Funeral services will be held
Thursday, May 25, at 4:00 p.m. at
the family residence in Blessing for
Abel Brown Pierce, 69, who died
there Tuesday at 10:22 a.m. |
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Blessing The A. B. Pierce Home |
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Abel Brown Pierce, Sr., son of Jonathan Edwards and Nannie Lacy Pierce, was born on December 4, 1874, at Deming’s Bridge. He attended the South Jersey Military Academy, studied for two years at The University of Texas, and attended Draughon’s Business College before entering the Navy as a Paymaster during the Spanish American War. He assisted his father in establishing businesses in banking and land management in the Blessing area, and also supported civic improvements. He met Adelaide Hall at a party in Palacios in the home of the H. B. Farwells, who had been neighbors of the Hall family in St. Paul, Minnesota. They were married in St. Paul, on January 19, 1909. Adelaide Emily Hall was born on August 27, 1885, to Lee and Alice St. Germain Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota, and educated there. Alice had been born there of French Canadian-English parents in 1866. Lee was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1863. His father was born in Massachusetts and his mother in Maine. They often visited in the home of Adelaide and Abel in Blessing, and both died there, he in 1940, and she in 1966. They were buried in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Abel B. and Adelaide had four sons: Abel Brown, Jr. (October 20, 1909-July 3, 2003); Hall Edwards (September 24, 1911-November 24, 1932); Lee Mudge (November 11, 1913-July 12, 1998), who married first Jedie Chiles and second Annie Marie Selden; and Clinton Lacy (August 3, 1918-January 18, 1934). In addition to maintaining a gracious home for her family, Adelaide entertained Episcopal Bishops Kinsolving and Clinton S. Quin, many civic groups, and had a formative influence on the development of the area. She helped to establish and served as President of the Hawley Cemetery Association, the Blessing Library Association, the Matagorda County Tuberculosis and Health Association, and the Matagorda County Federation of Women’s Clubs. She served as secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Blessing Independent School District for thirty years. She served on the Matagorda County Citizen’s Highway Beautification Committee, and the Blessing Good Roads Association. She was chairman of the Scholarship Loan Committee for the Matagorda County Federation of Women’s Clubs, and Treasurer of St. Paul’s Episcopal Mission. She was County Canning and Sewing Plants Supervisor in World War I, a member of the Matagorda County Historical Society, the Texas State Survey Committee, the Board of Directors of the County Museum Association, the Bay City Book Review Club, and the Comfort Wood Chapter of DAR. She was the author of Deming’s Bridge, Hawley Cemetery, Tres Palacios Baptist Church, 1960. Abel B. Pierce, Sr., died on May 23, 1944 at his home in Blessing; Adelaide died on October 24, 1967, in Bay City. Both were buried in Hawley Cemetery.
Historic Matagorda County, Volume II, pages
405-406
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 Photo submitted with the 1968 historical marker application. |
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 Dart - Abel B. Pierce's Horse Dark building is Dart's barn. Left background is the old Moore Store which was moved from Rancho Grande in 1903. James H. and Dana Logan lived upstairs. James Logan was the first Blessing postmaster. |
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Pierce (Mrs.) Adelaide Emily Hall, 82,
died Tuesday afternoon in Matagorda General Hospital. Funeral
services will be at 3 p. m. Thursday in St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
in Bay City with burial in
Hawley Cemetery. The outstanding
civic leader of Matagorda County was the widow of Abel Brown Pierce,
who with his father, Jonathan Edwards Pierce, founded the town of
Blessing. She is survived by two sons, Abel B. Pierce, Jr. of
Houston and Lee Mudge Pierce of Blessing; six grandchildren, Lee
Hall Pierce, Michael E. Pierce, Frederick Pierce of Blessing;
Adelaide Harrison Pierce, Sally Jeannette Pierce, Jonathan L. Pierce
of Houston; three great-grandchildren, Michael E. Pierce, Stacy
Pierce, and Lee Edward Pierce of Blessing; and many nieces and
nephews. Pallbearers will be G. K. Nelson, J. E. Cornett, B. B.
Rhodes, Richard Dawdy, Verner Bowers, and R. B. Trull. Honorary
The Daily Tribune, October, 1967 |
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Hall was a second year student at the University of Texas, where he was taking a course in engineering, hoping someday to be a designer of aeroplanes. He was president of the University Aeronautical Society. He is survived by his parents, his three brothers, A. B. Pierce, Jr., Lee Mudge Pierce, and Clinton Lacy Pierce, by his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Lee Hall of St. Paul Minn., by three aunts, Mrs. Allen J. Smith of Philadelphia and Blessing, Mrs. W. W. Heffelfinger of Minneapolis, and Mrs. F. S. Van Bergen of St. Paul, also by an uncle, Mr. John Pierce of Palacios. The burial took place on Saturday, Nov. 26 in the family cemetery at Hawley, near Tide Haven on the old Pierce Ranch. Hall E. Pierce The Tribune, Thursday, received the sad news of the death of Hall E. Pierce, son of Mr. and Mrs. Abel B. Pierce of Blessing, which occurred at his home in Blessing following an illness of several weeks.
The end came at 5:30 Thanksgiving morn. The funeral is set for Saturday afternoon at 3 o’clock, with religious services at the home, the burial following immediately in the Hawley Cemetery , near Blessing. This young man was the scion of one of the oldest and most prominent of South Texas’ families, of a sincere and studious nature and possessed of many sterling qualities. His friends amongst the old as well as the young are many. The sadness and regret over his untimely end is genuine and general in the hearts of all who knew him. The Tribune joins the hosts of friends of Mr. and Mrs. Pierce in extending to them our sympathy in this, their darkest hour of trial. The Matagorda County Tribune, Thursday, December 1, 1932 Hall Edwards "Buddy" Pierce and his car c 1930
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Funeral services for Lee M. “Tick”
Pierce, 84, of Blessing, will be held at 4:00 PM Tuesday, July 14,
1998 at the Taylor Bros. Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Nick Novak
officiating. Interment will follow at
Hawley Cemetery Pierce passed away July 12, 1998 in Bay City. He was born November 11, 1913 in Blessing to Abel Brown Pierce and Adelaide Hall Pierce. He attended Blessing Elementary School and graduated from St. James Episcopal School in Maryland. Pierce joined the U. S. Navy during World War II and was stationed in the Pacific. He was a farmer, rancher and owner and operator of the Ace of Clubs Ranch and the Pierce Insurance Agency.
He was a member and was instrumental in
the establishment of the American Legion Cecil Lee Post # 649, of
Blessing and served as Commander, Adjutant, Treasurer and Judge
Advocate. He was President of the
Hawley Cemetery Pierce was a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church of Palacios and served as member of the Board of Vestry and served as Senior Warden for many years. He was a member of the Blessing Historical Foundation and a member of the Sons of the Republic of Texas in Bay City. Pierce is survived by his wife, Pauline Pekar Pierce of Blessing; by his sons and daughters-in-law: Lee Hall Pierce & wife Ona Lee of Blessing, Fredrick L. Pierce & wife Crystal of Blessing, and Yvonne Pierce of Blessing; by his Step-children, Jody & Raymond Matura of Pt. Lavaca and Carolyn & Eddie Heatwole of Houston; and by a brother: Abel B. Pierce & wife Ruth of Blessing. He is also survived by his grandchildren: Michael E. Pierce, Jr. & wife Jackie, Stacy G. Pierce Wolf & husband Joe, Lee Edward Pierce, Jedie L. Pierce, Sarena A. Pierce Williams & husband Travis, Sabrina L. Pierce, and Colton T. Pierce; by his step-grandchildren: Natalie Longacre & husband Wayne and Christe Heatwole; by his great grandchildren: Heather Pierce, Wendy Pierce, Michael Wolf, Phillip Zarate, Jr.; by his step-great grandchild: Mark Longacre. He is preceded in death by a wife, Jedie Chiles Pierce in 1970, by a wife, Anna Marie Selman Pierce in 1990; by his children, Michael E. Pierce, Sr. and Mary Alice Pierce; and by his brothers: Hall Edwards Pierce and Clinton Lacy Pierce.
Honorary Pallbearers include the Members of the American Legion-Cecil Lee Post # 649, his Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren, and his Step-Grandchildren and Step-Great Grandchildren. Memorials may be made to: Blessing Historical Foundation, P. O. Box 275 Blessing, TX 77419; Matagorda County Museum, 2100 Ave F. Bay City, TX 77414; or to the charity of choice. Arrangements are with Taylor Bros. Funeral Home, Bay City.
The Daily Tribune, July 14, 1998 |
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Mr. Lee Hall, age 77 years, eight months, two days, passed away this morning at six o'clock at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. A. B. Pierce in Blessing, Texas. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Alice St. Germaine Hall of St. Paul, Minn., two daughters, Mrs. Frederick Van Bergen, deceased, St. Paul, Minn., and Mrs. Abel B. Pierce of Blessing, Texas. Funeral services will be Sunday morning at 10:30 from Taylor Bros. Funeral Home with Rev. Paul E. Engle of St. Mark's Episcopal Church officiating. Following the services the remains will be taken to Houston and sent to St. Paul, Minn., for burial. Taylor Bros., are in charge of the funeral arrangements.
Daily Tribune, March 22, 1941 |
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Alice St. Germaine Hall, who celebrated her 100th birthday just 20 days ago, passed away quietly at the home of her daughter, Mrs. A. B. Pierce in Blessing yesterday morning. Funeral services in Bay City were held at 2 p. m. today in Taylor Brothers Funeral Chapel with Rev. Milton McWilliams, pastor of St. Mark's Episcopal Church officiating. Interment in Sunset Memorial Cemetery in St. Paul, Minn. will follow a second service held in St. Paul at 1 p. m. Wednesday. Born in St. Paul in 1866, Mrs. Hall married Lee Hall of New Orleans and St. Louis. She has lived with her daughter in Blessing for the past 22 years, and is pictured when she attended the 50th Anniversary program for the Matagorda County Federated Women's Clubs last February. This program was held in her daughter's home, and she was one of the guests honored at that time. Survivors besides her daughter include five grandchildren, A. B. Pierce, Jr., of Houston, Lee M. Pierce of Blessing, Dr. Frederick H. Van Bergen of Minneapolis, Richard M. Van Bergen of Hopkins, Minnesota and Mrs. Joseph Welke of Redwing, Minnesota; seventeen great-grandchildren, Frederick L. Pierce, Lee Hall Pierce and Michael E. Pierce with two great-great grandchildren, Michael and Stacy Pierce of Blessing; Adelaide, Sally and Jonathan Pierce of Houston; Frederick, Edward, John and Lee Van Bergen of Minneapolis;; Richard, Susan and James Van Bergen of Hopkins; and Joseph, Van, Jeanette and Karen Welke of Redwing.
Daily Tribune, November 14, 1966 |
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pallbearers are L. L. Rhodes, Wyatt O. Selkirk, Ben H. Wheeler Jr.,
A. R. Matthes, Frank Cobb, A. M. Logan, C. P. Butler, George L.
Harrison, L. L. Chiles, and Paul J. Wheeler. Ushers will be Paul
Braden and Thomas Holsworth. Funeral arrangements under direction of
Taylor Brothers Funeral Home.
Hall was 21 years old and two months of
age and was born and reared in Blessing. He was a student in the
University of Texas and was making a splendid record when he was
stricken and compelled to return home.
Pallbearers
will be Lee Edward Pierce, Michael E. Pierce, Jr., Joe Wolf, Mel
Anders, Emmitt Owen Chiles, and Lawrence Bartosh.
