Biography - Martin V. Pierce
MARTIN V. PIERCE. The gentleman who is our subject is the owner and
resides on a fine farm located on section 1, Rural Township, where he
devotes himself to the calling of agriculture, being very successful in this
direction, as he has bent his energies and intelligence to the subject for
many years. His residence in Shelby County dates from the spring of 1869. He
is a native of Sullivan County, Ind., where he was born March 16, 1838. His
parents were Jesse and Keziah (Harris) Pierce.
The original of our sketch was but a small boy when his mother died and when
only thirteen years of age the father died. The mother left thirteen
children and the father was married a second time, by that marriage becoming
the parent of two children. After the death of his father, Martin resided
with his uncle until he grew to manhood and assisted in tilling the soil.
Doubly orphaned, the youth's early years lacked all that makes the
remembrance of childhood pleasant to one. We cannot but sympathize with the
lad whose sorrow was only stunned by the hard toil which he was compelled to
accomplish.
In 1860 our subject was united in marriage to Emily Ernest, a daughter of
Jacob and Susan Ernest. She was born in Sullivan County, Ind., and is one of
a family of four, having three brothers. After marriage our subject became
the owner and operator of a small farm in Sullivan County, where he remained
until 1869 and then came to this State, renting land for one season and then
purchasing the place whereon he at present resides. At that time it was but
very little improved, the only attempt at redeeming it from native wildness
was a log hut. In 1876 Mr. Pierce removed to Shelbyville on account of poor
health and two years later, much improved in this respect, he returned to
his farm and resumed his bucolic employment. He is the owner of eighty acres
of land, which is in a good state of cultivation.
Our subject and his wife have been the parents of five children, three girls
and one boy dying in infancy; only one son, Charles, is living. A nephew,
however, whose name is Homer Ernest, is a member of his family and enjoys
the affection and privileges of a son. Formerly our subject affiliated with
the Democratic party, but of late he has transferred his allegiance to the
Prohibition party, convinced that the evil of intemperance is one that most
seriously threatens the well-being of our country. He of whom we write has
filled the the position of Township Commissioner to the entire satisfaction
of those who elected him. In his church relations Mr. Pierce is a member of
the Baptist denomination. He has been Deacon and Treasurer in the church of
which he is a member for a number of years. Simple and unaffected at all
times, our subject enjoys the confidence and trust of the men in his
township in all stations of life.
Extracted 12 Jan 2018 by Norma Hass from 1891 Portrait and Biographical Record of Shelby and Moultrie Counties Illinois, page 400.
