|
http://www.DisabledArtistsNetwork.net DAN INTERNATIONAL "Art you will Love - People you will never Forget" |
||
|
Daniel Pierce Beloved Uncle and Hero More than 325,000 visitors to this site since 2002 and
starting March 9,2006 new visitors to this page begin at
(Pictured left to right; Grandma Thelma, Uncle Dan, Uncle Fred (top), Dad Gene, Grandpa Harold)
This is one of the few pictures I have of my Uncle Dan. This was when he was a little boy and quite a few years younger than the day he lost his life. To the far left is my Grandmother Thelma (Maiden name Mc Daniel) She went to the funeral of Catherine Roush her Grandmother and purported favorite Cousin of Abraham Lincoln on Sept. 24th 1918 in Lancaster Missouri. My Grandma was born on Presidents day in February 22nd of 1915. Grams still remembers this Funeral as so many people came and so many people loved Catherine. I don't think a lot of people knew about her because she was part German and so as to not embarrass anyone she would change the pronunciation of her name from Raush to Roush and in those times perhaps it was not acceptable. As told to me, Catherine was a 3rd Cousin, 3 times removed to former President Abraham Lincoln who married my Great Great Grandfather Perry Mc Daniel Sept.,10th 1854. Grams says that Catherine had 14 children but only 3 lived to adult hood. One of those that lived was my Great Grandfather whom I never met, named William Howard Mc Daniel. Grandma told me she had the happiest of childhoods, and her Parents William and Nellie Arletta (Maiden name Penry) were the kindest and most loving parents a child could ever hope for. On July 29th 1933 my Grandmother married Harold Pierce. My Grandpa was quite the Grandpa and I'll never forget it. Practically all the time I knew him, I never knew that he had a wooden leg. He never talked about it and come to think of it, I never saw him without shoes. Grandpa was a hard working man and a darn good boxer who won every single fight as a Golden Glove Boxer during the Depression. He was also gentle, patient and had a secret hankering to be a writer. When Grandpa wrote me a letter, it would be pages and pages long. I loved getting letters from him and he loved to describe things in great detail. Grandma Thelma was the kindest, most patient, and most loving of people I had ever known my entire life including now. She always had a smile and a wink and a ready ear with a good story or two that would entertain me for hours. We still have marathon phone sessions. Grandpa also came from good family and kept a Pierce Book showing how far back they went. All the way back to the Mayflower they went and so many Presidents that I began to wonder if those Presidents got together and married off cousins and such to each other. Grandpa mentioned that he was related to President Franklin Pierce whom we know former First Lady Barbara Bush is also related. Grandpa hinted at other Presidential ties but would not go in to detail as he didn't care one way or the other who he was related to if he didn't share their politics. So there you have a family background. Now that you know where my Uncle Harold DANIEL Pierce came from, I will share with you what happened to him. Revised Oct. 2006. My dear Grandmother passed away shortly before Hurricane Katrina hit and when I went to attend the funeral, my Uncle Fred told me the more accurate version of what happened that day. Grams lived to be 90 years old and while she and Uncle Fred both agreed that about Great Great Grandma Catherine being 3rd cousin 3 times removed to Lincoln it is Dan's date of death and circumstances that Grams got a little confused on but considering how much it traumatized her, I think she is entitled to a little confusion. This is the story my Grams told me; On June 14th 1959 my Father Gene (who by the way was the best Dad a girl could ever ask for) my very very young Mother Patricia and my Uncle Dan age 22, were all at a favorite swimming hole in Colorado. They had a wonderful day out in the water and the sun when a car load of young thugs drove up. Spying my young Mom, they tried to separate her from my Dad and Uncle for a Viscious deed. My Dad and my Uncle fought them off and managed to get them to leave. Nevertheless my Dad decided it would be a good Idea to get Mom back to a safe area and he did, taking her back home to Grandma and Grandpa's Farm. Uncle Dan stayed behind to swim some more. It was getting late and Uncle Dan hadn't returned. Everyone was worried. Dad went back to see why he hadn't come home yet and found his beloved brother dead in the water with an injury to his head. Some people wanted to believe that Uncle Dan had simply drowned. Grandma didn't believe this as Dan was a good swimmer and swimming doesn't cause head injuries. She believes those thugs came back for another try at my Mom and found my Uncle Dan alone instead. That day was June 14th 1959. I was born 7 months later on New Years day of 1960 which means on the Day my Uncle helped saved my Mom's life, she was pregnant with me. He didn't live long enough for me to meet him and thank him for saving my Mom's life and mine in the process. This is the story my Uncle Fred told: Uncle Fred said that he, my Dad, Uncle Dan, my Mom and another Woman had gone on a summer picnic near the Dam in Colorado. I never knew this but My Uncle Dan had Epilepsy and in fact it ran in the family picking and choosing it's victims. There really were some Mexican Men there at the Dam that day and they really were trying to separate my Mom from my Dad. My Dad and Uncle Dan beat them off and they left. My Uncle Dan decided to go swimming down near the Dam Gates diving in and catching fish with his bare hands. My Dad and I think Uncle Fred went to the store and said they would be back soon. My Mom, her friend and Uncle Dan were the only ones there when the Mexican Men came back. The unknown Men went to the top of the Reservoir and saw my Uncle Dan there swimming in the water trying to catch fish. They began to throw rocks at him. What caused his death was heavily debated and no one knows for sure. My Grams thinks Uncle Dan was hit in the head with one of those rocks. Uncle Fred thinks the Reservoir gates moved or that Dan had an epileptic seizure in the water. The only thing everyone could agree on was that those Men had come back for revenge and since my Uncle Dan was the only one they could take our there anger on they decided to throw rocks at him. The fact remains though, with Epilepsy my Uncle did fight those Men off and helped save my Mom and her friend from only God's knows what. So yes, a Man with Epilepsy can save lives and a Woman's good reputation. He died as a result. In that he is never forgotten and in honor of him for my Grandmother's sake I named this site after him. You see, some of the people who loved me most had Disabilities. My Grandmother had a Thyroid and heart condition. Uncle Dan had Epilepsy and Grandpa had just one leg. It never stopped them from being good people or expressing love for other people. Uncle Dan because of your Bravery, Courage, and Sacrifice. I will honor you always for that and in your Memory I name this Site after you and the Good Values you stand for. I thank you and Love you forever, your Niece born Wanda Marie Pierce Jan.1st 1960.
Below are pictures of headstones from my now deceased and beloved family members.
|
