Statewide County OR Archives Obituaries.....Pierce, Laura M March 5, 1925
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Sheron Faynor nitwittwin@hotmail.com December 1, 2006, 8:15 pm

Canby herald march 12,1925
First Lady of Capital Is Called To death
Mrs Laura Pierce,wife of Governor Pierce,died at the family home in Salem 
Sunday Morning after an illness lasting nearly two years
Laura M.Pierce was born in what is now Wheeler county,near Monument,in central 
Oregon,May 30,1871.Her parents were pioneers,her father,Peter Rudio,crossing 
the plains in "49 to the coast.Her mother came in '52.In girlhood she moved 
with her parents to Milton,Oregon,where she attended the public schools.Her 
parents moved to Walla Walla in 1887.She graduated at Whitman College in the 
class of '91,preparing herself then for a teahcer,and graduated from the 
Ellensburg state normal school in the class of '92.
She was married to Walter M.Pierce in September ,1893,and moved to 
Pendleton,where her husband was the county clerk of Umatilla county.She lived 
in Pendleton,where four of her children were born,unitl 1907,moving to Grande 
Ronde valley,where she and her husband lived unitl he was elected governor,and 
since then has been a resident of Salem,Oregon.
She was the mother of five children ,Lloyd B.Pierce,aged 30,the only son,who 
went as a volunteer in the World War;her eldest daughter ,Mrs Lucille 
Hall,lives in Salem and is the wife of Harold Hall.Her second daughter,Helen 
Wilson,is the wife of Ray Wislon,a research chemist in the employ of the 
Western Electric company,New York City.Her third daughter,Edith Pierce,is now 
a junior in the University of oregon,at Eugene,and her youngest 
daughter ,Lorraine ,is now a senior in the Salem High School.She also reared 
Clara Pierce,daughter of her husband by a former marriage.
There are three grandsons.There are three older sisters and one brother 
living.She was the youngest of nine children
She was a devoted motheer,giving her whole soul and energy to the rearing of 
her children,caring little for society.She was always an extrememly strong 
woman unitl her first operation in October 1919,since which time she had 
suffered much.Since February 1st,1924,she had the attention of a private 
nurse,demanding constant care.All through her suffering and affliction she has 
been kind,hoopeful,cheerful and helpful to the very last.she had an 
indominatble will,keeping track of her household affairs even after she could 
no longer walk or talk aloud,insisting that the bills for the home come to 
her,even paying her Febrauary household accounts with her own check.
She was a member of the Methodist church ,becoming converted at Walla Walla in 
1888.Her circle of friends was not large,but those who knew her best prized 
her firendship very highly.During the seesions when her husband ,Walter M 
Pierce,was state senator,she always came from eastern oregon with him and was 
one of the well known ladies of the state senate.She was present the night her 
husband was inaugarated governor,but was never able to enter the state house 
afterward.
Mrs Pierce took a deep interest in her husbands political career,although she 
seldom appeared.He was away from home much,both because of his interest in 
state affairs and because his farm and the cattle on the range took him.But 
there was the most complete harmony of interest between them.She had not been 
strong for many years prior to her severe illness,and Governor Pierces 
solicitiude for her at all times was extreme.During his campaign for the 
nomination two years ago he went to his home in La Grande and back to western 
Oregon many times just becuase he wished to see how she was getting along and 
have a few hours with her.While the public did not know this,he took these 
night rides and put in many extra hours,some of them for valuable campaign 
work,because he could not bear to be away from her any more than was actually 
necessary,while she suffered as only he knew she did.
When Mr Pierce was elected governor the newspaper reporters soon found that 
Mrs Pierces illness was very serious and questioned the governor about it.Tp 
them he admitted the truth,that it was ahopeless case of cancer,but he asked 
them to say nothing about it and not to report it

Additional Comments:
Apparently there is more but i am unable to locate the correct photocopy.If 
this is a person you are researching send me an email and I will see if I can 
find it

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