Coryell Co. TX - Young Pierce, Jr. - Roxie Brown Submitted by Bobbie Ross ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** YOUNG PIERCE, JR. - ROXIE BROWN Armelia (Gray) Pierce gave birth to her son Young Pierce Jr. on July 18, 1859, four months after her husband Young was killed in a Comanche Indian raid. In 1861 Armelia married Stephen O'Neal and they had three children. Young was raised as a brother to these younger O'Neal children. Young Pierce Jr. grew up in Sugar Loaf working on farms. In the fall of 1882 he joined the contract threshing crews that moved from county to county working the harvest. In Brown County he met Roxie Brown daughter of Thomas Early Brown and they were married in Brownwood March 4, 1883. They had four children, Amelia, Abia, Ethel and Lewis born at Sugar Loaf. Young had followed the threshing crews to San Saba and believed this fertile river bottom country would offer better living. In 1891 Young and Roxie loaded the wagon and moved to San Saba. The journey took four days. They settled in China Creek on the San Saba River where Ernest was born January 31, 1893. In China Creek they built a two story log cabin and prepared the land for farming. Three more children, Nettie, Eugene and Earl were born. In 1904 they moved to the Rainey farm on the north bank of the San Saba River where Dea was born. In 1905 their first grandchild, Bertha Till, three year old daughter of Mary Amelia died from typhoid. Someone told Young that if he moved to the south side of the river his family would be safe. They moved to the Sanderson place 2 1/2 miles west of San Saba where Gladys was born. Young had one of the first irrigated farms in the community. Crops were bountiful until 1922 when the San Saba River flooded the farm. Water was four feet deep in Young's house. Crops and livestock were lost and topsoil washed away. By 1929 all of the children except Abia and Gladys were married and some had moved away. Young's health failed and the couple left the farm and moved to San Saba. In December of 1936 Young Pierce and his son Lewis died one day apart and a double funeral was held. Roxie lived in San Saba until her death in December 1949. Young, Roxie, Amelia, Abia, Lewis, Nettie, Gladys and many other descendents are buried in China Creek where Young was the first President of the Cemetery Board of Directors. By Eldon Pierce, grandson of Young Pierce and Roxie Brown Pierce. Copyrighted Eldon Pierce & Bobbie Ross Sep. 2000