Aaron W. Pearce was born in Worthington Twp., Richland Co. Ohio to Dennis Kline Pearce and Mary Pollock. Aaron is the twin to James H. Pearce. Siblings of Aaron & James are:
Andrew 1834, Elizabeth 1836, Hannah 1838, Aaron & James 1840, Sarah 1842, Mary Ann 1845, Dennis K. 1848, Margaret 1851.

In the year 1853/1854 the Pearce family above as well as grandparents and aunts and uncles migrated to Cedar Co., Iowa. In 1855 Dennis Kline Pearce the father of Aaron and above siblings died, leaving Mary as the only parent to 9 children.

Aaron enlisted in Co. E, 11th Iowa Infantry when the war between the states broke out. He served until the final day of the war when he was liberated from Andersonville Prison [ Sumter Prison]. According to military service records he was captured in Atlanta on July 22, 1864.

His journey home to Iowa was mostly on foot and when he arrived in Cedar County Iowa to the family farm his Mother did not recognize him as he was so frail, thin and ill. He was ill with dysentary the rest of his life.

In 1866 he married Agnes Bolton of Cedar Co., Iowa. and they became the parents of 8 children, 1 son and 7 daughters. They are: Merrill, Myrtle, Estella, Dessa, Ethel, Laura, Eva, and Mary Ida.

In 1873 Aaron, wife Agnes, and children born to date relocated to Osceola, Polk Co., Nebraska and stayed for 17 months to prove up the land that he acquired as a Civil War Veteran. [In 2001 I located this farm and the present day owner, only the third family to live on this land since 1873, showed me the original well that I presume was dug as soon as Aaron and his family arrived there.] It was a very nice day to walk that land, touch the well rocks, and look at the land where my ancestors lived in a sod house for 17 months. Dennis, his brother, built the first house on this land. At that time he sold this property to his youngest brother Dennis Kline Pearce, Jr. and returned to Iowa, settling in Wheeler Grove, Pottawattamie Co. They farmed in this location & spent most of the rest of their lives here and moved to Lincoln, Nebraska nearing the end of their lives to be near their daughters.

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Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa
AARON W. PEARCE is one of the well known citizens of Grove Township, having been a resident of Pottawattamie County since 1874.

He was born in Richland County, Ohio, September 22, 1840. His father, Dennis Pearce, also a native of Ohio, was a son of Aaron Pearce, who was of Irish extraction. In politics the Pearces have been Whigs and Republicans; in religion they have been associated with the Christian Church. Dennis Pearce wedded Mary Pollock, a native of Richland County, Ohio, by whom he had nine children, four sons and five daughters. Three of the daughters are deceased. Mrs. George Bolton and the subject of this sketch are the only ones living in Pottawattamie County. James H., a twin brother of Aaron, resides in Adair County, Iowa. In 1852 or 1853 the family removed from Ohio to Cedar County, Iowa, and, were early settlers in that section of the country. They had been there only a year when the father died, leaving his widow and children to battle for life in a new country. The mother afterward married Mr. H. C. Paxton, who died in 1870.

Aaron W. Pearce received his education in Richland County, Ohio, and in Cedar County, Iowa. During the late war, in answer to Lincoln's call for "300,000 more," he enlisted in September, 1861, in Company E, Eleventh Iowa Infantry. He enlisted under Colonel Abraham Hare, of Muscatine, who was some time afterward succeeded by Colonel William Hall, of Davenport. Mr. Pearce was a brave soldier, and with his regiment took an active part in many of the prominent engagements of the war. He was returned home on a veteran furlough, and after it expired he joined his regiment on the Tennessee River. He was afterward with Sherman before Atlanta. July 22, 1864, he was made a prisoner and taken to Andersonville, marching a portion of the way and finishing the journey by rail, arriving at the prison early in August. A portion of the time Mr. Pearce was at Andersonville there were 30,000-45,000 prisoners there in a field of only thirty acres. About one hundred dead Soldiers were carried out of the stockade daily. Much has been said and written of the horrors of that prison, but the half has never been told, nor can it be realized by any save those who passed through the terrible ordeal of prison life. About the middle of September Mr. Pearce was moved from Andersonville to Charleston, South Carolina, remaining there a short time. He was taken to Florence, South Carolina, where he was held until February, when the near approach of Sherman's army made another move necessary, and, being placed on the cars, was started toward Wilmington, North Carolina, and on to Goldsboro, where with other prisoners he was paroled and returned toward Wilmington, passing, into the Union lines near that place February 26, 1865. Leaving Wilmington by steamer for Annapolis, Maryland, they went to Baltimore, where he shed his prison rags and put on the blue again. He soon left for St. Louis, but was unable to travel, and was placed in the hospital at Grafton, West Virginia, remaining there one month. Then he again returned home on a furlough, and rejoined his regiment the last day of the general review at Washington.

After the war he came back to Cedar County, where he resided for some time. In the spring of 1872 he removed to Polk County, Nebraska, and took up a soldier's claim of 160 acres. After remaining there sixteen months he came to this county and located in Grove Township. At that time he settled on section 33, near where he now lives. He afterward traded with Thomas Conner for his present farm. It is in section 28 and contains 108 acres, forty of which are in timber. It is well adapted for stock and grain purposes, and is well supplied with all necessary farm buildings. A good residence situated, on a natural building site, surrounded by shade and ornamental trees. makes a comfortable and attractive home.

September 11, 1866, Mr. Pearce married Agnes Bolton, a native of Cedar County, Iowa, and a daughter of William and Sarah (Southern) Bolton, natives of Virginia. Her grandfather, Henry Bolton, was a native of Virginia and a soldier in the Revolutionary war. Mrs. Pearce was reared and educated in Cedar County. They have seven children, namely: Merrill Edson, Myrtie C., Estella Kate, Dessie Irene, Ethel Grace, Laura Jane and Mary Ida. Miss Estella is a successful teacher in the schools of Pottawattamie County. Mr. and Mrs. Pearce lost one child by death, Eva L., at the age of three years.

In politics our subject is a Republican. For the last ten years he has served as Township Clerk. He has also served as a member of the School Board. He and his wife and three of their daughters are members of the Methodist Protestant Church. Mr. Pearce is a man of integrity, and is highly respected by all who know him.