I have included the following information about Nathan Pierce Jr. (a maternal ancestor), simply because I find the information so interesting.
At the age of 45, Nathan Pierce Jr. (Sarah Rebecca’s uncle) married a young lady named Lucy Robinson on 20 Jan 1889 in Taney County . At the time of their marriage Lucy was living in Barton County , Missouri with her small child. After the wedding, which was held in Nathan Pierce's home near Bradleyville, they returned to the bride's home in Barton County .
On March 4, 1889 , less than two months after they were married, Nathan died. As evidenced by a doctor bill, he became ill soon after arriving at the brides home. He is believed to be buried in Barton County , Missouri , but his grave has never been located.
Among his effects found after his death, was a bill from a doctor for treatment rendered in the days just before his death.
J.L. McComb, Medical Doctor, for " services during his last illness ".
Feb 07, 1889 To examination & medicine $2.00
Feb 11, 1889 To prescription 1.75
Feb 17, 1889 To prescription 1.75
Feb 20, 1889 1 bottle Carters Iron Tonic 1.00
Feb 27, 1889 To prescription & medicine 1.75
Feb 28, 1889 Fuel (Coal) 2.00
Also among his effects was a bill from an undertaker in Lamar , Missouri that read;
March 5, 1889
1 burial case $20.00
1 burial robe $4.00
Total $24.00
Nathan Pierce Jr. died without a will, and on August 17, 1889 the Probate Court of Taney County, Missouri conducted a sale at the Nathan Pierce farm and the following items were sold.
Property To whom sold Price
Tableware Mary L. Jackson 1.40
Stoneware G.H. Pierce .65
Two water buckets Phillip Roller .25
Tub & wash board W.F. Floyd .35
Lard Stand George Richey .35
Smoothing iron & scales J.H. Jackson .20
One lamp W.F. Floyd .40
Looking glass James C. Wright .45
Table & cloth J.H. Jackson .25
One pair of shears Nancy Pierce .25
Cooking Stone & vessels J.H. Jackson 2.75
Seven chairs W.J. Lawrence 1.30
One trunk W.R. Pierce .60
Rifle gun George Hicks .60
One saddle W.J. Lawrence 1.30
One barrel & old irons T.J. Hicks .60
Two wagon springs Wiley Alery .65
Andirons W.T. Floyd .45
Two pitch forks Edman Hodges .40
Two augers Daniel Bloomer .40
One auger H.B. Sickler .45
One drawing knife T.J. Hicks .40
Hand saw & hammer W.R. Pierce .30
Plane & hatchet J.A. Hodges .45
Chopping ax Mash Hodges .40
Bell & collar W.R. Pierce .25
Cross cut saw T.J. Hicks .20
One set of harness T.J. Hicks 2.25
Plow gear W.T. Floyd .25
Plow gear G.H. Pierce .15
One horse collar T.J. Hicks 1.80
Scythe & cradle W.T. Floyd .20
One barrel Mary L. Jackson 1.00
Wash kettle Jesse Whittaker 1.55
Wagon sheet Daniel Bloomer 1.20
Plow & stocks Levi Montgomery 1.05
One double shovel T.J. Hicks .50
One double shovel Henry Sickler .60
One single plow Wm Jackson .20
One plow stock W.T. Floyd .20
One turning plow T.J. Hicks 1.45
Two hoes E.G. Wardle .25
One turning plow W.T. Floyd 4.00
Double shovel feet Adam Johnson .40
One set of harrow teeth E.G. Wardle .55
One cultivator Wm Jackson 6.25
One sulky plow John Conner 4.00
One two-horse wagon George Richey 21.50
28 head of hogs J.L. Conner 71.50
One sorrel mare A.C. Kissee 28.00
One bay mare J.L. Conner 59.00
One grey horse J.J. Middleton 66.50
One grey mare W.R. Pierce 49.00
One sucking calf J.R. Jackson 21.00
One cow & calf John Scribner 8.00
One cow & calf S.M. Brake 10.25
One cow James Siler 7.50
One cow John Scribner 8.00
One cow T.L. Fitch 9.00
One cow Phillip Roller 12.00
One two-year old steer Stephen Adams 8.00
Two yearling steers C.O. Lane 13.00
One year-old heifer W.T. Floyd 5.55
One yearling heifer James Siler 3.80
One bell & collar W.T. Floyd .25
9 head of geese J.A. Hodges 1.50
1 doz chickens W.R. Pierce 1.50
In November 1889 a suit was filed by the widow of Nathan Pierce Jr. in the Taney County, Missouri Probate Court pleading for the court to award her a one-third share of the estate.
The text of that suit reads;
Lucy Pierce, Widow
vs
Henry Pierce
Carroll Pierce
William Pierce
Frank Pierce, and
John C. Pierce, administrator of the estate of Nathan M. Pierce Jr., dec'd.
Lucy Pierce states that Nathan M. Pierce Jr., late of said county died intestate on the March 4, 1889 , leaving your petitioner his widow. That the said Nathan M. Pierce Jr. was, at the time of his death, the head of a family consisting of your petitioner and her minor child and was the owner in fee simple of the following premises and appurtenances, to wit;
The NW 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of Sect 12 and the NW 1/4 of sect 12, and the SE 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of section one, 15 acres lying on the South side of Beaver Creek, being a part of SW 1/4, SW 1/4 of section one and two acres of the NE 1/4, NE 1/4 section two and 34 and 1/2 acres of the NE 1/4, NE 1/4 of section 11, all in Township 24 of Range 18 in Taney County, Missouri which said premises does not exceed $4,500.00 (forty-five hundred dollars).
In which said land your petitioner claims a one-third dower interest as the widow of Nathan M. Pierce, dec'd.
Your petitioner further states that John C. Pierce is the administrator of the estate of Nathan M. Pierce, dec'd, duly appointed as such by the Probate Court of Taney County, MO on the 11th day of March 1889.
That said estate is in ..(illegible).. of administration and settlement in this court wherefore your petitioner prays the court to appoint three commissioners to first set off and assign to her from the residue of the above estate described of which Nathan M. Pierce dec'd signed for in fee simple, her proper dower according to law which your petitioner will ever pray.
Lucy Pierce, Widow of Nathan M. Pierce Jr., Dec'd.
By George L. Taylor, Atty at law
Answer
Now at this day comes the Defendant in the above entitled case and for answer says that Plaintiff is entitled to the value of Four Hundred Dollars of the personal estate of N.M. Pierce, dec'd and denies each and every other allegation in her petition contained.
J.A. DeLong, Atty for Defendant
State of Missouri
County of Taney
Lucy Pierce, Plaintiff } In the Taney
vs } Probate Court
J.C. Pierce, Administrator } November term
of N.M. Pierce Jr., dec'd } 1889
Defendant }
Your petitioner, Lucy Pierce, states that Nathan M. Pierce Jr., late of said county died intestate on the 4th day of March 1889, leaving your petitioner his widow. That the said N.M. Pierce was at the time of his death the head of a family consisting of himself, your petitioner and her minor child.
That said deceased at the time of his death was possessed of large tracts of real estate.
That Plaintiff and her deceased husband, at the time of his death, were visiting family and friends ("visiting family and friends" is crossed off in the document and “temporarily absent" was written above) in Lawrence County, this state, and that your petitioner has not yet returned to the homestead and mansion house of deceased but said homestead has been under the management and controls of John C. Pierce, administrator of said estate and your petitioner further states that she has derived no benefit in the way of rents or otherwise from said homestead for which Plaintiff states that she is entitled to One Hundred Dollars for rents and Fifty Dollars damages for being deprived of the possession of same.
Your petitioner therefore prays that this court set about for her the home place of deceased in the amount of 160 acres, to wit the NW 1/4 of section 12, Township 24, Range 20, and if necessary to appoint commissioners for that purpose.
Your Petitioner further states that under the statutes of this state, she is entitled to Four Hundred Dollars for her support as the widow and a reasonable allowance out of her said deceased husband's estate for one years provisions which your petitioner thinks is owed to her at least Two Hundred Dollars, in addition to the $15 in property of deceased she had at the time of his death.
Your petitioner therefore further prays that this court makes an order allowing her Four Hundred Dollars as provided by law for her support and Two Hundred Dollars which she is entitled to as her first years support and for all other and further relief as the court may deem just and proper.
George L. Taylor, Attorney
State of Missouri }
County of Taney }
Lucy Pierce
vs
Henry Pierce, Carroll Pierce, William Pierce, Frank Pierce and John C. Pierce, administrator of the Estate of Nathan M. Pierce, dec'd.
You are hereby notified that on the petition of Lucy Pierce, widow of Nathan M. Pierce, dec'd, did at the last November Term of this court, appoint commissioners to set apart and adjudge the One-Third interest of said Lucy Pierce as widow in the real estate of Nathan M. Pierce Jr., which said division will be made on the premises of said deceased Pierce on the 27th day of December 1889.
W.B. Burks
Judge of Probate
State of Missouri } Petition for allotment
County of Taney } of Portion
Lucy Pierce
vs
Henry Pierce; Carrol Pierce; William Pierce; Frank Pierce and J.C. Pierce, administrator of the Estate of Nathan M. Pierce, deceased.
Now at this day comes the petitioner Lucy Pierce by attorney and files her petition and application in this behalf showing that on the 3rd day of March 1889, Nathan M. Pierce Jr. died intestate leaving surviving him said Lucy Pierce, his widow and her minor child and that John C. Pierce is administrator of the Estate of the said Nathan M. Pierce, deceased.
That said Nathan M. Pierce Jr. at the time of his death was the owner of an estate in fee simple in the following real estate situated in the said county described as follows; to wit;
NW 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of Section 12 ( 40.0 acres)
NW 1/4 of Section 12 (160.0 acres)
SE 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Section 1 ( 40.0 acres)
SW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Section 1 (Portion) ( 15.0 acres)
NE 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of Section 2 & 34 (Portion) ( 2.0 acres)
NE 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of Section 11 (Portion) ( .5 acres)
Total 257.5 acres
All within Township 24 of Range 18 in Taney County, Missouri . All of which has not been sold on execution or other judicial sale and has not been conveyed by the petitioner and claiming as the widow of said Nathan M. Pierce, deceased, the one-third of said real estate as lifetime dower and asks this court to appoint three commissioners to set off and allot to her, the one-third of said lands.
It is therefore confirmed and ordered that one-third of said premises be set off and allotted to her as prayed for and that J.C. Johnson, Thos L. Fitch and E.T. McPherson be and they are hereby appointed commissioners to set off and allot to her the said one-third in value of said premises and it is further ordered that said allotment be made and set off to her by said commissioners on the 27th day of December 1889 and that they report their proceedings to this court on or before the second Monday in February 1890, and it is further ordered that Henry Pierce, Carrol Pierce, William Pierce, Frank Pierce and J.C. Pierce, administrator of the Estate of Nathan M. Pierce, deceased be notified of the said time and place where said portion interest and share of said Lucy Pierce as widow of said Nathan. M. Pierce, deceased, will be set off and allotted to her by said commissioners by giving to each of them a written notice thereof at least ten days before 27th day of December 1889 by delivering a copy of this order to each of said defendants, Henry Pierce, Carrol Pierce, William Pierce, Frank Pierce and to John C. Pierce, administrator of said Estate, fifteen days before the 27th day of December 1889 as aforesaid.
In early 1890, Lucy was awarded 85 acres of farmland and the home of the late Nathan Pierce. It seems the grieving widow received an excellent settlement.