Omer Pierson - History of Rush County, Indiana
Omer Pierson, one of Union township’s well known farmers and formerly and for nearly a quarter of a century a resident of Rushville, was born in Rush county and has lived here all his life, with the exception of five years spent in West Virginia.He was born in New Salem in Noble township on July 14, 1870, son of Lorenzo B. and Mary H. (Jarrell) Pierson, the latter of whom also was born in this county, a member of one of the old families of Noble township.Lorenzo B. Pierson was a Virginian, born in that section of the Old Dominion which since the Civil War has been known as West Virginia and which remained loyal to the Union during that struggle between the states.He grew to manhood there and when the war broke out went over into Ohio and enlisted his services in behalf of the Union and went to the front with an Ohio regiment, serving until the end of the war.Not long ago after the completion of his military service Mr. Pierson came to Indiana and located in Rush county, beginning work here as a farm hand. He married in Noble township, rented a farm there and established his home, remaining here the rest of his life with the exception of a period of about five years during which he had resumed his residence in West Virginia, and his last days were spent in Rushville a the home of his son Omer.Lorenzo B. Pierson and wife were the parents of six children, of whom three are living, the subject of this sketch; his sister, Florence, wife of Charles Boyes, and Raymond.Reared in Noble township, Omer Pierson received his schooling in the neighborhood schools and early turned his attention to farming.He married at the age of twenty-two and for two or three years thereafter continued farming.He then moved to Rushville and became engaged as a clerk in a grocery store, a vocation he followed for nearly twenty years, or until in 1917, when he returned to farming, established his home on the place he is now farming in Union township and has since resided there, the old James R. Nixon farm on rural mail route No. 1 out of Falmouth.This is a well kept and well improved farm of 103 acres and since taking charge of the same Mr. Pierson has carried on his operations in accordance with up-to-date methods and has done well.In 1892 Omer Pierson was united in marriage to Kate Nixon, who was also born in Rush county, and to this union six children have been born, of whom but one, Myrl Nixon Pierson is now living.Mr. and Mrs. Pierson are members of the Christian church and Mr. Pierson has during several different terms served as a member of the official board of the same.They are Republicans and Mr. Pierson is a member of the Rushville lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and Knights of Pythias and the Maccabees.Mrs. Pierson was born on a farm in Washington township, this county, a daughter of James R. and Jane (Abernathy) Nixon, the latter of whom also was born in this county, a member of one of the pioneer families of Union township and who is still living, now making her home with Mr. and Mrs. Pierson.James R. Nixon was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, and was six years of age when he came with his parents to Indiana, the family locating on a farm in Washington township, this county, where he grew to manhood.After his marriage, James R. Nixon bought a farm of 114 acres in that township and made his home there for about thirty years, at the end of which time he sold that place and bought a farm of 103 acres on which Mr. and Mrs. Pierson are now living and there spent the remainder of this life.He and his wife were the parents of nine children, of whom four are still living, those besides Mrs. Pierson being Robert W., Sallie and Lula.
From Centennial History of Rush County, Edited by A. L. Gary and E. B. Thomas, 1912, Volume II, pages 472-473