Today marks a very special day for my family, as not only is it Christmas, but it is also my paternal grandfather’s birthday! I had what I like to call a good relationship with my grandfather.

I wish I could blog on every birthday and or holiday, for every loved one that has passed. But sometimes I just don’t think to honestly, but I think I really should start, as it seems a great way to honor and remember them.

Arthur Albert Piercy

Birth
25 December 1917
Lebanon, Laclede, Missouri, United States

Death
20 January 2003
Adrian, Lenawee, Michigan, United States

Military Draft Registration
16 Oct 1940
Orla, Laclede, Missouri, United States

A bit about my grandfather…

Born in Missouri, to Albert J. Piercy, and Anna May Peterson (1st generation born after father’s immigration from Netherlands), he grew up on a farm, and became a farmer himself. He was the 2nd born of 9 children.

Before WWII, my grandfather, and grandmother Doris got married, she soon became pregnant with my father, the war came, and my grandfather was drafted. My grandma now having my father to raise alone while my grandfather was away for quite sometime, as my grandfather kept going back to fight seemingly for months, and then years. I think she tried her best, but it didn’t seem the case for their marriage sadly when my grandfather returned from WWII, for what came with him was a purple heart, and shell shock from shrapnel embedded forever within his leg, and soon divorce.

My grandparents divorced shortly after the war, with both my grandfather, and grandmother remarrying other people.

Getting back to NOT only is it Christmas 🎄✨️💖 it is also my Grandfather’s (Arthur Albert Piercy) birthday!! WWII, purple heart 💜 U.S. Army.

One memory I had of him is he had shell shock from the war, shrapnel that they couldn’t get out of his leg, and he had the shakes really bad from it. Him and my step grandma was married 57 years before one passed and shortly after the other. May he RIP 🙏 and another fond memory is he also use to wake up at 4 am when visiting us, and or when we visited him, he would meet me in the dining room for pistachios, and or donuts, and coffee, and we would talk 💖 he also loved steak n shake, but he use to say, let’s go up to shake n bake, and get us some coffee ☕️ I also use to spend a week in the summer with my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and my grandpa, and uncle Ralph at an RV park, they would get the pontoon out and we would all go out on lake Erie and fish all day until we were all ate up with mosquito bites, come back, start a bon fire, roasted marshmallows, hotdogs, hamburgers, etc. 😉 and also when I was a kid, we would drive to Michigan, and spend a few days for Christmas with the family 🎄 all doing our gift exchange together.

Good days and good family memories.

My hope is one day future generations of mine will read this, and feel as they have grown closer to family. It also helps people know, good family morals and values still exist. We have to create these memories ourselves. They don’t just happen. Reach out, and keep in contact with your loved ones today!

Best wishes this Christmas and holiday season, from our home to yours!

-Dawn Piercy, PhD