For Nancy
Dearest Nancy: I’ll say about 2 weeks ago, that you sent me a dollar with a letter, requesting me to buy a book and write what I know of your forefathers, and your present family too.
I’ll say for sure that this is starting something, like going down a blind alley, but blind alleys can lead you to lights, that will show you the way; so here’s hoping that’s true.
The date I am beginning this, is what, most people consider a bad luck date, the day is Feb. 13, 1959 and the day of week is Friday, too, today has been set aside as World Day of Prayer.
Prayer is the guiding light of this world, if we truly and sincerely have faith in God when we pray. For prayer is having conversation with God.
It is now 1 p.m. went to church for the prayer service and ’twas very inspiring. Rev. Earl Pritchard, pastor of Munford Assembly God Church, [Assembly of God Church in Munford Rev. Earl Pritchard was pastor for 25 years] sang with inspiration and much feeling. “What will I give to my Master”
Suppose now you are ready, Nancy, for me to tell you something about who your grandparents are, we’ll say are, for I feel, they still live since I can give a more accurate account of my family, then I’ll start with these first and leave space to fill in for other information, I hope to get later.
My father, William Thomas Piercy, was born Sept 15, 1853, near Hernando, Miss. He was the son and first child of his parents. Dr. Duke Piercy, born May 14, 1822, either in Virginia or one of the Carolinas and Frances Elizabeth Hinds Piercy who was born August 27, 1827; They were married July 19, 1849, near Hernando, Miss.
My father had two sisters Mary Frances Piercy, born April 10, 1851 who died at the age of 21 years. Another sister Sophia C. Piercy born June 23, 1855 also in Mississippi, Sophia, who was married to E. V. Holliday, had six children and lived many years in San Antonio, Texas. Both lived there until their children grew up and both are buried there. There children were Eline, Effie, Mammie, Allen, Grady and Jim Holliday – to us Sophia was known as Aunt Lilly.
Giving you an insight of the earlier lines of Duke and Frances Peircy – They lived in Paris, Texas after receiving college educations and getting married. Dr. Piercy, my grandfather, built the first store in Paris, Texas, lived up stairs and had a drug store down stairs. He practiced medicine there, until the Civil War of the States. When he decided with my grandmother to bring the three children back to her father’s home near Hernando, Miss. My grandfather left his property in the care of a Mr. Long there to look after it until they would return. The journey from Paris, Texas to Hernando, Miss. took two weeks as traveling in that day was a task, making that trip you’d consider today, a short one, but it was a long journey, by oxen, horses and rivers to cross without bridges.
They finally arrived at my grandmother’s, father’s home. He was Dr. Josiah Hinds, my grandmother was his oldest child. She was Frances Elizabeth Hinds. She had a brother who too was a doctor. He was known as Dr. Joe Hinds. Then there was a sister, who was 20 years younger than my grandmother. She was Mary Hinds and later married J. C. Cotton. Dr. Joe married a young lady who was Fanny —–. I can’t recall the name, but I knew Aunt Fanny well, and too, I knew Grandma’s sister, Aunt Mary, who was always looking for joy and happiness and found fun any place she went. It was lots of fun to see her, so I can well recall from childhood. Aunt Fanny’s family were said to be wealthy people. She, they said never worked. She liked to rock her babies and if I recall correctly she had about 10. One was Elizabeth, Robert, Carrie, Joe, Bishop, and the other names I can’t recall (Jance(?) remembers the name Bridgeforth Hinds) Elizabeth was called Lizzie and has a daughter who lives at Horn Lake, Miss. Elizabeth Hughey, M. A. Hinds who is sherriff of Shelby Co. is the son of one the boys –
I can remember seeing Uncle Joe Hinds once as a very young child. He was Dr. Joe Hinds and had visited my grandmother Piercy he called her “Sister Frances” and she called him “Brother Joe” I only remember him as he rode down the road towards white haven [sic] on to Horn Lake. He rode erect and had just been by for a visit.
Aunt Mary married Jim Cotton and she had two sons Clarence, who lived in California after he grew up and Arthur whose wife was Gracey. She had a brother-in-law named Gene Ragan and a nephew Clarks Ragan. All those lived in Memphis.
Aunt Mary and Uncle Jim also had one daughter, very beautiful, Alma, who ran away and married Theodore Hunn, much older than her. He wanted no children and when Alma was about 5 months with child, a doctor operated on her in the home and she died. So Aunt Mary always felt it was pure murder.
Alma was buried in Elmwood Cemetery in his family’s lot, and I’ve been there as a young girl with Aunt Mary and have seen the terrible grief it caused her. The only consolation of her death was they preferred death for their daughter rather than for her to live with such a cruel and heartless man. Aunt Mary too, was buried in Elmwood along with her husband. There will be other things I’ll recall and tell you about individuals of things I heard from my grandmother Piercy. My father and my mother too.
