Last Updated 9/1/00

A few years ago, while rummaging around in the house that my great-grandparents had lived in (now semi-abandoned), I discovered a rare find - a date book for 1963 that my great-grandmother, Mae Pierce, had used as a diary. For each day, she had recorded a short note about the events of the day. These events - some exciting, the majority mundane - give a sketch of her life, and the lives of those around her. I found this sketch to be fascinating. I have transcribed it here, in the hopes that you might enjoy it also.

Why is the diary so fascinating to me? It does not appear to have any particular historical or genealogical value, it just isn't old enough. Instead, I think that it is because it is about a time and place that is in the periphery of my memory. At the start of 1963, I was four years old. I have only the vaguest recollection of Grandma Pierce, who plays such a prominent role in the first part of diary. Some of the other events and people, I don't recall specifically, or I remember them from some time later than 1963. In addition, I grew up some ninety miles north of Wyanet, and we visited the Pierce farm only infrequently. So the diary is about a way of life that is foreign to me, and yet also oddly familiar.

The diary is also fascinating because it was written by a fascinating woman. Mae came from a poor family from Kentucky, her family moving to Wyanet when she was a young girl, when her father took a job as a laborer with the railroad. In 1919, at the age of 21, she married Roland Pierce. Roland was the only son of Elizabeth (Vaughn) Pierce, the favorite daughter of Thomas Vaughn, one of the leading citizens of Bureau County in the late 19th century. Lizzie proudly considered the family to be part of the area's New England aristocracy (although this was in name only - the family had little money), and she was horrified when Roland married Mae, a girl from 'the wrong side of the tracks' (and even more horrified when Dorothy, their first child, was born three months later). Lizzie shunned Mae throughout her life - for instance, refusing to allow Mae to appear in family portaits. The dynamics of their relationship forms the backdrop of the events that take place early in the diary.

There are many wonderful things I could say about my great-grandma Mae - her creativity, her love of children, her work ethic, her gentle spirit. Instead, I'll refer you to two things she wrote - this diary, and 'My Aim in Life'. They speak more about her than I ever could.

MAIN CHARACTERS AND PLACES
For convenience, I've summarized here some of the main characters and the situation in 1963 (ages are as of 1 Jan 1963).

Roland (age 64) and Mae Pierce (age 60) run a farm a few miles north of Wyanet, IL. (See their family page here.) The farm specializes in game birds, such as pheasants, peafowl, and quail, in addition to normal livestock and crops.

Roland and Mae have three children, Dorothy, Donald, and Idella. Dorothy (age 42) is married to Eugene Braasch, and they have children Marvin (age 23), Maxine (age 23), and Jerry (age 19). Maxine is married to Steve Moore, and they have children Stevie (age 4), Ronnie (age 3), and Terry (age 1). Donald (age 41) is married to Mildred. His oldest child is Bob (age 21), who recently married Cindy. Don also has five girls, Connie, Jackie, Roberta, Donna, and Marilyn, who are still in school. Idella (age 38) is married to Jim Lockridge, and they have children Jon (age 15) and Tonya (age 14).

I'm the Stevie mentioned above. Please don't call me that.

Grandma Pierce is Elizabeth Pierce (age 86), nee Vaughn, Roland's mother. (See her family page here.) Luther Pierce, Roland's father, passed away several years earlier.

The family owns two farms in addition to the game farm itself. The 'north place' is just north of the game farm. It is the site of the first white settlement in Bureau County. In 1963, the north place is rented out to Bob Donaldson. The 'west place' is across the road, to the west of the game farm. Luther and Lizzie have lived there since their marriage, Roland was raised there, and Lizzie still lives there. After their marriage, Roland and Mae lived in the 'north place', until eventually building a house on what is now the game farm. The family also owns some timber land near the farms. (For maps and more details, go here.)

Henry and Evelyn Sanders own the farm next door, to the south.

A WORD ABOUT THE TRANSCRIPTION
To the extent possible, I've transcribed the diary as it appears, including spelling and punctuation errors. At times, this may make it more difficult to read, but the effort is worth it. Keep in mind that Mae, while literate, had little schooling, and was writing short personal notes that she didn't intend for others to read. I've added some explanatory and personal comments; these appear in italics.

January	April	July	October
February	May	August	November
March	June	September	December

 
 

Genealogy of Stephen R. Moore - The Diary of Mae Pierce, 1963 © 2000 Stephen R. Moore, 8504 Enochs Dr., Lorton, VA 22079