing further is known at this time.

Family Milestones: June 8th

My maternal 5th-great grandfather, James ALDERMAN, married on this date in 1795 in Augusta County, Virginia to Catherine WARNER, daughter of Henry and Mary (NAGLE) WARNER.  James was the son of Richard ALDERMAN.  James was born before 1775 in Virginia.  Catherine was born in January 1777.  They had 3 children.  They later divorced and both remarried.  Catherine died September 17, 1859 in Madison County, Indiana.  James died between 1850 and 1854 in Greenville, Bond County, Illinois.

My maternal 4th-great grandfather, Francis S. PIERCE, was born on this date in 1806 in Vermont.  Francis was the son of Gordon and Thirsa (SMALLEY) PIERCE.  Francis married October 25, 1831 in Wayne County, Indiana to Rebecca PAGE.  Rebecca was born August 18, 1806 in New Jersey.  They had 13 children.  Rebecca died June 26, 1893 in Wayne County, Indiana.  Francis died August 5, 1881 in Wayne County, Indiana.

My paternal 3rd-great grandaunt, Rebecca Ann Haines WOOLSTON, was born on this date in 1823 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  Rebecca was the daughter of Abel B. and Rachel (WOOLSTON) WOOLSTON, and the younger sister of my Caroline Bishop WOOLSTON.  Rebecca married Joseph DEACON, son of Joseph and Beulah (HAINES) DEACON.  Joseph was born August 7, 1817 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  They had 3 children.  Joseph died October 10, 1877 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  Rebecca died August 3, 1900 in Westhampton Township, Burlington County, New Jersey.