Fierce, Charles F.

FIERCE, WEST, BARRACKMAN, IAMS, HILL, BROWN, SMITH, FRANS

Posted By: Mary H. Cochrane, Volunteer
Date: 6/29/2019 at 17:19:08

History of Decatur County Iowa and Its People
Illustrated, Volumne II.
Prof. J. M. Howell and Heman C. Smith
Supervising Editors
The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company. p. 298. Chicago. 1915

Charles F. Fierce
Charles F. Fierce , who is successfully engaged in farming and stock-raising in Long Creek township, is a native son o f Decatur county, born on the 17th of July, 1868, on the Fierce homestead, of the marriage of William E. and Anna (West) Fierce, natives respectively of Indiana and of Ohio. The father became a resident of Decatur county when but a child and here grew to manhood. He was reared to farming and on starting out on his independent career purchased land in Long Creek township, which he improved and operated until called by death. He enlisted from this county in the Union army and served at the front for a year. He passed away when fifty-two years of age on the 10th of July, 1895. His wife is still living at Van Wert at the age of sixty-four.

Charles F. Fierce attended the district schools in Long Creek township and assisted with the work of the farm during his boyhood and youth. When he was twenty years old he rented land and continued to cultivate land belonging to others until his father’s demise. He then inherited forty acres and purchased an additional forty acres on section 24, his holdings now comprising eighty acres. In addition to cultivating his own land he and his brother E. W., a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work, farm the adjoining eighty acres owned by their mother. Mr. Fierce of this review remodeled his residence and erected a barn upon his farm, which is now one of the well improved places of his locality. He carries on general faring and also raises high grade stock. He finds the feeding of hogs for the market exceptionally profitable and sells many head annually to the shippers.

On the 10th of May, 1891, Mr. Fierce was married to Miss Margaret Barrackman, who was born on the 2d of September, 1871, at Van Wert. Her parents, John and Emma (Iams) Barrackman, were born respectively in Owen county, Indiana, in 1841 and in Holmes county, Ohio, May 31, 1842. The father was brought to Decatur county, Iowa, by his parents when he was still a lad and grew to manhood in Long Creek township. On reaching mature years he purchased eighty acres of land in Franklin township, upon which he lived until 1894, when he removed to Kingfisher county, Oklahoma, and took up a claim of one hundred and sixty acres, upon which he is still living. His wife was taken by her parents to Clarke county, Iowa, when she was eleven years of age and the marriage of Mr. And Mrs. Barrackman occurred in that county on the 27th of January, 1863. She passed away in Kingfisher county, Oklahoma, on the 24th of March, 1914. To them were born ten children: Mrs. Ida Hill, of Custer, Oklahoma; Mrs. Dora Brown, of Kingfisher, Oklahoma; Mrs. Sarah Smith, of Des Moines, Iowa; Mrs. Laura Frans, of Thomas, Oklahoma; Mrs. Margaret Fierce, of Van Wert, Iowa; William H., of St. Joseph, Missouri; David H., of Kingfisher, Oklahoma; Charles, of Oklahoma City; Mrs. Mauna Frans, of Clinton, Oklahoma; and Mrs. Harriet Frans, of Kingfisher, Oklahoma. To Mr. And Mrs. Fierce have been born three children, namely: Helene, whose birth occurred on the 10th of March, 1895, and who is now a student in the Des Moines College; Gerald, born November 26, 1896, who graduated from the Van Wert high school with the class of 1915 and is now helping his father with the work of the farm; and Lucille, born February 8, 1901, who is a student in the Van Wert high school.

Mr. Fierce is a republican in politics and is serving his third term as township trustee, while for six years he was director in school district No. 2, of Long Creek township. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, the Yeomen and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, belonging to the lodge of those organizations at Van Wert, and his wife is identified with the Rebekahs. He and his family all belong to the Methodist Episcopal church of Van Wert and are working members of that congregation. Throughout his entire life Mr. Fierce has resided in this county and the high esteem in which he is generally held is proof of his integrity and rectitude.

Transcription for IAGenWeb ~ Decatur County