Margaret Jane Dinwiddie Pearce (1818-1894)
(Mrs. Michael Pearce)
- Mrs. Margaret J. Pierce*, the daughter of Thomas and Mary A. Dinwiddie, was born in Trumbull Co., Ohio, June 5th, 1818. After removing to different places she arrived at last in Indiana, and she together with the rest of the family located one mile south of where the town of Hebron now stands about the year 1835 or 1836.
The Indians were then numerous in the vicinity and many interesting incidents and adventures have often been related by her. Here she remained with her father's family until 1840 when she was united in marriage with Michael Pierce. They at once removed to Lake Co., Indiana, established a home and reared a large family who are all married and settled immediately around the old homestead. One son, Thomas, and his family still living with her.
She was the only person remaining who petitioned Presbytery for an organization United Presbyterian Church of Hebron in 1837 and always remained a faithful member of the church until suddenly called home by paralysis of the brain, on the evening of August 8, 1894, in her 77th year.
The day of her death she helped her daughter-in-law about the arduous duties of the house until about 4 p.m., when she complained of not feeling well and lay down upon her bed. Soon she grew worse and departed in peace at 6 p.m. She leaves three sons and four daughters to mourn the loss of a mother; many friends and neighbors to lament the removal of a loving and kind hearted woman; a brother and sister in far off Oregon to weep over a sister gone; and the church to sorrow over an esteemed and worthy member gone to her reward. But we mourn not "as those who have no hope. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord."
* NOTE -- Although the last name of the deceased was spelled "Pierce" in this article, it has been spelled "Pearce" elsewhere. The "Pearce" spelling seems to be more common.
Go to Margaret Jane Dinwiddie Pearce, "Pioneer History Index," for further information.
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