John Henry Pierce, born March 28, 1924 in Clinton, Missouri, passed away peacefully late Saturday night, November 27, 2010 at the age of 86 in a Tomball Hospital just north of citycenter Houston, Harris, Texas.
...before being orphaned at age 8 John attended public school at Valentine near Gowji, Henry, Missouri which today is known as Truman Lake and Dam Reservoir......he lived in over six foster homes in HenryCounty Missouri and attended public school in MtZion, Henry, Missouri finishing his 8th grade year....his last move with the Clarence Wilmer Smith Family was to Rural Grant County, Kansas where he joined the Army Air Corps at FortRiley, Geary & RileyCounties, Kansas in 1942. He was stationed in Nome, Alaska in the Air Transport Command and was discharged in 1945. While working for Union Pacific Railroad in Western Kansas he would often stop by The Dinette in Augusta, Butler, Kansas where he met Thelma Alice Helena-Brown , a waitress in Augusta, Butler, Kansas. John and Thelma married there in 1946. After the birth of his only child in 1949 they moved to Gas,Allen, Kansas, joining his wife Thelma's family in owning and operating the Helena and Pierce Texaco Station and Grocery Store from 1949 until the mid 1960s. In 1966 John moved his family to Houston, Texas to do bookkeeping and payroll in the construction of the Blue Ribbon Rice Grain Elevators that were once located on Allen Parkway. In 1968 he joined Sears & Roebuck, working in the automotive department until he retired in 1986.
The name 'Shanghai' developed after a night out with a friend who had lost several cattle on his land near Houston...sitting up all night with rifles to 'catch' the cattle-thieves, John and his friend BillRalls apprehended & held the culprit until the proper authorities arrived...vastly impressing the Sheriff that night that these 2 over-60 kind of guys would even attempt such a feat...Bill and John joked for years after that he was just like the Texas Cattle Baron, Shanghai Pierce, a bonafide figure in Texas history....
John had numerous interests. He loved to hunt and fish, and was active in the Elks Club Lodge #569 in Iola, Kansas, Reagan Masonic Lodge #1037 in Houston, the American Legion, Scottish Rite, Sons of Hermann Lodge #7, SPJST Lodge #88, Czech Heritage Society of Texas, and the Farm and Ranch Club of Houston, beekeeping, quilting, piano and fiddle playing, social games and dancing....
He was predeceased by his parents...
GladysLillianGivens 1907-1968
MonroeJamesPierce 1890-1932
his siblings.....
EverettLee Pierce 1928-1992
GeorgeEdward Pierce 1930-1998
MaryFrances PierceGatrost 1931-1998
Robert William Watt
Crandle Eugene Watt
... and his beloved wife....
ThelmaAlice Helena Pierce 1925-1988
John is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, John Allen and Paula Pierce and grandsons and wives, Shelby and Apple Pierce & granddaughter Muk, and Anson and Pei Yi Lin Pierce and Niels and sister Ellie, along with several other relatives and friends.
....John Henry Pierce was my father-in-law...
...before being orphaned at age 8 John attended public school at Valentine near Gowji, Henry, Missouri which today is known as Truman Lake and Dam Reservoir......he lived in over six foster homes in HenryCounty Missouri and attended public school in MtZion, Henry, Missouri finishing his 8th grade year....his last move with the Clarence Wilmer Smith Family was to Rural Grant County, Kansas where he joined the Army Air Corps at FortRiley, Geary & RileyCounties, Kansas in 1942. He was stationed in Nome, Alaska in the Air Transport Command and was discharged in 1945. While working for Union Pacific Railroad in Western Kansas he would often stop by The Dinette in Augusta, Butler, Kansas where he met Thelma Alice Helena-Brown , a waitress in Augusta, Butler, Kansas. John and Thelma married there in 1946. After the birth of his only child in 1949 they moved to Gas,Allen, Kansas, joining his wife Thelma's family in owning and operating the Helena and Pierce Texaco Station and Grocery Store from 1949 until the mid 1960s. In 1966 John moved his family to Houston, Texas to do bookkeeping and payroll in the construction of the Blue Ribbon Rice Grain Elevators that were once located on Allen Parkway. In 1968 he joined Sears & Roebuck, working in the automotive department until he retired in 1986.
The name 'Shanghai' developed after a night out with a friend who had lost several cattle on his land near Houston...sitting up all night with rifles to 'catch' the cattle-thieves, John and his friend BillRalls apprehended & held the culprit until the proper authorities arrived...vastly impressing the Sheriff that night that these 2 over-60 kind of guys would even attempt such a feat...Bill and John joked for years after that he was just like the Texas Cattle Baron, Shanghai Pierce, a bonafide figure in Texas history....
John had numerous interests. He loved to hunt and fish, and was active in the Elks Club Lodge #569 in Iola, Kansas, Reagan Masonic Lodge #1037 in Houston, the American Legion, Scottish Rite, Sons of Hermann Lodge #7, SPJST Lodge #88, Czech Heritage Society of Texas, and the Farm and Ranch Club of Houston, beekeeping, quilting, piano and fiddle playing, social games and dancing....
He was predeceased by his parents...
GladysLillianGivens 1907-1968
MonroeJamesPierce 1890-1932
his siblings.....
EverettLee Pierce 1928-1992
GeorgeEdward Pierce 1930-1998
MaryFrances PierceGatrost 1931-1998
Robert William Watt
Crandle Eugene Watt
... and his beloved wife....
ThelmaAlice Helena Pierce 1925-1988
John is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, John Allen and Paula Pierce and grandsons and wives, Shelby and Apple Pierce & granddaughter Muk, and Anson and Pei Yi Lin Pierce and Niels and sister Ellie, along with several other relatives and friends.
....John Henry Pierce was my father-in-law...
John Henry Pierce, born March 28, 1924 in Clinton, Missouri, passed away peacefully late Saturday night, November 27, 2010 at the age of 86 in a Tomball Hospital just north of citycenter Houston, Harris, Texas.
...before being orphaned at age 8 John attended public school at Valentine near Gowji, Henry, Missouri which today is known as Truman Lake and Dam Reservoir......he lived in over six foster homes in HenryCounty Missouri and attended public school in MtZion, Henry, Missouri finishing his 8th grade year....his last move with the Clarence Wilmer Smith Family was to Rural Grant County, Kansas where he joined the Army Air Corps at FortRiley, Geary & RileyCounties, Kansas in 1942. He was stationed in Nome, Alaska in the Air Transport Command and was discharged in 1945. While working for Union Pacific Railroad in Western Kansas he would often stop by The Dinette in Augusta, Butler, Kansas where he met Thelma Alice Helena-Brown , a waitress in Augusta, Butler, Kansas. John and Thelma married there in 1946. After the birth of his only child in 1949 they moved to Gas,Allen, Kansas, joining his wife Thelma's family in owning and operating the Helena and Pierce Texaco Station and Grocery Store from 1949 until the mid 1960s. In 1966 John moved his family to Houston, Texas to do bookkeeping and payroll in the construction of the Blue Ribbon Rice Grain Elevators that were once located on Allen Parkway. In 1968 he joined Sears & Roebuck, working in the automotive department until he retired in 1986.
The name 'Shanghai' developed after a night out with a friend who had lost several cattle on his land near Houston...sitting up all night with rifles to 'catch' the cattle-thieves, John and his friend BillRalls apprehended & held the culprit until the proper authorities arrived...vastly impressing the Sheriff that night that these 2 over-60 kind of guys would even attempt such a feat...Bill and John joked for years after that he was just like the Texas Cattle Baron, Shanghai Pierce, a bonafide figure in Texas history....
John had numerous interests. He loved to hunt and fish, and was active in the Elks Club Lodge #569 in Iola, Kansas, Reagan Masonic Lodge #1037 in Houston, the American Legion, Scottish Rite, Sons of Hermann Lodge #7, SPJST Lodge #88, Czech Heritage Society of Texas, and the Farm and Ranch Club of Houston, beekeeping, quilting, piano and fiddle playing, social games and dancing....
He was predeceased by his parents...
GladysLillianGivens 1907-1968
MonroeJamesPierce 1890-1932
his siblings.....
EverettLee Pierce 1928-1992
GeorgeEdward Pierce 1930-1998
MaryFrances PierceGatrost 1931-1998
Robert William Watt
Crandle Eugene Watt
... and his beloved wife....
ThelmaAlice Helena Pierce 1925-1988
John is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, John Allen and Paula Pierce and grandsons and wives, Shelby and Apple Pierce & granddaughter Muk, and Anson and Pei Yi Lin Pierce and Niels and sister Ellie, along with several other relatives and friends.
....John Henry Pierce was my father-in-law...
...before being orphaned at age 8 John attended public school at Valentine near Gowji, Henry, Missouri which today is known as Truman Lake and Dam Reservoir......he lived in over six foster homes in HenryCounty Missouri and attended public school in MtZion, Henry, Missouri finishing his 8th grade year....his last move with the Clarence Wilmer Smith Family was to Rural Grant County, Kansas where he joined the Army Air Corps at FortRiley, Geary & RileyCounties, Kansas in 1942. He was stationed in Nome, Alaska in the Air Transport Command and was discharged in 1945. While working for Union Pacific Railroad in Western Kansas he would often stop by The Dinette in Augusta, Butler, Kansas where he met Thelma Alice Helena-Brown , a waitress in Augusta, Butler, Kansas. John and Thelma married there in 1946. After the birth of his only child in 1949 they moved to Gas,Allen, Kansas, joining his wife Thelma's family in owning and operating the Helena and Pierce Texaco Station and Grocery Store from 1949 until the mid 1960s. In 1966 John moved his family to Houston, Texas to do bookkeeping and payroll in the construction of the Blue Ribbon Rice Grain Elevators that were once located on Allen Parkway. In 1968 he joined Sears & Roebuck, working in the automotive department until he retired in 1986.
The name 'Shanghai' developed after a night out with a friend who had lost several cattle on his land near Houston...sitting up all night with rifles to 'catch' the cattle-thieves, John and his friend BillRalls apprehended & held the culprit until the proper authorities arrived...vastly impressing the Sheriff that night that these 2 over-60 kind of guys would even attempt such a feat...Bill and John joked for years after that he was just like the Texas Cattle Baron, Shanghai Pierce, a bonafide figure in Texas history....
John had numerous interests. He loved to hunt and fish, and was active in the Elks Club Lodge #569 in Iola, Kansas, Reagan Masonic Lodge #1037 in Houston, the American Legion, Scottish Rite, Sons of Hermann Lodge #7, SPJST Lodge #88, Czech Heritage Society of Texas, and the Farm and Ranch Club of Houston, beekeeping, quilting, piano and fiddle playing, social games and dancing....
He was predeceased by his parents...
GladysLillianGivens 1907-1968
MonroeJamesPierce 1890-1932
his siblings.....
EverettLee Pierce 1928-1992
GeorgeEdward Pierce 1930-1998
MaryFrances PierceGatrost 1931-1998
Robert William Watt
Crandle Eugene Watt
... and his beloved wife....
ThelmaAlice Helena Pierce 1925-1988
John is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, John Allen and Paula Pierce and grandsons and wives, Shelby and Apple Pierce & granddaughter Muk, and Anson and Pei Yi Lin Pierce and Niels and sister Ellie, along with several other relatives and friends.
....John Henry Pierce was my father-in-law...
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