Is there anyone that has information on this business, or the family that ran it? Proprietor went by "Bill" Pierson/Pearson. Any information would be appreciated. Sorry, can't even give a town's location, afraid my ggaunt can only remember the name of the county it was located in.
OH, probable date was the 1920's to 1940's?
Thanks, r. unrein

Hi, I'd contact the Okanogan Coounty Gen. Soc., ocgs@ncidata.com.

Thanks, I can try that.

I did a couple of checks, but more information is needed.

Is there a family connection to this person/family? Does she know more about the family, the sons, the wife's name. Any approximate ages? For example was this Bill, a cousin that might be the same age as your ggaunt? Any pertinent family information would help.

Did your ggaunt live there for any length of time? Or, what is the connection to this town that had this grocery? In my many years of genealogy, I've found that over the many years a person lives, memories tend to connect to other memories that are different, memories are lost. I've "talked" to people that were 100 percent sure of a family members location, only to be found somewhere else.
So, any other connection to this family or grocery would help.

From your other posts, always try to identify whatever significant information that you have, a Date of Birth is always number 1, place of birth, parents, siblings, spouse, where they lived, etc., is always helpful

Ron Bestrom

William Chesley Pierson, 'Bill', left the state of AR around 1880. No word was ever heard from him again. He left a wife and baby behind. We don't know why.
Part of the family took a vacation to Washington, her dad saw a grocery store with the name "Pierson & Sons" on it, and stopped there, just because of the sign. He talked to the owner, and recognized him as our missing family member.
They talked for a while, and then continued on.
All she can remember is the name of the county they were in.
She's in her 90's now.
Best I can do.
r.

The 1889 Washington State and Territorial Census has a
"Wm C. Pierson" age 37 (1852/1853) in Missouri. He was living in Kittitas County, he was married and a laborer. The date of enumeration wasn't identified on the page.

The 1900 Census for Cle Elum, Kitsap county, WA
William C. Pearson, born April 1852, single, born in Missouri to father born in New York, mother in North Carolina.

I looked in the whole State of Washington for ANY Pierson/Pearson/Pearsen/Piersen born plus/minus 10 years of 1855. That would find anyone born between 1845 and 1865. If he was born before 1845 and left in the 1880's, he would have been elderly by the 1920's/1940's.

The 1930 census had NO Pearson, a Gus Pierson from Sweden.

For this person to have a "Pierson and sons", he probably would have had to have sons, probably would be listed with sons in the 1900/1930 Census. UNLESS, he married a woman after 1930 that had sons, but that doesn't sound credible if he was born in the 1850/1860 time frame.

IF your ggaunt did witness a family member with Pierson and sons, it "might" have been a son of this William Pierson; but unless your William Pierson skipped out on this one also, nothing to be found of a possible son in the census.

Without more information, his DOB, or even State of his birth, who his parents were, so he can be found in Arkansas in the 1870 or 1880 census. That would give us the approximate age. Is your ggaunt part of a family that contains a Pierson?

I worked a case a few months ago where the family member was POSITIVE they visited someone in a certain place. But, I found them in another place, they had been there for years before and after. So, the mind plays tricks after a while. Your ggaunt was probably in her teens during the time period? Okanogan might have been a memory because of something else, the great Indian Reservations, etc. OR, maybe someone did go into a Pierson and Son's grocery and William was discussed at the time; but he wasn't actually found there.

But, until the Pierson and Son's Grocery is found, we can't speculate. Hard proof is needed. Start with Okanogan, also look at Kitsap and Kittitas Counties.

Ron Bestrom

W. C. Pierson, b. Dec 6 1850, LA. Family moved to AR in 1868, or there-a-bouts. In his mother's h/h in 1870 census. Md. Margaret Copeland in 1871, had a son Fieldrick(s) ca 1879. Margaret & son in 1880 census, she was listed as a boarder/ housekeeper. There is no marking in the married/widowed box. In 1900 she has remarried. That census is the ONLY doc. we can find with Fieldrick in it. No death record or burial site found for him, no other census or mil. report on him.
So at some point between 1879/80 is when W. C. disappeared from the picture. Have been unable to locate him since his marriage record in 1871.
Sure do appreciate all your help in this.
r.