Aunt Bessie Pierce
Elizabeth Jones (Bess) Moore 17 July 1889 – 18 Nov 1959 | parents
& 15 Sept 1909 Robert Russell Pierce 31 Mar 1883 – 18 June 1952 | parents
of Norfolk VA
This family buried in Riverside Memorial Cemetery, Norfolk, VA lot 89.
Records for Aunt Bessie all read Bessie Moore Pierce.
They had resided at 1726 Princeton Ave in Norfolk VA.
1909 Moore Sisters: Julia and Bess
Aunt Bessie, G-aunt Nell and Aunt Julia 1955
sitting on the couch in Aunt Nell’s living room
photo by Nancy Wertz
Aunt Bessie watching me feed cake to Bob. June 1958
Bessie Moore and Robert Russell Pierce had:
1913 Bessie Moore Pierce with Mary and Arthur
1. Mary Rayner Pierce 1910 – 20 June 1972 Virginia Beach VA
married 1929 T C McMillian 21 Feb 1905 Fulton AL – 12 Jan 1983 Virginia Beach VA
lived next door to Bessie and Russell
a. Mary Ann McMillian 1935 –
married John Taggart Wilber 15 Jan 1931 KY – 1960’s FL
i. Donald Wayne Wilber 1956 FL –
ii. Ronald Wayne Wilber 1956 FL –
iii. Cynthia Lynn Wilber 1960 FL –
iv. Jay Thomas Wilber 1962 FL –
b. Thomas Curtis McMillian Jr. 1944 –
married 8 May 1966 Anne Brothers
i. Thomas Curtis McMillian III 1966 VA –
ii. Kelly Anne McMillian 1969 VA –
2. Arthur Moore Pierce 30 Sept 1912 – 18 June 1969 Richmond VA
married 1st Dorothy Johnson **
a. Robert Franklin Pierce 1933 –
married Ursula
i. son
ii. daughter
married 2nd Doris Carroll
b. Henrietta Carole Pierce 1942 –
married Norris Strickland
i. Carter Brent Strickland 1968 –
married Jellie
c. Betsy Pierce 1948 –
3. Annie Ward Pierce 7 June 1915 – 14 Sept 1926 Norfolk VA died young
Mary, Annie, and Arthur Pierce
4. Robert Russell Pierce 6 Jan 1917 – 20 Aug 1977 Virginia Beach VA
married 26 Oct 1940 Florence Burgess 2 Mar 1917 Hyde Co NC – 9 Nov 1988 VB VA – No Issue
5. James Madison Pierce 19 Jan 1919 – 16 Nov 1996 Virginia Beach VA obit.
Married 12 Feb 1951 Dory Boleti 9 Aug 1922 Italy –
a. Kay Pierce*ca 1945 –
b. James Madison Pierce Jr Dec 1951 –
ca 1927 Johnnie and Jimmie Pierce
6. John Wheeler Pierce 17 Oct 1924 Norfolk VA – 18 June 1997
married 18 July 1943 Doris Corbett 24 Aug 1924 – 29 Feb 2004
a. Deborah Waco Pierce 1952 –
Married Paul Sacra
i. Jennifer Sacra
ii. Kimberly Sacra
b. John Robert Pierce 1956 –
7. Elizabeth Ann Pierce 1928 –
Betty ca 1975
married John Milton Hickey 7 Aug 1924 – 15 March 2005
a. Mary Elizabeth Hickey 1950 –
b. Catherine Lee Hickey 1952 –
Married Mack McMahan
Beth and Cathy Hickey
1959 5 Generations (not a direct line of course)
Mary Ann McMillan Wilber top left, her great Aunt Julia W Moore,
Her aunt Betty Pierce Hickey, seated is her great, great Aunt Nell Rayner Myers and Ronnie or Donnie (no one is certain which), Wilber.
Day of Bess Pierce’s funeral.
Sept 2006 at Chowan:
Tommy McMillan, Bobby Pierce, Betty Hickey, Ursula Pierce,
Carole Jellie, Cathy McMahan, Dory Pierce,
Mack McMahan, Scott Blackwell,
Sally Koestler, Jennifer Sacra, Kimberly Sacra,
Robbie Pierce, Debbie Pierce Sacra.
| VIRGINIA BEACH – John Milton Hickey, 80, of the 3300 block of MacDonald Road, died March 15, 2005, John was born in Norfolk and grew up in Brambleton. He was the son of the late Mary Caroline and Charles Edward Hickey and was preceded in death by his brothers, Edward Hickey and Willie Reynolds, and his sister, Laura Etheridge. An Army veteran of World War II, he was a retired claims supervisor with Aetna Life Insurance Co. He was a deacon emeritus and a faithful member of Woodland Heights Baptist Church, where he served on many committees and in various ministries including the Swinging Saints Choir and his Senior Citizens Group. Mr. Hickey was a member of the Norfolk East Camp of Gideons International and the Virginia Beach Chapter of the Disabled American Veterans and was a lifetime athlete and coach. Surviving is his loving wife of 56 years, Betty Pierce Hickey; his daughters, Beth Leonard and husband Frank and Cathy McMahan and husband Everette (Mac) McMahan. His grandchildren are Eric McMahan, Jason McMahan, Keith Leonard, and wife Tammy, Elizabeth Clemons and husband Billy and Matthew Leonard; great-grandchildren, Austin Clemons and Luke Leonard; his brother, Charles W. Hickey and wife Maxine of Charlotte, N.C.; two sisters-in-law, Stella Reynolds and Dory Pierce; and many nieces and nephews. A funeral will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at Woodland Heights Baptist Church with Dr. Ken Barnes officiating. Burial will follow in Riverside Memorial Park.  I will have to find the second part of this obit. |
* indicates close relative of a wife who was adopted by the husband
**indicates couple divorced