Stanley Pierce is Dead

At 2:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov 3 the spirit of Stanley H. Pierce passed over the Dark River.

Deceased had a virulent attack of influenza which developed into pneumonia with fatal result, following a ten day’s illness. It is assumed that he contracted his fatal illness in his business as undertaker during the prevalence of the disease which has taken so many Blair and vicinity people to their eternal homes.

Stanley was the only son of Mr. and Mrs. E. C. Pierce, born and schooled in Blair, and was a general favorite with everyone. There wasn’t a selfish impulse in his character: always ready to sacrifice his own interests for others as he ultimately sacrificed his life for them. His daily life had been, since early manhood, devoted to the humane work which he had undertaken. Men may come and go in Blair for all time but none will be more missed by the masses, the poor and afflicted, than Stanley Pierce. Stanley was thirty-one of age. He leaves a wife and two little boys to the tender mercies of a cold world. His father and mother and four married sisters, Mrs. W.W, Wilkinson, Mrs. Fred Abbott, of Blair, Mrs. Clyde Allen, living on a farm south of this city and Mrs. W.S Rothery, of Omaha are the near surviving relatives.

Funeral service was held at the home on Tuesday at 2 o’clock P.M. and the immense, assemblage present and the long line of automobiles which formed in procession, a number never equaled at any previous funeral in Blair, was a testimonial of the great respect in which the deceased was held.

#2-Published in the Pilot November 6, 1918

We don’t know when the entire community has taken the death of anyone so hard as that of Stanley Pierce, which occurred at 2:30 Sunday morning. Word had been passed around Saturday that his condition was dangerous, but everyone hoped against hope that he would improve for it seemed to all of us that the community needed him so much he ought not to leave us. But death is no respecter of persons or communities and he has gone, never to return. It doesn’t seem possible that he won’t be directing funerals or playing clarinet in the band just as of old, but we have seen his form cold in death and sang at his funeral, just as we have done for so many that he has conducted in recent years. In fact, he went a little longer than he should for he had a bad cold and fought it off for several days, didn’t actually give up until the Sunday before he died. Pneumonia set in almost from the start and he seemed to realize that he would never get well, in fact he told several people they would be attending his funeral in a day or two.

The funeral was conducted by Rev. A. E. Marsh at the family residence, the old C. G. Pollock place on South Street, at 2 o’clock yesterday afternoon. Music was furnished by a quartette composed of Misses Ethel Mead and Mary Cook, F. H. Claridge and the writer. The day was threatening and yet a large crowd of mourning friends gathered outside to pay their last respects. The band boys were there in unison, including their leader W. H. VanCleve, of Tekamah. Stanley was rated as one of the best sight readers on the clarinet in this part of the state and not only the band boys but the community will miss his playing on this instrument.

Stanley was born in this city April 25, 1887 and was therefore past 31 years of age. He attended the Blair High School until within about two month of graduation time, when he was taken sick and never finished his course.

He was married to Miss Martha Clausan, of F. Calhoun, in Omaha, October 28th, 1907, and two children were born to them, Elihu Clausan and Edward Stanley, age 10 and 8 years. He also leaves his parents, Mr. and Mrs. E. C. Pierce, and four sisters, Mrs. W.W. Wilkinson, Mrs. C. M. Allen, and Mis F. A. Abbott, of this city, and Mrs. W. S. Rothery, of Omaha. The many and beautiful floral offerings show something of the high esteem in which Stanley was held by everyone, for we doubt if he had an enemy in the world. The grief-stricken families have the sincere sympathy of the entire community.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~