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Rachel Pierce Fair

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Birth	:	24 Jun 1857 County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Death	:	20 Apr 1932
Burial	:	Acacia Park Cemetery, Beverly Hills, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate	:	42.5217018, -83.2197037
Description	:	Fair, Rachel June 24,1857-April 20,1932 Mother Ida Co., IA Biograhies pg. 292 WILLIAM (UNCLE BILLY) AND RACHEL FAIR William (Billy) Fair was born in Fivemiletown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, to James and Margaret Graham Fair on October 29, 1833. His father was a carpenter by trade, and taught this craft to all his boys. People in Ireland were poor in those days and a trade meant a great deal. His mother was very hospitable and would give a meal to a stranger -- usually a baked potato and a... Read More	Fair, Rachel June 24,1857-April 20,1932 Mother Ida Co., IA Biograhies pg. 292 WILLIAM (UNCLE BILLY) AND RACHEL FAIR William (Billy) Fair was born in Fivemiletown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, to James and Margaret Graham Fair on October 29, 1833. His father was a carpenter by trade, and taught this craft to all his boys. People in Ireland were poor in those days and a trade meant a great deal. His mother was very hospitable and would give a meal to a stranger -- usually a baked potato and a glass of buttermilk. They were very thrifty people, but they didn't have much money. They were Scotch-Irish, which helped make them thrifty and it also put an emphasis on the Presbyterian faith. His father came to some land near Wapello, Iowa, and homesteaded it. After about a year he returned to Ireland. "Billy" wanted to come to America. When he was around forty he had saved enough money to make the voyage. It took him a year and a half to get here, because the first ship he took across the Irish sea ran into a fierce storm before it reached Liverpool and it had to turn back. It was some time before they were ready to set sail again. When he landed in New York in 1875, he took a train to Wapello, Iowa, where his father homesteaded the land earlier. Later he obtained land in Louisa County. While living in Louisa County he became lonesome. While in Ireland he courted a young lady, so he wrote a letter asking her to come to him in America, and be his wife. When the letter arrived, she had already married. He wrote back to her family, stating they were one of the finest Irish families he knew, and if he couldn't have Margaret, then could he please marry one of her pretty sisters. They had difficulty persuading any of them to come, for America was a long way away and William was several years older than they. Rachel finally decided to come. The voyage was most difficult for her, she was ill the whole time with seasickness. She landed in New York and went by train to Wapello. William was delighted to get such a beautiful bride, and they were married one week later. Rachel was born June 24, 1857 in Clogher, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland to John and Margaret Bryson Pierce. After living in Louisa County about two years, and after his sister, Mary (Mrs. James Anderson) and family came to Silver Creek Township, Ida County, Iowa, they followed. They brought their belongings by train, coming to land they had previously purchased, and is still in the family east of the Silver Creek United Methodist Church. William and Rachel lived with his sister, Mary and family, just west of the church, until a new set of buildings could be built. A barn was built first, this was their first living quarters. Rachel gave birth to twin girls, Virginia Maude and Lena Mary, on October 15, 1880, at Mary Anderson's home. The next day was the famous blizzard of 1880. Many of their fine Hereford cattle were found at the Cook ranch nearly ten miles southeast. Their eyes had been covered with ice. The family returned to the new barn awaiting the completion of their new house. It was a large, two story frame, comfortable house for the era. Gordon Trimble, a grandson, and family still live in it, with added modern conveniences. August 18, 1882, another baby girl, Emma Jane was born in this barn building. William and Rachel's children were: Virginia Maude (Mrs. Joseph Trimble)*, Emma Jane (Mrs. D.L. Young), William James (Jim), Eva Lena, John Andrew, and Florence Flavilla (Mrs. Edward Flynn). Lena Mary, the twin, died July 24, 1881; a son died in infancy; and Charles Wesley was three and one-half years old when he died of cholera infantum. He seemed unusually bright and gifted in his short life. The Fair children attended Silver Creek Center Rural School No. 5, across from the church. All attended Morningside College in Sioux City with Virgie and Emma graduating in 1905. Feeling the need for a church, Mr. and Mrs. William Fair assisted in getting a good Methodist Church erected. They were charter members, the largest contributors, and first treasurer, and sent a team of horses and a lumber wagon to Storm Lake for the lumber for the church. They bought a pump organ, a brass kerosene lamp and stand to be near the organ and walnut, cane-seated chairs for the choir. Three of these chairs are still in the family. A board fence was built east of the church where the teams were tied. Mr. Fair had a building built north of the church with three stalls. These stalls were for the minister, the Sunday School Superintendent, and Mr. Fair's team. Church services were held in the afternoon at first. As a family, religion was a basis of their home, having daily Bible readings when the children memorized many Bible passages through the years. Many times William would ask the minister and his family to come home with them and they often stayed a week or longer. This surely made lots of extra work for Rachel, who had several children, several hired men, and didn't know she was going to have guests. When the congregation had evangelistic meetings, the "Fairs" entertained the evangelistic preacher in their home. The church was the center for much visiting among friends and relatives each week. Ice houses were built, and in the winter chunks of ice were stored in these houses, covered with loose hay or straw and used in summer to keep cream and milk cool. Farm wagons became bobsleds in winter. On Christmas Eve the family would bundle up for the ride to the church in the bobsled. The driver would be wearing a coonskin coat and holding a kerosene lantern. The passengers would sit on straw, cuddled under blankets or robes. The jingle of the horses' harness as they pulled their load over the sparkling, snow covered landscape was pleasant. Later the Fairs had a black "cutter" with red tufted velvet upholstery. This was stored in the corn crib driveway. Horse and buggies were used to pick up the "kids" in the rain after school, or if the temperature was too cold for walking. Mail came to Ida Grove, so once a week Mr. Fair or his men would drive horses to Ida Grove to get their mail and buy the staple food items. Fabrics and trimmings would be purchased for the girls' and ladies' dresses, then arrangments would be made for a dressmaker to come to their home and stay several weeks to make the women's clothing. Coats, dresses, slips, etc., in those days, had yards and yards of fabric, much trim of laces, braids, and buttons, with everything lined and many hooks and eyes that were put on by hand. There was lots of woolen fabric used, and the cottons were not suitable for washing, as the colors were not colorfast and would run. As the young people went to college, trunks were packed with their belongings and horse driven to Galva for their train trip to Sioux City. The students, of course, stayed at school for several weeks at a time. Rachel Fair said many times Indians would come by asking for a meal, and how frightened she and her children would be. "Billy" Fair and his sister, Mary Anderson, built their houses and farm buildings back many rods from the main country road because they didn't want their chickens to get run over by passersby. William, a carpenter-farmer, died at his home of diabetes June 24, 1916, at 82 years, on his wife's birthday. The hearse used at William's funeral was the first automobile hearse in this part of the state, going to Ida Grove Cemetery, where he is buried. Rachel moved to Sioux City in 1917, taking with her Jim, John, Eva Lena, and Florence. Rachel died April 20, 1932, in Sioux City of heart disease. The fourth generation is now living on this same farm.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Rachel Pierce Fair's memorial?
Rachel Pierce Fair's memorial is located at: Acacia Park Cemetery, Beverly Hills, Oakland County, USA.
When did Rachel Pierce Fair death?
Rachel Pierce Fair death on 20 Apr 1932 in
Where are the coordinates of the Rachel Pierce Fair's memorial?
Latitude: 42.5217018
Longitude: -83.2197037

Family Members:

Spouse

William James “Billy” Fair

(1833 - 1916)

Children

Lena Mary Fair

(1880 - 1881)

Virginia Maude Fair Trimble

(1880 - 1982)

Charles Wesley Fair

(1897 - 1900)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Acacia Park Cemetery
Beverly Hills, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate: 42.5217018, -83.2197037

2. Beekman Cemetery
Southfield, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate: 42.5098076, -83.2176285

3. Saint David Episcopal Church Columbarium
Southfield, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate: 42.5030990, -83.2096400

4. Saint James Episcopal Church Columbarium
Birmingham, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate: 42.5465088, -83.2179642

5. First United Methodist Church Memorial Garden
Birmingham, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate: 42.5454370, -83.2330870

6. Clover Hill Park Cemetery
Birmingham, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate: 42.5349998, -83.1885986

7. First Presbyterian Church Columbarium
Birmingham, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate: 42.5463380, -83.2351040

8. Lutheran Church of the Redeemer Columbarium
Birmingham, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate: 42.5463540, -83.2373950

9. Perrin Cemetery
Troy, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate: 42.5398254, -83.1857605

10. Greenwood Cemetery
Birmingham, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate: 42.5539017, -83.2238998

11. Roseland Park Cemetery
Berkley, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate: 42.5060997, -83.1797028

12. Northbrook Presbyterian Church Columbarium
Beverly Hills, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate: 42.5297550, -83.2657280

13. Southfield Reformed Cemetery
Southfield, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate: 42.4848420, -83.2405580

14. Christ Church Cranbrook Columbarium
Bloomfield Hills, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate: 42.5672188, -83.2440186

15. Pioneer Cemetery
Southfield, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate: 42.4749140, -83.2603170

16. Southfield Cemetery
Southfield, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate: 42.4749985, -83.2608032

17. Saint Andrews Memorial Garden
Clawson, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate: 42.5359612, -83.1460571

18. Saint Johns Episcopal Church Resurrection Garden
Royal Oak, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate: 42.4892970, -83.1574120

19. Gilbert Lake Cemetery (Defunct)
Bloomfield, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate: 42.5568800, -83.2799500

20. Royal Oak Cemetery
Royal Oak, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate: 42.5036011, -83.1442032

21. Saint Marys Cemetery
Royal Oak, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate: 42.5002430, -83.1444560

22. Oakview Cemetery
Royal Oak, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate: 42.5005989, -83.1393967

23. Dun Scotus - Franciscan Catholic Cemetery
Southfield, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate: 42.4609690, -83.2437940

24. Franklin Cemetery
Franklin, Oakland County, USA
Coordinate: 42.5224991, -83.3059921