Eliza Jane Frost Pierce

Eliza is a maternal 4th Great Grandmother of mine.

Eliza was born on April 6, 1845 in Hot Spring County, Arkansas to Reuben Nash Frost. I'm uncertain who her mother actually is. I'm also uncertain of any siblings she would have had, or if she even had any.

On July 8, 1863, Eliza married my 4th great grandfather James Knox Pierce in Calhoun County, Arkansas. She was 18, and he was 17. This is one of the only couples out of my ancestors that I've researched where the woman was the older one of the two. Together they had 13 children. The children that I actually know about are Joel Alexander (1866), Martha Salina (1869), Thomas Benjamin (1871), Lillian Fairy (1873 - my 3rd Great grandmother), Susan Elizabeth (1876), Lawrence M. (1879), Gilbert Leonard (1882), and Chester Elbert (1885). The other children could very easily be ones who died during infancy or were stillbirths.

Almost immediately after her wedding day, her husband enlisted into the confederate army to fight in the Civil War. Specifically, he joined the McNally Company in the Blocher's Battalion Regiment. He was gone for the most part of two years collectively until he was honorably discharged in 1865.

I'm sure for the time period, it was expected for the men in your life to be wisked off to war at any given notice. The whole country was in an uproar at the time. I'm sure Eliza was terrified for her husband. As a brand new bride, I'm sure she often wondered if her husband would come home safe and sound, or would he come home in a coffin? That would be a miserable two years of waiting. I'm sure she was over the moon and so relieved when he returned to her. After returning from the war, Eliza and James settled down in Hampton to establish a farm.

In the 1870 census of Hampton, Calhoun County, Arkansas, Eliza (age 26), is living with her husband (age 24), and their first two children: Joel and Martha (ages 3 and 1). Their total property value of the farm was $200, which would be roughly $5,000 today.

Ten years later, in 1880, Eliza (age 35), is living in the same home with her husband (age 34), and six of their children: Joel, Martha, Thomas, Lillian, Susan, and Lawrence (ages 12, 11, 9, 7, 5, and 4 months). Eliza's oldest child (Joel) is listed as a farm hand, helping her and James on the property.

Now, from this point to 1892, things start to deteriorate. Eliza's husband began to suffer with mental instability. It's recorded in several documents that he was deemed clinically insane. To what extent that insanity went, I'm not sure. It's pretty obvious that his years in the war probably haunted him. There's no telling what all he saw or what he went through. Once he returned, he was responsible for a farm of his own, and throughout the years gained responsibility over 13 children with at least 8 surviving up to this point in top of his horrific experience with war.

On November 3, 1892, Eliza's father-in-law was shot in the face in his own home by a mistress. Her name was Mary Carr. She also robbed $1,000 from him. (You can read the whole ordeal by going to genealogybank.com, creating a membership, and typing in Pierce 1892, Camden Arkansas). It's a pretty horrific story.

With everything already uneasy with Eliza's husband, I'm sure this was the catalyst that really tipped everything over the edge and beyond return. The very next day on November 4th, Eliza had to commit her husband into the Arkansas State Lunatic Asylum in Little Rock.

So once again, out of her control, Eliza's husband leaves her again...this time permanently. Eliza is now left without a stable income from her husband, no work of her own, and having to support 2 of her youngest children.

In the 1900 census of Huey, Calhoun County, Arkansas, Eliza (age 54) and her two youngest children, Chester and Gilbert (ages 13 and 18) are living with her son Thomas (age 29), her daughter-in-law Martha (age 26), and three of her grandchildren: Charles, Wilson, and Vera (ages 5, 4, and 1). I'm comforted by the fact that despite the literal hell Eliza is going through, she's at least supported by her son who has welcomed her into his home. His property is owned outright, and he's listed as a laborer for his occupation. It's listed in this census record that Eliza is unable to read or write.

For some reason I've never been able to find a 1910 or 1920 census with her listed in it. I'm not sure why I can't find her anywhere in that time frame, as far as where she's living and that sort of thing.

On October 3, 1910, her daughter Lillian passed away at 37 years old. Eliza had her buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Tinsman, Arkansas.

I do have documents of some things that Eliza was involved in during the 1910s and 20s.

On July 8, 1911 Eliza applied for a Widow's Pension. What's interesting about this is the fact that her husband is still alive, but he's a permanent resident of the asylum in Little Rock. In the cause of reasons section of a plea for approval of the application it reads, "My husband became insane on the 4th day of November in 1892. He is hopelessly insane and has been for 18 years, and is at this time confined in the Hospital for Nervous Diseases in the city of Little Rock."

It's at this point its made clear by her mark of an "X" for her signature that she can't read or write. I'm almost certain her son Thomas helped her with the application process, since he was literate and educated.

Three days after her application was sent, she got an approval for a $50 monthly pension.

On June 27, 1912, Eliza's husband passed away while still living in the asylum. He was 66 years old. She buried him in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Tinsman, Arkansas. As sad as it was for her to lose her husband, I'm sure a part of her felt relief that the ordeal was finally over. She didn't have to worry about him anymore. She wouldn't have to make extensive and difficult plans to go visit him, 100 miles from where she lived. It was all finally laid to rest.

A week later, she applied for a Widow's Pension again and was approved for $100 monthly pension on July 3, 1912. Today that value would be roughly $3,100 a month! The payments usually lasted in 18-month intervals, so she'd get about $55,800 by the end of it!

At some point from 1912 to 1923, Eliza had moved to Tulip, Arkansas, in Dallas County. Her son Thomas moved there during that time period, so I'm assuming she was probably still living with him and his family still, and she relocated with them.

On April 18, 1923, Eliza passed away at home in Tulip, Arkansas at 78 years old. She left behind 6 children, and at least 25 grandchildren (that I've found). She was buried next to her husband in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Tinsman, Arkansas.

(Information given by Eliza Jane Frost Pierce & James Knox Pierce's 4th great grandson, Bradley Haden Ainsworth Reynolds. Haden is the 3rd great grandson of Lillian Fairy Pierce Jones & Doctor Franklin Jones, the 2nd great grandson of Benjamin Franklin Jones & Lottie Lavonia Pugh Jones, the great grandson of Glen Franklin Jones & Maudie Marie Selman Jones, the grandson of Glen Edward "Buddy" Jones & Ola Jeannine Gray Reaves, and the son of Michelle Renne Jones Swilling & Stephen Wayne Ainsworth -- March 30, 2024)