History of Micthell Co., Iowa, Pub: Curts Meda Corporation -1989

PEARCE, John and Mary
John Pearce, born Oct. 15, 1809, and his wife Mary Wallis, born July 31, 1809 and their children
Emily, Sarah and Fred started from England about 1852 for America.  The supplies ran low and
had to be rationed.
Emily was born in 1841 in England.  She married John Penney in Stacyville.  They had five
children - Olive (born 1862) married David McDougal. Roy (born Mar. 15, 1870) married Susie
Strong and died Nov. 8, 1936 in Minneapolis. Mary Maretta (born Sept 2, 1872 in Stacyville) 
always went by Retta and never married.  She died in California Nov. 4, 1957.  Bessie died in 
1889 at the age of 12.  Lena Dell was born in 1879 and died Dec. 12, 1881 at the age of 2.
Sarah was born May 25, 1848, married Charles Norton Mar. 27, 1881 in Stacyville.  She died Oct 
9, 1906.  They farmed north of Little Cedar.  They had four girls, the youngest, Olive, died in 
infancy.  Alice never married.  She died in the mental institution in Independence, Iowa.  Mary 
(Molly) (born Feb 25, 1883) married Ray Danforth and had one son.  Lena Dell was born Apr 8, 
1887 at Little Cedar, Iowa and married Calvin Cumin Oct 10, 1911 at Rapelje, Mont.  She died 
Apr. 18, 1978 in Rapelje, Mont.  They had two sons - Loren and Kenneth (KC).
Fred the only son, was born in 1852.  He married Lucy Dyer.  they moved to Sioux Falls, S. Dak.  
They had one child, Jessie who married John Haggardt.  They had three children - Eugene, 
Hazel, and Joel.
Mary Jane, the youngest of the family, was the only one born in America, Feb 25, 1856 in Lake 
county, Ill.  At the age of three she came to Iowa in a covered wagon drawn by oxen.  As a girl 
she drove oxen for her mother in Stacyville.  She married George Penney.  They farmed 
northwest of Little Cedar after having farmed east of Stacyville for several years.  She died Mar 
29, 1924.  They had five children: Spencer, Herbert, Sydney, Clinton, and Mary.
Spencer, born July 30, 1880 never married.  He went to Rapelje, Mont. in 1910, homesteaded 
and lived there until 1940 when he moved back to Little Cedar where he died Feb 5, 1942.
Herbert, born Sept 8, 1884, married Gladys Makepeace.  They had 5 children.  The first 2 died
when but a few days old, Howard (born Feb 20, 1914), Dorothy (born Sept 22, 1917), and Stuart 
(born July 18, 1921).  Herbert died June 27, 1954 from ruptured appendix.
Sydney (Jig), born Sept 12, 1888, married Helen Fairbanks Jan 1, 1917.  They had five children - 
Doris (born Dec 7, 1918) Vinus (Bill)  (born Mar 31, 1921), Mildred (born Nov 8, 1922), and twins 
- Earle and Merle (born Feb 19, 1929). Jig died July 28, 1962.
Clinton (Joe), born Mar 26, 1890, married Thelma McPhail Apr. 25, 1917.  They had four children 
- Maxine (born Oct 4, 1918, Dean (born Nov 10, 1920), Ruth (born June 18, 1926), and Rex (born 
Aug 21, 1928).  Joe died Nov. 20, 1945.
Mary (born Apr 22, 1893) married W. Clyde Elliott Mar. 4, 1913.  Their children - Ivan (born Aug 
21, 1914 and died Oct 4, 1987), Frances (born Jan. 19, 1921) and Beda (born Apr 26, 1923). 
Mary died June 20, 1942.
When John and Mary Pearce arrived in Stacyville the nearest mill to have wheat ground was at 
McGregor, Iowa.  It took eight round trips in six days.